ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Friday urged the concerned authorities to take necessary preventive measures to stop communicable and infectious diseases from spreading during the rainy season. According to NIH, authorities have been advised to take notice of environmental degradation, water and food contamination and sanitation issues which could work synergistically to increase the incidence of these diseases. It said that such measures were essential for prevention and control of outbreaks of communicable diseases during rainy weather in present monsoon season. It said that the advisory has been issued in wake of Pakistan Meteorological Department’s seasonal forecast for monsoon rainfall and floods in different parts of the country during July and September. It said that low-lying areas, poor and congested localities are at greater risk of having epidemics of water and food-borne infectious diseases. The anticipated food and water, vector borne and zoonotic disease outbreaks can only be contained through advanced preparedness.