COLOMBO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health will implement a special dengue mosquito control program on June 8-10, amid a continued rise in dengue cases across the country, said a senior health specialist.

Speaking to local media, Prashila Samaraweera, consultant specialist at the National Dengue Control Unit, said that the program will be carried out across 14 districts, focusing mainly on areas identified as high-risk zones for dengue transmission.

The announcement comes as the number of confirmed dengue patients reported so far this year increased to 35,228, an increase of 30 to 40 percent compared to the same period last year. Another dengue-related death was reported on Friday, raising the total number of deaths so far this year to 20, figures from the unit showed. ■