Wave of infection Almost 115,000 dengue cases in Sri Lanka

Tourists beware: Already around 115,000 dengue cases in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, more than 114,000 people have had dengue fever since the beginning of the year. More than 300 patients died of it. It is the most severe outbreak of the dangerous tropical disease in the South Asian country. Vacationers should protect themselves.

Over 300 deaths
The severe dengue fever epidemic in Sri Lanka continues to spread. According to a news agency dpa news agency, the island state's health ministry said that this year more than 114,000 people have contracted the virus and 315 have died of it. According to the information, this is more than twice as many infections and almost three times as many deaths as in the whole past year.

In Sri Lanka, nearly 115,000 people have suffered from dengue fever this year and more than 300 have died from it. The dangerous disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. (Image: nechaevkon / fotolia.com)

So far the most severe outbreak of the disease
According to the Red Cross, it is the worst recorded outbreak of infectious disease in the South Asian country.

The capital Colombo is hit hardest by the epidemic. The clinics there are overcrowded.

And the situation could be further aggravated because Sri Lanka is facing the second annual monsoon season from October. The rain provides ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Avoid mosquito bites
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2.5 billion people worldwide are threatened by dengue viruses. The disease is transmitted in the tropics and subtropics of predominantly diurnal mosquitoes.

The clinical spectrum in the case of infection ranges from mild forms that are almost symptom-free, flu-like symptoms with fever, headache, muscle and limb pain, to cases that cause internal bleeding and vascular damage.

Even tourists who travel in the tropical paradise are at risk. "The number of dengue infections annually imported by travelers to Germany is highly dependent on the epidemiological situation in the infected countries," writes the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

In 2015, 722 dengue fever diseases were reported to the RKI, most of them from Thailand. This also has to do with "that this is a high-traffic long-haul destination."

There is no vaccine against dengue fever as well as drugs for the causal treatment.

To protect yourself from infection, avoid mosquito bites. Wearing bright, loose clothes and using insect sprays and mosquito nets are ways to help against annoying mosquitoes. (Ad)