Srilanka fighting dengue with the help of drones

Sri Lanka is using drones to fight dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (and also Aedes albopictus). The country is facing its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade, with more than 76,000 infections and 53 deaths reported since January 2026. To curb the spread, the Sri Lankan government has deployed Air Force drones to: * Detect stagnant water on rooftops and other hard-to-reach areas where mosquitoes breed. * Survey large neighbourhoods for potential breeding sites. * Support public health teams in targeting cleanup operations more efficiently. * Assist authorities in monitoring affected areas during the outbreak. Dengue typically causes: * High fever * Severe headache * Pain behind the eyes * Muscle and joint pain (“breakbone fever”) * Nausea and rash In severe cases, it can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Sri Lanka’s drone campaign is part of a broader effort involving the military, police, and public health officials. Authorities have also conducted large-scale inspections and clean-up drives, eliminating nearly 11,000 mosquito breeding sites and issuing thousands of fines to property owners found to have breeding grounds.