Infectious disease specialists gathered at the 16th CIDSCON 2026 conference in Gandhinagar warned on Friday of an escalating vector-borne disease burden in India, urging stronger surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship. The four-day event runs through August 23 and was organised by the Clinical Infectious Diseases Society, drawing more than 950 experts to Gujarat.

Sessions on the second day focused on the seasonal surge in dengue and chikungunya during the monsoon period, alongside emerging concerns over West Nile virus transmission. Speakers pressed for improved diagnostic capacity at district hospitals and better integration between vector-control programmes and clinical care.

Several presenters cited the strain that antimicrobial resistance places on treatment of secondary infections, a recurring theme across the CIDSCON agenda. The warnings coincide with heightened global attention to mosquito-borne illness, including the first confirmed West Nile case reported in New York City this year.

Indian public health officials have said the monsoon months typically bring peak transmission of arboviral diseases across several states. Conference organisers said the recommendations from CIDSCON 2026 would be compiled and shared with state health authorities to inform preparedness for the remainder of the transmission season.