Mosquito-borne diseases in Assam

Abstract

Mosquito-borne diseases are of major public health concern in the northeastern state of Assam, India. The most common among them include Malaria, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis (JE), and Lymphatic filariasis (LF), while Malaria and JE being predominant and spread across the state. Although malaria outbreaks are common in Assam, their incidence has gradually declined in the past few years. Formerly JE was endemic in upper Assam, but it has become common in almost all the districts of the state. Dengue is prevalent in urban and semi-urban areas, and most of the cases have been reported from Guwahati, the largest metropolitan city of Assam. Distribution of Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is confined to a few districts and is common among the tea-garden workers. Poor socioeconomic status and inability to access proper healthcare services are conducive to the disease occurrence and spread. Application of strong disease surveillance and integrated vector management on a sustained basis based on sound epidemiological data is imperative. This review aims to overview the most common mosquito-borne diseases in Assam and their control measures.