KOCHI: After two years of highs, the state witnessed a significant decline in the number of dengue-related cases and fatalities in 2025. The number of cases dropped from 20,624 and deaths from 99 in 2024 to 10,886 and 56 last year, in a relief to health officials and the general public.
However, according to medical experts, the decline, caused by favourable weather conditions and a change in virus serotype, may not last long, as they stressed on continuing with surveillance and mosquito-control programmes to prevent future outbreaks.
The state reported 29,300 suspected dengue cases and 22 suspected deaths in 2025, while the respective numbers were 53,764 and 44 a year earlier.
“The number of cases was high in 2024 across the globe before it declined. Favourable climatic conditions was one of reasons cited. In 2023 and 2024, the state witnessed intermittent rain, high humidity and temperature. These factors, along with poor waste management and sanitation, led to a rise in cases.
This year, the climate was favourable. Moreover, we have been taking measures,” said Dr A Althaf, professor of community medicine at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH). The state witnessed it last major outbreak of dengue fever in 2017, when it reported 21,993 cases and 165 deaths.
Call for caution
According to Dr Anish T S, a public health expert and professor of community medicine at Manjeri GMCH, the state witnessed a dengue outbreak in 2023-24. “Globally, we see dengue outbreaks in five- to six-year cycles. In 2017, the state reported a major outbreak.
In the later years, there was a decline. There was a spike in 2023-24. Thus, though case numbers have decreased, surveillance is important,” he said.
Dr Althaf stressed that source-reduction and mosquito-eradication initiatives need to continue to keep the situation under control.