Kerala dengue cases jump from 295 to 670 around monsoon
Kerala is dealing with a big spike in dengue, jumping from 295 cases in February to 670 by late May.
This isn't new for the state: dengue outbreaks tend to cycle every few years, especially around the monsoon, thanks to shifting virus types and changing weather.
Kerala health department ramps pre-monsoon cleanup
Extreme heat and sudden rain have made it easy for mosquitoes to breed, speeding up dengue transmission.
Kerala faces all four types of the virus, which makes things trickier.
The health department is stepping up pre-monsoon cleanup campaigns and urging early detection after a seroprevalence study of children aged 9-12 found Thiruvananthapuram had the highest rate at 46.9%.
Public health experts are pushing for better surveillance so severe cases can be caught early and deaths reduced.