Aug 30, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government is to use the locally manufactured BTI bacteria tomorrow (31) in a bid to stop the spread of dengue.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has told the local media today (30) that the locally manufactured BTI will be used for the first time in a pilot project tomorrow at Mattakkuliya and Peliyagoda.

The local BTI, produced by the Sri Lankan firm Industrial Technological Institute, is yet to be tested in the country.

The Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reported 28,313 cases of dengue island wide resulting in 200 deaths so far this year. However, the month of August has seen a nearly 49 percent drop in number of dengue cases.