Jun 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health has warned that Dengue has now entered a pandemic stage as the resurgence of the mosquito-borne menace has killed 80 people and affected 14,500 others during the first six months of the year.

A Health Ministry official has told local media that all government hospitals are currently overflowing with dengue patients and it is hazardous to other patients.

The dengue outbreak in the country has developed into a severe epidemic, the Ministry has warned.

Out of the 80 people died, 24 were children between five and 15 years of age.

A Health Ministry Official has said that although the Ministry had informed all the government and private sector institutions and schools to carry out dengue eradication activities, the public, especially schools, have failed to keep the environment clean to prevent the spread of dengue.

The Ministry has predicted that the disease would enter epidemic stage at the end of June and urged the public to take measures to eradicate dengue mosquito larvae breeding places.

The Ministry official has criticized the principals of the schools for not taking adequate measures to keep school premises clean despite the alerts from the Ministry. The school children are more vulnerable for the mosquito bites and to contract the disease, the official has pointed out.

The Health Ministry official says all nine provinces had been affected by dengue now.