CHENNAI: Dengue cases in Tamil Nadu have increased by 80% till June this year in comparison to the previous year, according to data tabled by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The ministry said that while TN recorded 4,778 dengue cases till June in 2024, the figure has increased to 8,558 this year. Correspondingly, there has also been a 23% increase in chikungunya cases in TN, with the numbers climbing from 1,310 in 2024 to 1,612 in 2025 in the first six months, the data indicated.
This comes on the back of the state recording 27,378 dengue cases and 13 deaths in 2024, the highest in TN in the last six years, as per data on the website of Directorate General of Health Services of the union government.
Former state Director of Public Health (DPH) and public health expert Dr K Kolandaisamy said that states like Kerala and TN have better public health measures and more intense testing which results in higher number of cases.
“A better indicator of the data should be cases per one lakh of population which would help understand the spread of the disease,” he said.
Dr T S Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the data was a reflection of a good surveillance system that exists in Tamil Nadu. The official pointed out that as per the data presented in Lok Sabha, 24 of the 36 states and union territories simply said there was no increase in cases, and hence stated the data lacked adequate context.
“There is absolutely no need for panic and we are all fully prepared to handle if at all there any challenges,” he said.
(With inputs from Sinduja Jane)