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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
8 per cent infectious disease outbreaks during 2018-2023 spread from animals to humans, study says
Zoonotic outbreaks consistently peaked during June, July, and August, researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai said. Typically, about seven zoonotic outbreaks -- also sometimes called 'spillover events' -- occurred in a month, and such instances significantly increased over the years, specifically, post-pandemic, the study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal found. Study highlights The team analysed a total of 6,948 outbreaks reported under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) to identify trends. Of these, 583 (8.3 per cent) were zoonotic -- Japanese encephalitis was found to account for 29.5 per cent of zoonotic outbreaks, followed by leptospirosis (18.7 per cent) and scrub typhus (13.9 per cent). Region-wise, the northeast part of the country contributed 35.8 per cent of zoonotic disease outbreaks, followed by the southern (31.7 per cent) and western regions (15.4 per cent), the researchers found. They added that late reporting of disease outbreaks has declined over the years -- 52.6 per cent in 2019, 40.9 per cent in 2021, and 5.2 per cent in 2023. Overall, a third of the outbreaks during the study period were reported late, the team said. "Of the 6948 outbreaks reported in IDSP, 583 (8.3 per cent) were zoonotic, with a median of seven monthly zoonotic outbreaks. Outbreaks significantly increased over the years," the authors wrote. Further research required The researchers said that while outbreaks of measles, chickenpox, and dengue have been individually analysed, zoonotic events from the national-level infectious disease surveillance system have not been comprehensively examined. A lack of analysis of geographical patterns and documentation of reporting delays hindered evidence-based decision-making and targeted interventions, the team said. "Critical gaps in weekly outbreak reports were identified, particularly the lack of follow-up documentation. To address these gaps, we recommend strengthening disease-specific surveillance systems in hotspot regions," the authors concluded.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
8 per cent infectious disease outbreaks during 2018-2023 spread from animals to humans, study says
New Delhi: Over eight per cent of outbreaks reported under India's infectious disease surveillance system between 2018 and 2023 were zoonotic -- spread from animals to humans, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis. Zoonotic outbreaks consistently peaked during June, July, and August, researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai said. Typically, about seven zoonotic outbreaks -- also sometimes called 'spillover events' -- occurred in a month, and such instances significantly increased over the years, specifically, post-pandemic, the study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal found. The team analysed a total of 6,948 outbreaks reported under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) to identify trends. Of these, 583 (8.3 per cent) were zoonotic -- Japanese encephalitis was found to account for 29.5 per cent of zoonotic outbreaks, followed by leptospirosis (18.7 per cent) and scrub typhus (13.9 per cent). Region-wise, the northeast part of the country contributed 35.8 per cent of zoonotic disease outbreaks, followed by the southern (31.7 per cent) and western regions (15.4 per cent), the researchers found. They added that late reporting of disease outbreaks has declined over the years -- 52.6 per cent in 2019, 40.9 per cent in 2021, and 5.2 per cent in 2023. Overall, a third of the outbreaks during the study period were reported late, the team said. "Of the 6948 outbreaks reported in IDSP, 583 (8.3 per cent) were zoonotic, with a median of seven monthly zoonotic outbreaks. Outbreaks significantly increased over the years," the authors wrote. The researchers said that while outbreaks of measles, chickenpox, and dengue have been individually analysed, zoonotic events from the national-level infectious disease surveillance system have not been comprehensively examined. A lack of analysis of geographical patterns and documentation of reporting delays hindered evidence-based decision-making and targeted interventions, the team said. "Critical gaps in weekly outbreak reports were identified, particularly the lack of follow-up documentation. To address these gaps, we recommend strengthening disease-specific surveillance systems in hotspot regions," the authors concluded. PTI
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
2023 Tamil Nadu outbreak of neurological infection traced to contaminated saline at clinic: Study
New Delhi, A genetic study has traced a 2023 outbreak of a neurological infection in Tamil Nadu to contaminated saline water used at a dental clinic, findings of which were published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal. Twenty-one probable cases of neuromelioidosis a neurological infection caused by bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei between July 2022 and April 2023 were identified across four districts in the northern part of the state. Seventeen of the 21 cases came from a single district, of which 10 reported undertaking treatment at a dental clinic. The cluster of cases were found to have higher and quicker deaths, compared to the other 11 sporadic cases from environmental sources. Researchers from Christian Medical College, Vellore, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, and other institutes attributed the cluster to invasive dental procedures injecting of a local anaesthetic and repeated irrigation with saline performed under suboptimal infection prevention and control conditions. Whole genome sequencing of 209 isolates, obtained from tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid samples of the affected, revealed 'ST1553' strain of the bacterium B pseudomallei as being associated with the neurological infection outbreak. Along with suggesting a new process by which neuromelioidosis can be contracted, the findings highlighted the importance of molecular methods of analysis in identifying the strain of the bacterium circulating in southeast Asia. Rigorous infection prevention and control practices across healthcare facilities, particularly those performing invasive procedures, need to be enforced, the authors said. "We confirmed a large cluster of neuromelioidosis from south India, likely representing sporadic cases from environmental sources and cases linked to an iatrogenic source at a dental clinic," the authors wrote. "Rapid and high case fatality among dental cases supports the direct trans-neural spread of B pseudomallei to the brainstem following inoculation via contaminated saline," they wrote.
