Search

India represents 3% of the global malaria burden. Chhattisgarh is the second-most endemic region in India in terms of malaria transmission. The research related to the effect of weather variables on malaria transmission through dynamic modelling is at an early stage in India. We attempted to do it with the help of the VECtor borne disease community model of International Centre for Theoretical Physics, TRIeste model for the Chhattisgarh region during 2000–2019. The highest malaria transmission is found in August and September. We also found that the malaria transmissions are found to be more endemic in the districts, namely Baster, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Raigarh, Jashpur, Balrampur, Bemetara and BalodaBazar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria, a prominent vector borne disease causing over a million annual cases worldwide, predominantly affects vulnerable populations in the least developed regions. Despite their preventable and treatable nature, malaria remains a global public health concern. In the last decade, India has faced a significant decline in malaria morbidity and mortality. As India pledged to eliminate malaria by 2030, this study examined a decade of surveillance data to uncover space–time clustering and seasonal trends of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases in West Bengal. Methods: Seasonal and trend decomposition using Loess (STL) was applied to detect seasonal trend and anomaly of the time series. Univariate and multivariate space–time cluster analysis of both malaria cases were performed at block level using Kulldorff's space–time scan statistics from April 2011 to March 2021 to detect statistically significant space–time clusters. Results: From the time series decomposition, a clear seasonal pattern is visible for both malaria cases. Statistical analysis indicated considerable high-risk P. vivax clusters, particularly in the northern, central, and lower Gangetic areas. Whereas, P. falciparum was concentrated in the western region with a significant recent transmission towards the lower Gangetic plain. From the multivariate space–time scan statistics, the co-occurrence of both cases were detected with four significant clusters, which signifies the regions experiencing a greater burden of malaria cases. Conclusions: Seasonal trends from the time series decomposition analysis show a gradual decline for both P. vivax and P. falciparum cases in West Bengal. The space–time scan statistics identified high-risk blocks for P. vivax and P. falciparum malaria and its co-occurrence. Both malaria types exhibit significant spatiotemporal variations over the study area. Identifying emerging high-risk areas of P. falciparum malaria over the Gangetic belt indicates the need for more research for its spatial shifting. Addressing the drivers of malaria transmission in these diverse clusters demands regional cooperation and strategic strategies, crucial steps towards overcoming the final obstacles in malaria eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue is one of the most important vector-borne disease in India. It has been linked to monsoons when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breed profusely in containers. No study exists in Armed Forces wherein a community-based sero-survey has described the epidemiology of dengue. The present study tries to fill this knowledge gap. A total of 422 participants were studied for one transmission season of July–December. Blood samples were collected for testing dengue IgG and IgM at the beginning and at end of the study period. The study participants were interviewed at least twice within this period of 6 months to assess clinical condition and follow-up. Point prevalence and incidence were measured. Distribution of presence or absence of symptoms was noted for positive as well as negative cases. All participants were males. Average age was 31.75 years. Point prevalence at the beginning of transmission season was 11.6% (95% CI: 8.4%–14.6%) and 15.6% (95% CI: 12.1%–19.1%) towards the end. Incidence was found to be 147.4 per 1000 for 6 months. Forty percent of incident cases were asymptomatic. Healthcare planners and hospital commanders in stations across Armed Forces can use the prevalence and incidence figures obtained in this study as a general guide while planning for prevention and control of dengue. Also, this study points to the fact that dengue transmission in Delhi may have shifted earlier to months of April/May than the conventionally accepted season of July–December. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is a vector borne disease with various grades of severity. Pregnancy is a high-risk group and is prone for complications of dengue haemorrhagic fever. Dengue fever has rapidly emerged as the most common arboviral infection globally. Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancies affected with dengue fever. Materials and methods: It was an institutional based prospective observational study. It was conducted in Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Medicine & Sagar Dutta Hospital, Kamarhati, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. After receiving the clearance from the ethical committee study was conducted from June 2022 to December 2022. All pregnant patients reporting to the hospital with fever and serologically confirmed dengue infection (40 confirmed cases) were included in the study. Clinical and laboratory data of patients were collected. The cases were followed up till their delivery to monitor the effect of dengue. The data were entered in MS Excel spreadsheet and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. Result: In the present study platelet count of 9 (22%) patients were <25000 lac and platelet count of 13 (33%) patients were 15000 to 50000 lac. In the present study 3 (7.50%) patients need ICU care followed by 9 (22.50%) need platelet transfusion, 7 (17.50%) need C PAP, 8 (20%) need PPH, 7 (17.50%) need abortion and 2 (5%) patients need abruption. In the present study 5 (12.5%) fetals suffered from fetal distress followed by 2 (5%) suffered from Oligohydramnios. In the present study 4 (35%) neonatal were normal. 