Mosquitoes Plague a Nation, Government Deploys Military
Mosquitoes have left an entire nation reeling, at least in Sri Lanka.
Citing Reuters on Tuesday (21/7/2026), public health services and hospitals in the island nation are struggling against dengue fever. The outbreak, transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, is now the worst in almost a decade.
Health authorities have consequently requested the assistance of the country’s armed forces to help curb the spread of the disease. The effort encompasses a range of measures, from air force drones tracking pools of standing water on rooftops after the monsoon rains, to military and police personnel helping to inspect homes, construction sites and schools in a campaign to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.
“It is challenging for doctors because there has been a rapid increase in patients,” said consultant Lalindra Dias in Negombo, one of the worst-affected areas, located about 35 km (22 miles) north of the main city of Colombo.
“Suddenly, there has been a huge surge of patients coming to hospitals,” he added.
According to ministry data from January to date, dengue fever infections in Sri Lanka have reached 76,044 cases, with 53 deaths recorded so far.
The number of sufferers is reported to have risen due to a more virulent strain. Around 75% of cases are linked to the DENV-2 strain, which spreads very rapidly.
District general hospitals are now treating almost 1,800 patients in less than two months since June, up from around 1,050 in 2025. This month, hospitals have added beds, converted wards to treat patients, and increased doctors’ and nurses’ working hours in an effort to handle a surge of more than 18,000 cases in two weeks.
“Public health workers are overwhelmed to the limits of their capacity,” said acting director general of the National Dengue Control Unit, Kapila Kannangara.
“The number of patients is high, and the severity of the cases is also high,” he added.
Military Deployed
Meanwhile, the government has deployed the military to carry out clean-up operations in the worst-affected areas. They have also combed locations from house to house, including religious institutions, to remove mosquito breeding sites.
“With drones helping public health workers identify rooftops where water has pooled, as well as monitor wider areas, the air force is also helping overstretched staff at several general hospitals to track patients,” said the Ministry of Health.
“Almost 11,000 mosquito breeding sites have been cleaned this month, with fines imposed on more than 4,000 places found to harbour mosquitoes,” it added.
To ease the pressure on hospitals, doctors are advising those with mild symptoms to recover at home. Authorities are also considering turning to a dengue vaccine, although experts have warned that the vaccine may offer limited benefits because the virus is complex and several strains are circulating.