India Turns To AI For Early Detection Of Emerging Pathogens

Recognizing that diseases jumping from animals to humans and climate-linked health risks are changing the nature of outbreaks, India’s public health system is gearing up to use artificial intelligence (AI) as an early warning tool.

In this regard, under the National One Health Mission (NOHM), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from institutions to develop AI-based systems that can help identify new and emerging pathogens in people, animals, and the environment.

The proposal aims to improve the country’s ability to predict outbreaks instead of reacting after infections have already spread—a move that comes from the lessons of COVID-19, which swept across the world, leaving many dead and many more ill.

A senior official from the Union Health Ministry emphasized that in an interconnected world, a local health event can quickly turn into a regional or global emergency. “Traditional surveillance methods, which depend heavily on reporting after patients fall ill, often struggle to keep pace.”

AI, he said, can help bridge this gap. “By analyzing large volumes of data, spotting unusual patterns, and flagging risks in real time, such systems could alert officials early and support faster decisions on containment,” the official pointed out.

The Mission is built on the One Health approach, which recognizes that the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems is tied together. Many recent outbreaks have had animal origins, while climate change and environmental disruption are influencing how diseases spread, as per the document.

Because of this, the EoI allows applicants to design tools for one sector or create integrated platforms that connect all three.

However, technology alone will not be enough. The document makes it clear that any AI solution must be practical and usable in real settings—whether in laboratories, hospitals, veterinary services, or field surveillance networks.

Institutions selected under the program will need to move beyond theoretical models. They will be expected to develop systems that can be deployed, tested, and improved in coordination with national authorities. Continuous evaluation at different stages of development will be essential, said the official.

If these systems work as intended, they could complement existing surveillance programs and provide alerts before situations spiral out of control, he added.

Across the globe, artificial intelligence is increasingly being deployed to flag potential outbreaks early, monitor the spread of infections, and support the discovery, evaluation, and production of new vaccines.

Clearly, the urgency behind the initiative is underscored by growing scientific concern about viruses that may not yet be widely tracked. In a paper published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, a team of researchers has warned that influenza D virus and canine coronavirus—both linked to animals—could pose future risks to humans.

“If these viruses evolve the capacity to easily transmit person to person, they may be able to cause epidemics or pandemics since most people won’t have immunity,” said John Lednicky, a co-author of the study from the University of Florida.

“If these viruses evolve the capacity to easily transmit person to person, they may be able to cause epidemics or pandemics since most people won’t have immunity to them,” said the researchers.