Strengthening Laboratory Systems for Emerging and Re emerging Zoonotic Diseases: A One Health Approach

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56450/JEFI.2026.v4i02.005

Keywords:

Zoonoses, One Health, Public Health Surveillance, Laboratory Systems, Biosafety, Disease Outbreaks, Health Policy, Epidemiology, India, Communicable Disease Control

Abstract

Emerging and re‑emerging zoonotic diseases (ERZDs) continue to threaten public health, economic stability, and national security worldwide. A resilient and coordinated laboratory system is central to their surveillance, detection, and control. The One Health approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and provides a transdisciplinary framework to strengthen laboratory networks across sectors. In India, institutions such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) network, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) anchor zoonotic disease surveillance. However, gaps persist in laboratory capacity, biosafety, intersectoral coordination, and genomic integration. This review explores global and national experiences in strengthening laboratory systems for ERZDs using a One Health paradigm, with emphasis on integration, capacity building, quality assurance, and policy frameworks necessary for sustainable response systems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Taylor LH, Latham SM, Woolhouse ME. Risk factors for human disease emergence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2001;356(1411):983 9. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2001.0888

2. Tiwari S, Roy I, Daptardar M, Singh R, Mishra A, Kedia R, et al. Multisectoral prioritization of zoonotic diseases in India: A One Health perspective. medRxiv. 2024. medrxiv.org. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.26.24303393

3. National Centre for Disease Control. Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Annual Report 2022 23. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2023. Available from https://nhm.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/Reports/IDSPAnnualReport2022.pdf Accessed on 25-06-2026

4. World Health Organization. Strengthening health security by implementing the International Health Regulations (2005). Geneva: WHO; 2023.

5. Kelly TR, Machalaba C, Karesh WB, Crook PZ, Gilardi K, Nziza J, Uhart MM, Robles EA, Saylors K, Joly DO, Monagin C, Mangombo PM, Kingebeni PM, Kazwala R, Wolking D, Smith W; PREDICT Consortium; Mazet JAK. Implementing One Health approaches to confront emerging and re-emerging zoonotic disease threats: lessons from PREDICT. One Health Outlook. 2020;2:1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-019-0007-9

6. FAO OIE WHO Tripartite. One Health: Joint Plan of Action 2022 2026. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240059139 (Accessed on 25-06-2026)

7. World Organisation for Animal Health. WOAH Reference Laboratory Network Annual Report 2023. Paris: WOAH; 2024. https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-offer/expertise-network/reference-laboratories/

8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global Health Security Agenda: Laboratory Systems Package. Atlanta: CDC; 2023.

9. Indian Council of Medical Research. Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) Network: Guidelines and Achievements. New Delhi: ICMR; 2022.

10. NCDC. Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) Implementation Framework. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2021.

11. Chethan Kumar HB, Hiremath J, Yogisharadhya R, Balamurugan V, Jacob SS, Manjunatha Reddy GB, Suresh KP, Shome R, Nagalingam M, Sridevi R, Patil SS, Prajapati A, Govindaraj G, Sengupta PP, Hemadri D, Krishnamoorthy P, Misri J, Kumar A, Tripathi BN, Shome BR. Animal disease surveillance: Its importance & present status in India. Indian J Med Res. 2021;153(3):299-310. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_740_21

12. Indian Council of Agricultural Research. National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI): Annual Report 2022 23. Bengaluru: ICAR; 2023. Available form https://nivedi.res.in/pdf/Reports/ICAR-NIVEDI%20Annual%20Report%202023.pdf Accessed on 25-06-2026.

13. Chaudhari SP, Kalorey DR, Awandkar SP, Kurkure NV, Narang R, Kashyap RS, Rahi M, Barbuddhe SB. Journey towards National Institute of One Health in India. Indian J Med Res. 2021 Mar;153(3):320-326. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_636_21

14. NIVEDI. National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES) 2.0: User Manual. Bengaluru: ICAR; 2022.

15. ICMR NIV. Guidelines on Quality Assurance in VRDL Network. Pune: ICMR; 2022.

16. Bureau of Indian Standards. IS/ISO 15189:2023—Medical laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence. New Delhi: BIS; 2023.

