Spatial Patterns of Dengue in Sri Lanka: A Systematic Review

Dengue is a viral disease that causes a significant impact on Sri Lanka throughout the year. To study the spread of this disease, examining its spatial distribution is very important. The aim of this paper is to systematically review studies that have been conducted on the spatial distribution of dengue disease in Sri Lanka. Using the PRISMA method, thirty-three articles were selected by systematically filtering from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. These articles were critically analyzed based on publication trends, their impact on society, the number of times spatial distribution analysis was conducted for each district, the time periods during which these studies were carried out, the variables studied, their impact, and the methodological choices used. The main finding identified is that various factors affect the spread of dengue disease in Sri Lanka. Additionally, there is a need to conduct a study covering all districts in Sri Lanka using approximately two decades of data, in a manner that addresses both spatial and temporal aspects.