Nature exposes vulnerability

Every year the arrival of the monsoon brings relief from the scorching summer, but it also ushers in a predictable wave of disease that continues to claim lives across India. Floods, water-logging, overflowing drains and poor sanitation create ideal conditions for the spread of infections. Yet, despite decades of experience and repeated warnings, the country continues to face the same public health crisis every monsoon. The annual outbreaks are no longer unexpected natural events. They have become a recurring failure of planning, sanitation and disease prevention. Floodwaters contaminate drinking water sources with sewage, human waste and industrial pollutants. As a result, water borne diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A and E spread rapidly. Children, the elderly and people with weak immunity are the worst affected. Thousands require hospitalization every year, while many deaths could have been prevented through access to safe drinking water and better sanitation. Based on the latest reports, it appears that most of the current fever, cold, sore throat, and cough cases circulating in Delhi and parts of Northeast India are due to seasonal viral respiratory infections, but there is also evidence of an increase in influenza A (particularly H1N1/swine flu) in Delhi-NCR during the monsoon. There is no evidence at present of a new nationwide respiratory virus similar to COVID-19.Although there are many reports of similar illnesses in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and neighbouring states, there is no official evidence of a new or unusual respiratory outbreak in the Northeast. The illnesses appear consistent with the seasonal viral infections that typically increase during the monsoon. The national disease surveillance system has not reported a new widespread respiratory epidemic in the region. Food safety becomes another major concern during the rainy season. Across cities and towns, roadside eateries continue to sell uncovered food exposed to flies, dust and polluted rainwater. Flies carry disease causing bacteria and parasites from garbage dumps, open drains and human waste onto cooked food. Warm and humid weather allows harmful bacteria to multiply quickly, increasing the risk of food poisoning and intestinal infections. Poor hygiene in food preparation, contaminated utensils and unsafe drinking water further aggravate the problem. Despite regular inspections on paper, enforcement remains weak and unsafe food continues to be sold openly. The danger does not end when the rains stop. After the rains, pools of stagnant water left behind by floods become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to outbreaks of vector borne diseases. Dengue, malaria, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis spread rapidly in many parts of the country. Japanese encephalitis continues to affect several eastern and North Eastern states, causing severe brain inflammation that often results in death or lifelong neurological disability among survivors. Dengue cases rise almost every year, placing additional pressure on already stretched health services. Malaria remains a persistent threat in several tribal, forest and flood prone regions despite decades of control programmes. The annual cycle of floods followed by epidemics exposes deep weaknesses in sanitation, urban planning and preventive healthcare. Every preventable infection represents a failure of governance as much as a medical challenge. Unless sustained investments are made in public health infrastructure, food safety, clean water and disease surveillance, the country will continue to witness the same avoidable outbreaks, overcrowded hospitals and needless loss of life every rainy season.