COLOMBO: Sixty-two people have died and over 42,000 were infected by the dengue virus across Sri Lanka in the first eight months of this year.

As of August 23, a total of 42,051 dengue cases were reported, with the highest number of cases reported from the Colombo district with 8,808 cases, followed by Gampaha in the outskirts of Colombo with over 6,388 cases and Galle in southern Sri Lanka with 4,377 cases, according to international media reports.

The Epidemiology Unit said it had identified five high-risk districts including Colombo, Gampaha, Galle, Kalutara and Ratnapura.

(Agencies)