Highest in India: 301 dengue deaths in Kerala in six years; no dengue deaths in 21 states in 2024

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Central report that Kerala has the highest number of dengue deaths in the country. According to the National Center for Vector-Borne Diseases Control, 301 people have died in Kerala in the past six years.

From 2019 to 2024, 11,04,198 people were confirmed to have dengue fever in 36 entities, including 28 states and 8 union territories, of which 1516 people died. Most of these were in Kerala. 52,694 people were confirmed to have the disease during this period in Kerala. The highest number of deaths were in 2023 and 2024. It is estimated that 153 people died in 2023 and 71 in 2024. 17,426 people in 2023, and 18,534 people in 2024 were confirmed to have the disease in the state of Kerala. Meanwhile, not a single dengue fever death was reported in five states during this period. These are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya and Tripura. The report also states that there were no dengue deaths in 21 states in 2024.

After Kerala, Maharashtra is next with 189 dengue deaths in six years. Punjab, which is in third place, reported 171 deaths, Rajasthan 147 deaths and Uttar Pradesh 132 deaths. Four dengue deaths have occurred in Kerala in the first one and a half months this year.

Vaccine soon

A vaccine to protect against the four serotypes of dengue spread by Aedes mosquitoes has been found in India. The final phase of clinical trials of the vaccine, involving all states, is in progress.

Year, Dengue Cases, Deaths

2019...........4656..................16

2020...........4399...................5

2021.........3251...................27

2022.........4432...................29

2023.........17426...............153

2024.........18534..................71

Dengue starts as a fever. How many fever cases are detected depends on the health systems. Kerala and Maharashtra are in the best position. That is why they find the exact cause of the fever.

-Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan

Convenor, Research Cell, IMA