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Leptospirosis, an underdiagnosed zoonotic disease in India, was studied retrospectively in Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Between 2018 and 2019, 2617 samples from patients with hepatitis-related symptoms were collected. Of these, 518 tested negative for hepatitis and other tropical viral diseases under the VRDL project were analyzed for leptospira IgM using ELISA. 68 (13.12%) were positive for leptospirosis. Common symptoms included fever (97.45%) and jaundice (42.27%), with renal involvement in 30.88% of cases. Higher incidence was observed in the 31-60 age group, especially during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The study highlights the need for increased clinician awareness and inclusion of leptospirosis in screening panels to differentiate tropical illnesses in India., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the research work reported here., (Copyright © 2024 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background & Objectives: Dengue virus (DENV) causes outbreaks and sporadic cases in tropical and subtropical countries. Documenting intricacies of DEN outbreaks is important for future interventions. The objective of this study was to report clinical, laboratory and epidemiological features of DEN outbreaks reported in different districts of Central India in 2016., Methods: In 2016, outbreaks (n=4) suspected of DEN were investigated by rapid response team. Door-to-door fever and entomological surveys were conducted. Blood samples were collected and tested using NS1 or IgM ELISA; real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was done to identify serotypes of DEN virus (DENV). NS1-positive samples were tested for the presence of IgG by ELISA. Clinical and demographic data were collected and analyzed., Results: Outbreaks occurred in both urban and rural areas in monsoon season and Aedes aegypti was identified as the vector. Fever, chills, headache and myalgia were the major symptoms; no fatality was recorded. Of the 268 DEN suspects, 135 (50.4%) were found serologically positive. DEN positivity was higher (n=75; 55.56%) among males and in the age group of 16-45 yr (n=78; 57.8%). DENV 3 followed by DENV 2 were detected as the major responsible serotypes. High attack rates (up to 38/1000) and low cumulative IgG prevalence (14.9%) were recorded in rural areas., Interpretation & Conclusions: Our study showed that DENV 3 was the major serotype responsible for outbreaks that occurred in monsoon. High attack rates and lower number of secondary infections in rural areas indicated that DENV is emerging in rural parts of Central India. Early diagnosis at local level and timely intervention by mosquito control activities are needed to avoid such outbreaks in future., Competing Interests: None

Background and Aims: An acute hepatitis, caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV), is a significant global health concern, especially in developing countries. HEV has 1 serotype and 8 genotypes, which are further divided into subtypes. Despite the availability of sporadic cases and outbreak data from India, specific information regarding HEV epidemiological data is lacking from central India. This study was conducted to understand epidemiological and molecular features of HEV in central India., Methods: In this 3-year study conducted from July 2012 to June 2015, IgM ELISA was used for the diagnosis of suspected HEV cases. For identifying the genotype, nRT PCR was conducted and the PCR products were sequenced and analysed. Clinical and demographic data were analysed using statistical tools to highlight the trends., Result: Out of 1,369 suspected cases, 341 (24.9%) were positive for HEV. The positivity was significantly higher in males (69.2%) and in the age group of > 15-45 years (72.5%). The HEV cases peaked during the summer. Subtypes 1a and 1f of genotype 1 were detected in the area during the study period., Conclusion: HEV is a major aetiological agent of viral hepatitis in central India with adults and males at higher risk of infection. Two subtypes of the virus were detected in the region. Continuous serological surveillance and molecular monitoring will help to understand the epidemiology of HEV infection, outbreak mitigation and aid in providing treatment., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a zoonotic viral disease caused by infection by a Flavivirus, a member of the family Flaviviridae. KFD is a public health concern in the Karnataka State in southern India. Available conventional diagnostic tests such as virus isolation and serological tests, such as haemagglutination inhibition and complement fixation tests are time consuming. This study reports the development of a nested RT-PCR [nRT-PCR] and a TaqMan-based real-time RT-PCR and IgM antibodies capture ELISA [MAC-ELISA] for rapid and accurate diagnosis of suspected KFD cases. The nRT-PCR and the TaqMan-based real-time RT-PCR assays were developed using gene sequences of the NS-5/non-coding region. Both the assays detected KFD viral RNA in acute phase human serum samples and can provide early diagnosis of infection. Real-time RT-PCR was found to be more sensitive than nRT-PCR, which could detect 38 copies of KFDV RNA. MAC-ELISA was developed for the detection of recent infections. Although real-time RT-PCR and nRT-PCR require expensive reagents, expensive equipment and trained personnel, the developed MAC-ELISA can be used easily in the affected areas. These tests add to the existing diagnosis arsenal against haemorrhagic viruses that are prevalent in India. These assays will also help to extend our knowledge of the pathology of KFD virus and its associated clinical features, by measuring the viral titre during infection and at the time of seroconversion. Information, which is not available currently because of the lack of appropriate diagnostic methods. In addition, early laboratory diagnosis of KFDV infection will help in the application of appropriate control measures and management of KFD cases., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)