Soreng, August 6 (IPR):
A District Level Zoonotic Committee (DLZC) meeting was held today at the District Administrative Centre, Soreng, to mark World Zoonoses Day which was on July 6, 2025. The meeting was organised by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) under the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The meeting was chaired by Additional District Collector (II) Mr Santosh Kumar Allay, along with Divisional Forest Officer Ms Nisha Subba, Joint Director (AH&VS) Dr. Kunzang Palmu Bhutia, ACF Mr Milan K Subba, Medical Officer (Soreng CHC) Dr Abhishek Subba, and other members of (IDSP).
A presentation was delivered by Assistant Programme Officer (IDSP) Dr. Eden Jamyang Bhutia, whereby she outlined the structure and responsibilities of the DLZC. She discussed the past meeting, steps taken to control zoonotic diseases, and highlighted improvements in disease awareness and prevention.
Further she emphasised the importance of diagnosis and the role of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) in tackling outbreaks. She explained zoonotic disease, infections transmitted between animals and human, and stressed on their public health importance.
Key Points that were Highlighted:
Common Zoonotic Diseases in the region include rabies, influenza, scrub typhus, kala-azar, fungal infections, and scabies—mainly transmitted by animals such as dogs, cats, pigs, birds, and rodents.
Zoonotic Disease Burden in Soreng: Data from 2024 and early 2025 showed high cases of dog bites, followed by other animal bites, scrub typhus, and occasional snake bites.
One Health Approach: Dr. Bhutia stressed the need for coordination between medical, veterinary, wildlife, and environmental sectors to control zoonotic diseases. She discussed the importance of community awareness, trained personnel, and inter-sectoral collaboration.
Six Action Tracks for One Health Implementation:
1. Building One Health capacity
2. Reducing disease risks
3. Controlling zoonotic and vector-borne diseases
4. Ensuring food safety
5. Combating antimicrobial resistance
6. Integrating environmental health
In conclusion Dr. Bhutia concluded by highlighting that 60% of known and 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, reinforcing the need for preparedness. She stressed that the next pandemic is not a matter of “if” but “when”.
The meeting saw active discussion and valuable suggestions from committee members, providing useful direction for future actions.