Zika, Nipah and Kala-azar: Emerging lethal infectious diseases amid COVID-19 as an escalating public health threat in South India.

ABSTRACT

As of 6 June 2022, a sum 25,782 of active cases and 524,701 deaths due to Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) have been recorded in India. Stewing in the flares of the pandemic, Kerala is entwined in the wrath of multiple emerging infectious diseases. India, a home to 1.3 billion people, recently faced a devastating second wave of COVID-19 during May of 2021, with a ruckus of chronic shortage of medicine, oxygen supplies, ventilators, besides, being challenged by secondary infections and chronic health ailments. The state of Kerala, alone contributes to 50% COVID-19 caseload, besides, recent simultaneous outbreaks of Zika Virus Disease (ZVD), Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) and Kala-azar (black fever) on July 8, September 5 and 8, 2021 respectively. Syndemicity and a high case fatality rates of these highly contagious diseases coupled with post infection sequelae, overwhelm the already fragile healthcare system. Thus, these lethal infectious diseases along with an anticipated third wave of COVID-19 pose a serious public health threat in and around South India. With this narrative review, we aim to discuss the challenges that the emergence of intersecting outbreaks of Zika, Nipah, Kala-azar presents with, in the nation, amidst the global pandemic of COVID-19 and provide recommendations so as to help alleviate the situation. The syndemicity of COVID-19 with other infectious diseases, calls for adequate surveillance and monitoring of diseases' outbreaks. To avoid the worst situations like pandemic, the health ministry, public and private health stakeholders in India should strengthen the public healthcare delivery system and providence of quick medical facilities to control the rate of mortality and morbidity during outbreaks.