Actual dengue cases may exceed official count: GMOA

Colombo, July 6 (Daily Mirror) - The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has raised concerns that the actual number of dengue infections in Sri Lanka could be significantly higher than the officially reported figures, warning that the country may be witnessing the early stages of a major outbreak similar to the 2017 epidemic.

Addressing the media, GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe claimed that while official statistics indicate that nearly 1,500 dengue cases are being reported daily, the real number of infections may be substantially higher due to unreported cases.

"The country has moved to a situation where nearly 1,500 dengue cases are being officially reported each day. However, the actual number of people contracting dengue is likely much higher than the official count," Dr. Wijesinghe said.

He said that the number of dengue patients had increased by around 150 percent over the past week, describing the current trend as an alarming escalation of the disease.

According to Dr. Wijesinghe, official figures only account for patients who are admitted to hospitals, while many others remain at home, self-medicating and recovering without being recorded in the national surveillance system.

"We only report the number of patients admitted to hospitals as official figures. However, there are many patients who remain at home, take medication and rest without being identified. Therefore, we have not yet seen the true picture of the dengue epidemic situation," he said.

The GMOA spokesman further stated that although health authorities have introduced various strategies and control measures to curb the spread of dengue, the association has not observed any significant improvement in the overall situation.

Referring to the daily statistics, Dr. Wijesinghe said the continuous rise in reported infections indicates that the country could be heading towards a widespread outbreak similar to the dengue epidemic experienced in 2017.

He said that the total number of dengue cases reported this year had exceeded 61,000 by yesterday, with 1,422 new infections recorded in a single day.

"It is true that the relevant government authorities have implemented certain measures. However, those efforts have not resulted in a reduction in the number of dengue cases being reported in the country," Dr. Wijesinghe said.

His remarks come amid growing public concern over the recent surge in dengue cases and ongoing debate over the effectiveness of current prevention and control measures.