17. Quazi Syed Z, et al. One Health surveillance system in Gujarat: A health policy and systems research protocol. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2023;8(9):428. mdpi.com.

18. ICAR NIVEDI. Avian Influenza Surveillance in North East India: Annual Report 2023. Bengaluru: ICAR; 2023.

19. Department of Biotechnology. National Biosafety Guidelines 2023. New Delhi: DBT; 2023.

20. MoHFW. National Action Plan for Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity (Draft 2025). New Delhi: Government of India; 2025.

21. INSACOG Consortium. Annual Genomic Surveillance Report 2023. New Delhi: DBT ICMR; 2023.

22. NCDC. Concept Note: One Health Genomic Repository for India – 2024. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2024.

23. ICMR & ICAR. Report of the Joint Working Group on Zoonoses 2023. New Delhi: ICMR–ICAR; 2023.

24. Ministry of Health, Indonesia. Zoonoses Control Act No. 18 of 2021. Jakarta: Government of Indonesia; 2021.

25. FAO India. Laboratory Twinning Programme: Capacity Building on Zoonoses Diagnostics 2022. Rome: FAO; 2022.

26. Public Health Foundation of India. One Health Fellowship Program Framework 2024. Gurugram: PHFI; 2024.

27. National Health Mission. Guidelines for Integration of Zoonotic Laboratory Services under NHM 2023. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2023.

28. ICMR. Public Private Partnerships in Diagnostics: Lessons from COVID 19 2022. New Delhi: ICMR; 2022.

29. NABL. Proficiency Testing and EQAS—Annual Report 2023. New Delhi: NABL; 2024.

30. WHO SEARO. External Quality Assessment for Zoonotic Pathogens in South East Asia 2022. New Delhi: WHO SEARO; 2022.

31. Government of India. National One Health Mission—Draft Policy Framework 2024. New Delhi: GoI; 2024.

32. NCDC. Digital Laboratory Information Management System Pilot Report 2023. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2023.

33. Mehta P, et al. Leveraging DHIS2 for integrated disease surveillance in India. Indian J Public Health. 2023;67(4):510 5.

34. National Rural Health Mission. Integrating ASHA Networks in Event Based Surveillance 2023. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2023.

35. WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). Sample Transport and Bio risk Management Guidelines 2024. Geneva: WHO; 2024.

36. NITI Aayog. Draft National Framework for One Health Governance 2024. New Delhi: GoI; 2024.

37. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. National Health Policy (Draft 2025). New Delhi: MoHFW; 2025.

38. Kerala State Health Department. Nipah Outbreak Report 2021. Thiruvananthapuram: GoK; 2022.

39. DAHD. Avian Influenza Surveillance Annual Report 2023. New Delhi: MoAHD; 2023.

40. ICMR COVID 19 Data Management Cell. Laboratory Expansion Progress Report 2021. New Delhi: ICMR; 2022.

41. Quality Council of India. Proposal for Establishing a National Lab Accreditation Board for One Health (N LAB OH). New Delhi: QCI; 2024.

42. ICAR NIHSAD & ICMR NIV. Joint Initiative on Zoonotic Genomics 2023. Bhopal: ICAR; 2023.

43. Gujarat State One Health Consortium. Wastewater based Epidemiology of Zoonotic Viruses 2023. Gandhinagar: Government of Gujarat; 2023.

44. National Medical Commission. Curriculum for One Health and Zoonoses (PG Courses) 2024. New Delhi: NMC; 2024.

45. Government of India. India’s Participation in Global Health Security Agenda Annual Report 2023. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2023.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-30


How to Cite

1.
Pumma P, Kumar R, Nareda A. Strengthening Laboratory Systems for Emerging and Re emerging Zoonotic Diseases: A One Health Approach. J. Epidemiol. Found. India [Internet]. 2026 May 30 [cited 2026 Jul. 14];4(2):169-74. Available from: https://efi.org.in/journal/index.php/JEFI/article/view/513

Share

Similar Articles

1-10 of 379

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)