Environmental risk sssessment for Zika, Nipah virus and Scrub typhus disease in a district of north India: First step towards one health

Abstract

Various emerging and remerging zoonotic infectious diseases are seen as a threat to manifest in a pandemic. The current study was planned to assess the environmental vulnerability or preparedness for Scrub typhus and disease due to Nipah and Zika virus infection in the Faridabad district. A Cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 through 2022 in a rural and an urban area in the Faridabad district of Haryana, India. Houses of the study area were the study unit for internal environment risk assessment. The important landmarks which are frequently visited by the residents of the community were the study unit for external environment assessment. A sample size of 192 was calculated by scientific methods, and systematic random sampling was used. A predesigned checklist for the assessment of risk factors in the environment was used. Data were analyzed using Epi info version 7. Twelve external sites were studied in urban and nine in the rural areas. Stagnant water in external sites as a potential source of breeding for the Zika virus vector (Aedes mosquito) was present in 16.7% of rural and 57.1% of urban areas. Potential dwelling sites for bats (the carriers of Nipah virus) were observed in 66.7% and 42.9% of rural and urban sites, respectively. The garbage dump was observed in the internal environment of 58.8% urban and 15.2% of rural households. Rats (one of the hosts of mites) have been reported in more than 80% of urban and rural households. Low lying shrubs (which carry vector mites of Scrub typhus) were present only in rural areas. No cases of all three diseases has been reported in this district. The study reported that the environment was susceptible to Zika virus and Scrub typhus agents. The behavior of the people was more susceptible to Zika virus disease.

Keywords

• risk preparedness
• one health
• zoonotic diseases
• emerging diseases