Arabic version: سريلانكا تنشر طائرات مسيّرة لمكافحة بؤر تكاثر حمى الضنك

According to BBC News, Sri Lanka has deployed military drones to scan rooftops and other areas for stagnant water as it confronts its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade. The mosquito-borne virus has killed 56 people and infected more than 77,000 people in the country this year, with more than a quarter of cases reported in July.

Dengue is caused by a virus transmitted through bites from infected Aedes mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant water in containers such as pails, vases and flowerpot plates. Many infected people have no symptoms, while others may experience high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and rashes. Severe cases can cause internal bleeding or death.

Health authorities link the increase in infections to a cyclone that hit Sri Lanka last December, leaving debris that created mosquito breeding grounds. The military is using drones to inspect homes, schools and construction sites, while police officers are carrying out physical inspections. Nearly 11,000 breeding sites have been cleared this month, and more than 4,000 premises have been fined for harbouring them.

Cases have been reported nationwide but are concentrated in urban areas including Colombo. Hospitals have added beds and extended working hours, while doctors have advised people with mild symptoms to recover at home because of capacity constraints. Kapila Kannangara, director of Sri Lanka’s Dengue Control Unit, said infection with one of the virus’s four strains does not protect a person from the others, and a second infection can be more serious.

Dengue is common in tropical and subtropical climates, but rising temperatures have helped disease-carrying mosquitoes expand into regions including Europe and the Mediterranean. The World Health Organization says reported global cases rose from around 500,000 in 2000 to 14.4 million in 2024. Removing stagnant water can help interrupt transmission.