Chennai : Tamilnadu registered zero death due to dengue fever and 2,485 confirmed cases since January this year, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday and expressed hope that nil death would be maintained.

Last year, there were eight deaths due to the vector-borne disease and the toll peaked to 65, the maximum in the country, in 2017, the Minister said. However, awareness measures and prompt detection helped diagnose dengue at an early stage, he said.

“Nearly, 2,485 samples out of two lakh screened from January to May this year turned out to be positive for dengue. It is heartening to note there has been zero deaths this year,” he said.

All those affected are being treated, he told reporters after flagging off a mosquito fogging machine on National Dengue Day at the Government Multi-specialty Hospital here.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekarbabu and Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan were among those who participated in the event.