Sri Lanka Deploys Air Force Drones as Dengue Cases Top 76,000

Sri Lanka is confronting its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade, with more than 76,000 infections and 53 deaths recorded since January. Health officials say about 75% of cases are linked to a more virulent DENV‑2 strain and that the monsoon season has intensified transmission.

The government has mobilised the armed forces, using air‑force drones to locate stagnant rooftop water and deploying military and police personnel to inspect homes, schools and construction sites for mosquito‑breeding grounds. Hospitals have added beds and extended working hours, treating over 18,000 patients in the first two weeks of July alone.

The outbreak follows the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah, which caused $1.4 billion in damages and strained the health system that already enjoys a relatively high bed‑to‑population ratio of four per 1,000 people. Officials warn that cases could rise again when the rainy season returns in November, and there is currently no dengue vaccine in use in the country.