GNV News – February 21, 2025

In 2024, India saw a record surge in infectious diseases. In particular, acute diarrheal diseases had more than 1,000 reported outbreaks as of December 22, 2024, the most since 2009. Food poisoning outbreaks also exceeded 300, the highest since 2019. In Andhra Pradesh, gastrointestinal illnesses have been notably prevalent, with sharp increases in acute diarrheal disease, food poisoning, and cholera over the past year, and 20-30 cases reported each week. In the western city of Pune, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a complication of infections, has occurred frequently, with more than 180 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases identified since January. Contaminated water and food sources and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to overuse of antibiotics have been cited as drivers of this surge, but questions remain about the rapid increase.

Globally, a resurgence of infectious diseases has been observed after the spread of COVID-19. Common communicable diseases such as influenza, measles, tuberculosis, and pertussis have surged, and since early 2022, at least one infectious disease in 44 countries has reached an incidence more than 10 times the pre-pandemic level. Behind this are supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced opportunities for vaccination during lockdowns, and declining vaccination rates due to anti-vaccination movements. In 2021, three-dose coverage of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine fell to its lowest level in 13 years. Reduced immunity resulting from decreased exposure to routine pathogens during the pandemic is also thought to be a factor. Experts have described this situation as “new territory in the modern scientific era.” Climate change may also be facilitating the spread of diseases such as cholera and dengue, and in Argentina, dengue cases in 2024 were 152 times higher than in 2019.

Learn more about infectious diseases around the world → “Unknown fears? International media focus on novel infectious diseases”

Learn more about antibiotic-related issues → “Is an era when antibiotics no longer work just around the corner?”

Tuberculosis patients waiting at a hospital in India (Photo: ILO Asia-Pacific / Flickr［CC BY-NC-ND 2.0］)