NCDC holds workshop for prevention of zoonotic disease

National Centre for Disease Control recently held a workshop with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and animal welfare department to discuss and propose a body and center for the inter-sectoral coordination for the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases (disease that spread between animals and people). The workshop also had discussions about the recent outbreaks, including the Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), which is taking lives in Southern India.

“The whole idea is to build a set up where both medicine and veterinary doctors can collaborate and work together in finding solutions to these rising number of zoonotic disease. In recent times, many such diseases have come to the forefront, and are taking lives. There is not a single center in the country where these issues can be addressed to prevent zoonosis in the country,” said a senior official from the National Centre for Disease Control.

Major public health zoonotic disease in India are Rabies, Brucellosis, Toxoplasmosis, Cysticercosis, Echinococcosis, JE, Plague, Leptospirosis, Scrub Typhus, Nipah, Trypanosomiasis, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, and Kyasanur Forest Disease. 

“Around 75 per cent of emerging and re-emerging infections are zoonotic. New pathogens (viruses) continue to emerge and spread across countries. For effective prevention and control of zoonotic diseases, there is a requirement of muti-sectoral integrated response among medical, veterinary and other related departments. This has been adopted on “need basis “for prevention of zoonosis in the country,” said Dr Sujeet K Singh, Director, NCDC.

On Friday, a 68-year-old man from Manipur in Udupi lost his life suffering from KFD, also known as monkey fever, at a private hospital. The death of the man has taken the total toll of death in the district to nine.