ZOONOTIC VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES IN INDIA: THE CASE FOR MOVING ONE HEALTH FROM POLICY TO DISTRICT PRACTICE

Abstract

Japanese encephalitis, scrub typhus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Kyasanur Forest disease and zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi malaria are vector-borne infections in India that are sustained by animal reservoirs or amplifying hosts. Control programmes that rely on human case management and insecticides therefore act only on the final link of transmission. National data show 10,402 Japanese encephalitis cases and 1,010 deaths between 2018 and 2025, with no sustained fall in case fatality. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever antibodies are present in livestock across 22 states. Kyasanur Forest disease has spread to five Western Ghats states, and scrub typhus transmission is concentrated within human settlements. This letter argues for moving One Health from policy to routine district practice. It proposes five measures: disease-specific animal and vector sentinel indicators reported through the Integrated Health Information Platform; district One Health committees; risk-group mapping; integrated vector management; and One Health training in community medicine, so that medical colleges can act as district hubs.