BHUBANESWAR: The Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, has launched a special programme under its 'One Health' initiative for early detection, reporting, and management of anthrax in Odisha.
At least 10 districts in the state recorded outbreaks of anthrax with 1,208 cases reported between 2008 and 2023. Of the eight districts reporting human anthrax cases, Koraput accounted for 354 cases and nine deaths over the past seven years.
The programme, developed in collaboration with domain experts from the state health and veterinary departments, was rolled out in Koraput district. It aims at combating zoonotic diseases of public health concern through coordinated multisectoral strategies.
Principal investigator of the project, Dr Debdutta Bhattacharya, said Koraput was chosen as it is one of the worst-hit districts and early intervention during the pilot phase has ensured zero deaths in the last two years.
"At least 47 were affected during the last outbreak across five villages in Koraput district in 2023. But no death was reported. All these cases were successfully managed due to early diagnosis and timely treatment," he said.
Prior to the intervention in 2023, the state had a case fatality rate (CFR) of over two per cent, the highest being 5.45 pc in 2014, followed by 3.85 pc in 2015 and 2.94 pc in 2019. The CFR has now dropped to zero, with no deaths reported over the last three years.
"Initial findings from our studies under the One Health project directly contributed to policy changes, prompting the state government to roll out free livestock vaccination drives in a mission mode to curb transmission at the source," Dr Bhattacharya said.
Additional Director General of ICMR and Director of RMRC, Dr Sanghamitra Pati, said the integrated and data-driven response will not only control but also eliminate human anthrax in the region, potentially serving as a replicable model for other districts in Odisha and beyond.
As part of the initiative, Dr Pati said key field-level personnel, including medical officers, veterinary professionals, and laboratory technicians, will be trained to ensure effective disease surveillance, response, and preventive strategies.
Speaking at the launch event, Koraput Collector V Keerthi Vasan underlined the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling zoonotic diseases, which are set to emerge as a major concern.
Additional Director of Public Health Dr Prameela Baral, Dean and Principal of SLN Medical College Dr Sushant Kumar Sahu, Dr Harpreet Kaur from ICMR, Chief District Veterinary Officer Dr L Behera, and Dr P Parida from the MS Swaminathan Foundation were present.