India a hotspot for emerging diseases?

Suvrat Kher writes about an NPR study that maps hotspots for emerging diseases and finds that the developing world is a key ground for emerging diseases. While this would not be surprising by itself, I am more likely to think of Africa in this context. But Suvrat argues that India is also a major hotspot, given the high population density and proximity of humans to animals.

Spin the combinations any way you like and India especially north India emerges as a hotspot for emerging diseases in every which way. Not very surprising considering the very high population density and proximity with domesticated animals. The recent outbreak of Avian Bird flu in West Bengal is a reminder that such threats are real and the assessed risks are not an outcome of some computer simulation done in a far away lab.