Sept 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena said that the larvicide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI) bacteria will be sprayed by air in Colombo city and the suburbs where a majority of dengue cases have been reported.

The Minister said that the operation will be conducted in the first week of October with the support of Air Force and the Municipal Councils.

The Minister added that the government would not hesitate to bear the expenses of the measures in the fight against the dengue epidemic.

He said that Sri Lanka earlier also used 10,000 liters of BTI imported from Cuba and the government of Cuba had promised to supply more BTI during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Havana.

So far this year, 32,027 suspected dengue cases have been reported to the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry from all over the island and 7,511 cases are from the Colombo district which includes the capital and the suburbs.