More than 225 people have died in Sri Lanka this year because of what is believed to be the deadliest dengue outbreak the country has ever witnessed. Some 76,000 cases of infection have been registered, so far, and the government has deployed about 400 soldiers and police officers to destroy mosquito breeding grounds, AP reported on Tuesday.
Colombo’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Ruwan Wijayamuni criticised citizens for failing to clear puddles and piling up trash. “Some residents do not allow officials to inspect houses and clean them. This is really unacceptable,” he told AP.
Last month’s heavy downpour allowed garbage piles and puddles to turn into breeding spots for mosquitoes in the Sri Lankan Capital.
Around 25 teams of security forces and public health officials have been deployed to clean the worst-affected areas in and around Colombo. They check every house in areas and advise residents against clogging drains or filling empty pots with rainwater. Public places are also being fumigated.
Senior citizens, children and those with some kind of medical complication are the most-affected by this virus, the National Dengue Eradication Unit’s Dr Priscilla Samaraweera told AP.
Last year, 55,150 people were diagnosed with dengue, and 97 had died.
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