Why We Need Medical Entomology in Medical Field in India?

Article Type:  Editorial

Published on:  Year: 2025; Volume: 5; Issue: 2; Page No: 1 – 2

Author:  Jayanthi Sureshbabu

https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20255212

Affiliation:  Editor-In-Chief, International Journal of Medical Sciences and Nursing Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and Former Lecturer in Medical Entomology, Department of Community Medicine, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalapet, Pondicherry, India.

Email ID:  Editor-in-chief@ijmsnr.com

 Submitted:  02-May-2025   Revised: 25-May-2025   Accepted: 17-June-2025   Published: 30-June-2025

Full Text

Introduction

The field of Medical Entomology (ME) education is dealing with insects, mosquito vectors, mites, ticks, and its effect of cause, transmit of disease on human, human to animals and its control.  It gives the deep knowledge on dengue fever and its effects. Every years, 17% of infectious diseases, causing 7 million deaths due to Vector-borne diseases (VBD). [1] ME is most important subject in Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (VBID). Moreover, ME gives the effect and control of VBID.  As per 2024 report of National Centre for Vector-Borne Diseases Control the dengue infection in India was 2, 33, 400 and 236 toll.  ME is a main subject and it teaches in a no. of institutions in all over India. [2–4] ME discipline education is needed in school level. Medical Entomologist posts are mandatory in medical colleges. ME is an important subject in medical curriculum in India. [5–7] In this article, I discussed briefly about why we need ME and its importance, and where it is teaching in India, and the list of medical entomology institutions in India.

Need of Medical Entomology in India

Medical Entomologists were mentioned that there was a huge gap in demand and supply of Medical Entomologists in India. [8] ME is very much useful in finding, understanding and how to control VBDs. Teach it from school level. [9] Zika was transmitted by the species of mosquito as dengue and other in India. To educate public about fogging, and guiding people on personal protection we need a cadre of public health entomologists. [10] Research papers are many in that subject. Pathogenic Microorganism like virus, bacterium, parasite are actively transmitted by vectors from one vertebrate to another when they sack the blood for their food.  ME is focused related to insects, arthropods and its impact on human health. ME is an essential subject medical students.  All over India, Government of India has to take a prompt action to add medical entomology as a one of the major subjects in the medical curriculum because vector borne diseases, its area and impacts are very vast.  Then only, the medical students  must learn  and  trained

and to serve to both rural and urban communities.  More no. of research are needed in medical education this specialty of entomology and its applications. This subject is mandatory in medical education curriculum. [11, 12] Medical entomology courses are available in various government and private institutions.  [11] Trained the medical graduates I medical entomology techniques ad kee knowledge is essential I medical field.

Medical Colleges teaching Medical Entomology in India

Medical Entomology course is available in the following colleges in India [12]

Conclusion

From this article, I have concluded that medical entomology is one of the most important subject in medical curriculum.  ME is needed all the developing and developed countries.  Medical entomologists are needed more in number to control, to educate, and to guide the people on the existing personal protection methods. Medical Entomologists play an important role in finding vectors, identify their behaviour, and reduce the disease transmission by developing interventions. So, we need more number of public health entomologists.  Indian Government to give importance to the subject ME and to increase the number of medical entomologists in India and to control VBD in all the states and union territories of India and to reduce the number of deaths annually.  So, we need ME in the medical teaching field and in research.

References

1. World Health Organization: Vetor Borne Diseases.  Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases  [Last Accessed on: 20^th April 2025]
2. National Centre for Diseases Control: Centre for Medical Entomology and Vector Manangement. Available from: https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/centre-for-medical-entomology-and-vector-management/ [Last Accessed on: 22^th April 2025] 
3. Sureshbabu J.  Present scenario on dengue disease in various states of India.  Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2023;3(4):1–3.  DOI:https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20233413
4. National Government Services Portal. Available from: https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/search-colleges-and-courses-recognised-by-national-medical-commission [Last Accessed on: 22^th April 2025]
5. Sureshbabu J. A View on Medical Entomology and its importance in the medical fields. Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2022;2(3):1–3.  DOI:  https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsn20222312
6. Sureshbabu J, Vasudevan S, Raj P. A Study of the effectiveness of school health education programs on selected mosquito ore diseases: School based Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Res Med Sci 2017;5(6):2728-2733.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijmsnr20172478
7. Sureshbabu J. Medical Entomology teaching and research to medical students in a teaching medical institute in Pondicherry –  A view and experience of a teaching faculty.  Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2022;2(3):1–3.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsn20233112
8. Pandey A, Zodpey S, Kumar R. Demand–supply gaps in human resources to combat vector borne disease in India: capacity-building measures in medical entomology. WHO South-East Asia J Public Health 2015;4(1):92–97.
9. Surehbabu J. Importance and need of medical entomology and medical entomologist in public health.  Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2023;3(3):1–2.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20233312
10. Soumya Swaminathan. India needs more entomologists. Deccan Herald newspaper published on 16^th November 2023, 11:21 IST. Available on: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/india-needs-more-entomologists-2774155  [Last Accessed on: 02 May 2025]
11. Sureshbabu J. Medical Entomology: Education and Research in India. Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2023;3(2):1–3.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20233213
12. Sureshbabu J.  Medical Entomology is an Important Discipline in the Medical field and its Research.  Int J Med Sci and Nurs Res 2024;4(4):1-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55349/ijmsnr.20244412

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