The fight against dengue fever continues unabated in Sri Lanka. To curb the spread of this viral infection transmitted by mosquito bite, the island deployed hundreds of soldiers on Sunday morning. Their role ? Spray insecticides in the areas most at risk, those where mosquitoes breed. And for good reason: since the beginning of the year, dengue has infected 71,000 people. Alarming figures, due in particular to stagnant water caused by flooding during the last monsoon, which promotes the multiplication of these insects.
Vigilance is essential
Another responsible for this dengue epidemic according to the authorities: the accumulation of waste in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. In question, the inability to use the Kolonnawa landfill, adjacent to the city, since the collapse of a mountain of garbage which had caused 32 dead last April.
To stem this scourge, the army has taken matters into its own hands, headed by police officers and health sector officials, but vigilance remains in order. “It is essential to protect yourself against mosquito bites and to consult urgently in the event of flu syndrome” warns the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its site. Since the start of the year, dengue has killed 215 people in Sri Lanka, twice as many as in 2016.
Read also :
Dengue fever: death of a baby in New Caledonia
Dengue epidemic: a seventh fatal case in New Caledonia
Chikungunya, dengue and Zika under surveillance in France
