Is dengue worse than usual in Matale?

Yes. Dengue in Matale is three times its usual for these weeks.

49 cases a week, against a usual 18.

05001kusual range2026JanAprJulOctWeek 14 of 2026: 256, as printedWeek 24 of 2026: 889, as printed

Week 14: the Ministry of Health's two reports disagree (256 here, from its Epidemiology Unit; 15 in its National Dengue Control Unit's weekly update). Shown as printed.

Week 24: the Ministry of Health's two reports disagree (889 here, from its Epidemiology Unit; 29 in its National Dengue Control Unit's weekly update). Shown as printed.

Read from these four weekly reports by Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka:

  • 20–26 Jul 2026 (Vol 53 No 31)
  • 26 Jul–2 Aug 2026 (Vol 53 No 32)
  • 3–9 Aug 2026 (Vol 53 No 33)
  • 10–16 Aug 2026 (Vol 53 No 34)
The 8 reports behind "usual"
  • 20–26 Jul 2024 (Vol 51 No 31)
  • 27 Jul–2 Aug 2024 (Vol 51 No 32)
  • 3–9 Aug 2024 (Vol 51 No 33)
  • 10–16 Aug 2024 (Vol 51 No 34)
  • 19–25 Jul 2025 (Vol 52 No 31)
  • 26 Jul–1 Aug 2025 (Vol 52 No 32)
  • 2–8 Aug 2025 (Vol 52 No 33)
  • 9–15 Aug 2025 (Vol 52 No 34)

The publisher's own list of its weekly reports

How this is worked out. The last four weeks against the same four weeks of the two years before, for Matale alone. What "usual" means.

When does dengue usually peak in Matale?

Twice a year: most often around December and January (11 of 19 years), and around June and July (7).

2007: peaked in week 32008: peaked in week 522009: peaked in week 252010: peaked in week 62011: peaked in week 262012: peaked in week 352013: peaked in week 22014: peaked in week 492015: peaked in week 42016: peaked in week 292017: peaked in week 282018: peaked in week 12019: peaked in week 482020: peaked in week 12021: peaked in week 322022: peaked in week 252023: peaked in week 512024: peaked in week 12025: peaked in week 2JFMAMJJASOND

One year's peak2025Now and the next ten weeks

From 19 years of weekly reports, 2007 to 2025: each dot is the month that year's dengue peaked in Matale.

How does Matale compare with the rest of Sri Lanka?

Matale is 18th of the 21 districts with enough cases to compare, each against its own usual.

usual⅛×8×32×country 4.7×Anuradhapura: 6.0×Badulla: 7.6×Batticaloa: 3.0×Colombo: 4.0×Galle: 5.3×Gampaha: 6.3×Hambantota: 6.7×Jaffna: 2.5×Kalmunai: 6.5×Kalutara: 7.8×Kandy: 3.5×Kegalle: 5.3×Kurunegala: 3.8×Matale: 2.8×Matara: 7.2×Monaragala: 3.8×Nuwara Eliya: 6.3×Polonnaruwa: 5.0×Puttalam: 7.0×Ratnapura: 2.6×Trincomalee: 2.1×Matale

Across Sri Lanka as a whole, dengue is at 4.7× its usual; in Matale it is 2.8×.

What is dengue?

An infection caused by the dengue virus, carried by mosquitoes. Most people have mild or no illness, but it can become severe.

Signs
High fever, bad headache, pain behind the eyes, aching muscles and joints, feeling sick, vomiting, swollen glands and rash. Usually lasts two to seven days.
How it spreads
Through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which bites mainly in the daytime. Rarely, through blood transfusions, organ donation, or from mother to baby.
How to protect yourself
Cover up, use nets, window screens and repellent. Empty, clean and cover anything holding water weekly. A vaccine is licensed in some countries for children aged 6 to 16 in high-risk areas.
Get medical help
Get help immediately, often just after the fever drops, for bad stomach pain, repeated vomiting, fast breathing, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or poo, or cold pale skin. Use paracetamol, not ibuprofen or aspirin.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: WHO fact sheet: Dengue and severe dengue, read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

Dengue in every country Dooram reads ›

A reported case means someone reached a clinic and a form was filed, so these count reports, not everyone who was ill.

Sources. Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, weekly report. District maps: Survey Department of Sri Lanka, published as a Common Operational Dataset by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.