Emerging & re-emerging infections in India: an overview

Abstract

The incidence of emerging infectious diseases in humans has increased within the recent past or threatens to increase in the near future. Over 30 new infectious agents have been detected worldwide in the last three decades; 60 per cent of these are of zoonotic origin. Developing countries such as India suffer disproportionately from the burden of infectious diseases given the confluence of existing environmental, socio-economic, and demographic factors. In the recent past, India has seen outbreaks of eight organisms of emerging and re-emerging diseases in various parts of the country, six of these are of zoonotic origin. Prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases will increasingly require the application of sophisticated epidemiologic and molecular biologic technologies, changes in human behaviour, a national policy on early detection of and rapid response to emerging infections and a plan of action. WHO has made several recommendations for national response mechanisms. Many of these are in various stages of implementation in India. However, for a country of size and population of India, the emerging infections remain a real and present danger. A meaningful response must approach the problem at the systems level. A comprehensive national strategy on infectious diseases cutting across all relevant sectors with emphasis on strengthened surveillance, rapid response, partnership building and research to guide public policy is needed.

Fig. 1

Range and recognized site(s) of origin of a variety of emerging and re-emerging infections (1976-2003). Reproduced with permission from Ref. .

Fig. 2

Recognized site(s) of emerging and re-emerging infections in India, 1990-2011. CCHF, Crimean - Congo haemorrhagic fever.

Fig. 3

Cases of diphtheria and immunization coverage in India 1980-2010.

Fig. 4

Geographical distribution of Henipavirus outbreaks and fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, 1997-2008. Source: Adapted from Ref. .

Fig. 5

States reporting Chikungunya cases in India. Source: Adapted from NVBDCP, Ref.

Fig. 6

Cases and deaths due to acute encephalitis syndrome/Japanese encephalitis (AES/JE). Source: Adapted from NVBDCP, Ref.