COLOMBO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The population of mosquitoes in Sri Lanka that transmit the dengue virus has increased by 29.5 percent, state media reported on Saturday, quoting the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The NDCU said the increase occurred in the second week of January compared to the first week, as 2,951 dengue cases were reported from Jan. 8 to 14.
The NDCU said 6,689 cases of dengue have been reported in the first 18 days of the year, and one person has died.
Most cases have been reported from Colombo district, the most populous district, while 1,320 cases have been reported from Jaffna, which faces the brunt of the north-eastern monsoon, the NDCU said.
Last year, a total of over 88,000 dengue cases were reported with a death toll of 57, according to the NDCU. ■
