India releases manual for zoonotic diseases: Why it matters

India Sep 23, 2025

India just released the 2025 Manual for Zoonotic Diseases—a practical guide made by NCDC and ICMR to help health workers stay on top of diseases that jump from animals to humans.
The goal? Make sure doctors and lab teams have up-to-date info and training to spot and handle these threats early.

Highlights of the latest edition

This edition adds fresh chapters on fast-emerging threats like Chandipura, West Nile virus, and Avian Influenza, highlighting India's efforts to keep pace with changing health risks.
There's also special attention on Mpox (with 30 cases since July 2022) and Nipah virus, which has a scary high fatality rate (40-75%) and has approximately 106 confirmed and probable cases since 2001, mostly in West Bengal and Kerala.