The dengue death rate in Sri Lanka is 0.3 percent at the moment and it is expected to decrease further to 0.1 percent by 2016, a Health Ministry spokesperson said.

"People have shown a resistance to the first type of dengue virus that exists in Sri Lanka. But the second type of dengue virus is now spreading in other countries posing a threat to Sri Lanka again," the spokesperson added.

Immediate medical attention from a state hospital or a qualified doctor for any type of fever is the only way of avoiding complications and death, he added.

The Health Ministry recently provided 10 Ultra Sound Scanners worth Rs 20 million to 10 Teaching Hospitals to be installed at High Dependency Units (HDU) set up to treat dengue patients.

According to the spokesperson, the Ultra Sound Scanners will only be used to treat dengue patients.

The ministry has already established 100 HDUs in state hospitals to treat dengue patients.

The HDUs have ICU beds and all other medical equipment to prevent patients from falling into a critical condition with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome. Using Ultra Sound Scanners, specialist doctors can identify the symptoms of DHF or Dengue Shock in advance, he said.

source:www.dailynews.lk/local/dengue-death-rate-reducing