Strategies on the control and prevention of vector-borne, zoonotic, and water-borne diseases during floods in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract : In the province Tamil Nadu, India has both south west and North East monsoons fall in months of June to August and October to December every year respectively. In 2015, the North East monsoon had poured 1476 mm rains and flooded everywhere in Cuddalore (Lat 110 75’ Long790 50’ ) district. It was identified that water stagnation in low lying area where human dwellings situated were stratified so as able to provide temporary shelter, food and medical care. Since the stagnation of water and its anticipation of water borne and vector borne diseases to be prevailed in the community, surveillance was intensified by the organized teams to overcome Acute Diarrheal Disease (ADD), malaria, leptospirosis, dengue, chikungunya, scrub typhus and other viral fever after raining till the normal situation brought in Cuddalore district. In its outcome, none of malaria positive cases detected from 111 blood smears collected in active and 233 blood smears in passive surveillance. However, there were one chikungunya, six dengue, five leptospirosis and five scrub typhus cases had been reported sporadically from one fifty blood serum samples collected. It was learnt that specific containment measures implemented were appropriate as their impact lead to halt their transmission within time frame of fifteen days. Besides, the roles of supportive data to stop these diseases transmission are discussed in detail in this paper.