Following a sharp rise in the number of patients suffering from dengue, health authorities in Vavuniya have stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the town and suburbs.

It is suspected that there are 400 positive dengue cases in the Vavuniya district and 28 are warded in Vavuniya Hospital in critical condition. Five deaths were reported during the course of last week.

A special team of health officials, who arrived in Vavuniya following the disease reaching epidemic proportions, had advised that stringent action be taken against those who dump garbage carelessly and a programme launched to clean up all suspected places of mosquito breeding.