Sri Lanka, June 25 -- The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) yesterday warned that several major hospitals, including the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo, are operating near maximum capacity amid the surge in dengue cases, raising concerns that the outbreak could escalate into a hyper-epidemic.

Director of the National Dengue Control Unit Dr. Kapila Kannangara said that 750 dengue cases were reported on Tuesday (23) alone, bringing the total number of infections recorded this year to 48,287.

He added that the Western Province accounts for 52.12% of all cases, followed by the Southern Province with 16.04% and the Sabaragamuwa Province with 9.15%. A total of 14,446 cases have been reported during June alone, he added.

"We have...