AccScience Publishing / MI / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/MI025360096
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MINI-REVIEW

South Asia on the arboviral pandemic horizon: Understanding arbovirus transmission in the region and preparing for future pandemics

Moiz Ahmed Khan1* Saad Ahmed Mughal2 Syeda Alizeh Noor Zaidi2 Summaya Zafar3
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1 Departments of Clinical Laboratory and Blood Bank and Infection Control, Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi, Pakistan
2 United Medical & Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan
3 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Agha Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Received: 2 September 2025 | Revised: 25 November 2025 | Accepted: 1 June 2026 | Published online: 9 June 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Arboviral diseases are escalating across South Asia, with ecological and socioeconomic factors positioning the region as a potential global pandemic epicenter. Traditional pathogens such as dengue, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis persist alongside emerging threats such as Zika, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), Tamdy, and Karshi viruses, are all expanding geographically. Climate change accelerates vector range shifts, while rapid urbanization, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, cross-border mobility, and fragmented surveillance amplify transmission risks. High population density, limited vector control, and low vaccination coverage create ideal conditions for viral spread and recombination. Recent outbreaks reveal alarming trends, including expanded vector habitats, increased disease severity, and record-breaking epidemic rates. Without coordinated regional strategies integrating enhanced surveillance, vector management, and healthcare capacity building, South Asia’s arboviral burden could catalyze global health crises. This synthesis underscores the urgent need for multidisciplinary interventions to address the complex drivers of arboviral proliferation in this vulnerable region.

Keywords
Arthropod-borne viruses
Arboviruses
Epidemic
Pandemic
South Asia
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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