CHENNAI: The state reported 20,866 dengue cases and 12 deaths in the 11 months period from January to November 2025, according to the latest data updated by the Union Health Ministry. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of cases in the country, as per the data.
Among the southern states, Kerala reported 49 deaths with 10,239 cases, Andhra Pradesh reported five deaths with 2,384 cases, Telangana zero deaths with 8,139 cases and Karnataka reported zero deaths with 6,759 cases.
In 2021, Tamil Nadu reported eight deaths and 6,039 cases, eight deaths and 6,430 cases in 2022, 12 deaths and 9,121 cases in 2023, and 13 deaths and 27,378 cases in 2024.
Health Department officials said the high number of cases is owing to better reporting as the state’s surveillance system is good. Tracking of cases happen from the primary health centre (PHC) level to secondary and tertiary care hospitals. The death count has been low owing to control measures taken immediately.
According to Dr Janani Sankar, medical director, the number of dengue cases has started to fall from the last week of December. “Now, we have been getting more typhoid, diarrhoea, dysentery, and respiratory cases. These are arising from winter and as well as travel related issues,” she added.
Every year, usually, dengue cases will be seen till February, but this year it started falling down from December because of not much of rain in Chennai, said Dr S Chandrasekar, HOD of general medicine, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital. Usually, the cases will rise once the monsoon begins in October and will go on till February.
“Since the winter started, the breeding of mosquitoes would have come down, so would the cases. People still need to be educated on water storage methods as uncovered storage of water will lead to breeding of mosquitoes,” said Dr Chandrasekar.