A study on the Relationship between the rainy season and Dengue outbreak in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction – Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease considered a global health problem. It is considered one of the major health concerns in Sri Lanka because of being a tropical country. Even though dengue cases are being reported throughout the year, there are some significant differences between incident rates in some months. The highest incident rate is usually reported from the western province. Aim – This study aims to understand the relationship between dengue incidences and monsoon seasons in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka, and the effect of the rainy season on spreading the disease. The results of this study are expected to be helpful in the implementation of new dengue prevention methods and in strengthening the existing preventive methods. Study Design – The study is a statistical analysis using SPSS – 16 version. Graphical analysis is carried out between monthly rainfall and dengue incidences in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka from January 1st of, 2010, till December 31st of, 2019. Methodology – The number of reported dengue cases in the Colombo district during the mentioned ten-year period is obtained from the Bureau of Health Information, Colombo municipal council. Those obtained data are analyzed using bivalent graphs opposite the months and rainfalls of the relevant months. The discussion will be based on the results of the graphs.