From the Guidelines
The current burden of zoonotic diseases in India is significant, with a substantial public health impact, and recent studies emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to address this issue. The burden of zoonotic diseases in India is a complex problem, with various diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, brucellosis, Japanese encephalitis, and emerging threats like Nipah virus and Kyasanur Forest Disease contributing to the overall burden 1. According to recent research, approximately 60% of infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue 1.
Key Factors Contributing to the Burden
- Dense human-animal interfaces in agricultural settings
- Rapid urbanization encroaching on wildlife habitats
- Climate change altering vector distributions
- Inadequate surveillance systems
Economic Impact
The economic impact of zoonotic diseases in India is substantial, with direct healthcare costs and indirect productivity losses estimated at billions of dollars annually. A One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health sectors, is necessary to address these challenges through improved surveillance, diagnostic capabilities, vaccination programs, and public awareness campaigns. India's National One Health Mission, launched in response to these concerns, aims to coordinate efforts across multiple sectors to better prevent, detect, and respond to zoonotic disease threats 1.
Recent Studies and Recommendations
Recent studies, such as the one published in the Journal of Hepatology 1, highlight the importance of addressing zoonotic diseases in India. The study emphasizes the need for improved surveillance and diagnostic capabilities to detect and respond to zoonotic disease threats. The latest research indicates that India faces major challenges from diseases like rabies, leptospirosis, brucellosis, Japanese encephalitis, and emerging threats like Nipah virus and Kyasanur Forest Disease, and a comprehensive approach is necessary to address these challenges 1.
From the Research
Current Burden of Zoonotic Diseases in India
The current burden of zoonotic diseases in India is significant, with various studies highlighting the need for effective monitoring, prevention, and control strategies. Some of the key findings include:
- Zoonotic diseases have a huge livestock and public health burden worldwide, including India 2
- The top scoring eight diseases selected as priority zoonotic diseases for Haryana were rabies, Japanese encephalitis, bovine tuberculosis, leptospirosis, avian influenza (H5N1), brucellosis, glanders and Influenza A (H1N1) 2
- In Punjab, the zoonotic diseases prioritized included Brucellosis, Rabies, Anthrax, Leptospirosis, Toxoplasmosis, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), Bovine tuberculosis, Q fever, Cysticercosis, Listeriosis, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Japanese encephalitis, Echinococcosis, Dermatophytosis, and Scrub typhus 3
- The incidence of diarrheal diseases remains high in India, with zoonotic food-borne infections being a significant threat to public health 4
- An estimated 5726 human rabies deaths occur annually in India, with a substantial decline in human rabies deaths over the past two decades 5
Challenges and Barriers
Despite the significance of zoonotic diseases, there are several challenges and barriers to effective control and prevention, including:
- Limited policy visibility of zoonotic diseases, with global zoonoses having high recognition in the existing policy agenda setting 6
- Lack of supportive policies, conflicting departmental priorities, and limited institutional capacities hamper effective cross-sectoral collaboration on zoonotic disease control 6
- Poor awareness related to animal health issues, insufficient number of veterinary hospitals and excellence centers for diagnosis, and research are weaknesses in the Indian context 4
- Cross-boundary food animal trades, undiagnosed cases of sub-clinically infected food animals, and unreported outbreaks are potential threats that need timely action 4
Way Forward
To address the burden of zoonotic diseases in India, the following steps are crucial:
- Integrating human and animal surveillance, ensuring timely administration of full course of post-exposure prophylaxis, and accelerating dog vaccination across the country 5
- Strengthening existing national policy frameworks to leverage cross-sectoral capacity for improved disease surveillance and interventions 6
- Building on existing informal inter-personal relationships and collaboration platforms to facilitate effective cross-sectoral collaboration 6
- Adopting a focused one-health approach to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 5