8 (20%) neonatal need SNCU admission, 2 (5%) neonatal need NICU admission. Conclusion: Pregnancy-related dengue illness progressed quickly and caused serious consequences. For both the mother and the fetus to have a positive outcome, close materno-fetal monitoring and prompt obstetric care are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dengue virus has four serotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. Even though the four of them Serotypes have similar antigens, yet they differ enough from one another to offer cross-protection for a short while. Any infection with any one virus serotype confers lifetime immunity to that serotype (WHO 1999). 2. They possess antigens that exhibit cross-reactivity with viruses of the same genus, such as those responsible for west nile, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis. Nucleotide sequencing has shown several genotypes for each serotype. In DEN-1, 6 in DEN-2, 4 in DEN-3, and 5 in DEN-4, there are 3 genotypes. Primates under DEN-2 and DEN-4 have a single non-human genotype. Various kinds of Aedes mosquitoes are in charge of spreading the dengue virus spreads between people. Material and Method: The study included 100 patients aged - 14 years with dengue virus infection admitted to the department of Medicine, SCB Medical College, Cuttack between January 2018 to December 2019. All suspected cases of dengue as defined under National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Govt. of India were evaluated and tested for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based NS1 antigen and IgM capture ELISA (MAC ELISA). Government of India recommends use of ELISA based antigen detection test (NS1) for diagnosing the cases from 1st day to 5th day and antibody detection test IgM capture ELISA for diagnosing the cases after 5th day of onset of disease for confirmation of dengue infection. Result: This prospective study was conducted to assess the clinical and pathological impact of dengue virus on various haematological profile mainly on platelet count and haematocrit along with different clinical manifestations and predictors of thrombocytopenia in 100 serologically confirmed cases of dengue infection during a period from January 2018 to December 2019 in the department of medicine, SCB Medical College, Cuttack. Conclusion: Haematological abnormalities associated to platelet and endothelial dysfunction that are typically seen in severe dengue include thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and vasculopathy. Previous research has indicated that one of the causes and effects of DIC may be an imbalance between the clotting and fibrinolysis systems. A small percentage of individuals experiencing severe or protracted shock may have substantial abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium vivax remains a major challenge for malaria control and elimination due to its ability to cause relapsing illness. To prevent relapses the Indian National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) recommends treatment with primaquine at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg/day provided over 14 days. Shorter treatment courses may improve adherence and treatment effectiveness. Methods: This is a hospital-based, randomised, controlled, open-label trial in two centres in India. Patients above the age of 16 years, with uncomplicated vivax malaria, G6PD activity of ≥ 30% of the adjusted male median (AMM) and haemoglobin levels ≥ 8 g/dL will be recruited into the study and randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard schizonticidal treatment plus 7-day primaquine at 0.50 mg/kg/day or standard care with schizonticidal treatment plus 14-day primaquine at 0.25 mg/kg/day. Patients will be followed up for 6 months. The primary endpoint is the incidence risk of any P. vivax parasitaemia at 6 months. Safety outcomes include the incidence risk of severe anaemia (haemoglobin < 8 g/dL), the risk of blood transfusion, a > 25% fall in haemoglobin and an acute drop in haemoglobin of > 5 g/dL during primaquine treatment. Discussion: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 7-day primaquine regimen compared to the standard 14-day regimen in India. Results from this trial are likely to directly inform national treatment guidelines. Trial registration: Trial is registered on CTRI portal, Registration No: CTRI/2022/12/048283. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes pose a significant threat to public health by transmitting various diseases worldwide. In South-East Asian countries like India, the vector-borne diseases have become a pressing issue. Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are prominent mosquito species responsible for spreading viral infections like dengue and West Nile virus. Traditional vector control methods involving synthetic insecticides present environmental and health hazards, prompting the search for eco-friendly alternatives. This study focuses on Pergularia daemia, a plant with known medicinal properties, as a potential source of bioactive compounds for mosquito control. Crude extracts from P. daemia leaves were prepared using different solvents, and phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. Ethanol extracts exhibited the highest larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae, with mortality rates proportional to concentration. The results suggest that P. daemia extracts, particularly those in ethanol, hold promise as effective and environmentally friendly mosquito larvicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of vector-borne diseases poses considerable public health challenges in India, such that both government and private households engage in initiatives to tackle the problem. This study utilises two nationally representative datasets (2018 and 2012) to determine if action undertaken by state/local government(s) in India in tackling the problems of mosquitoes/flies is associated with a crowding out of private efforts in addressing the problem; or instead is associated with greater private action. Study findings reveal that local/state government action is associated with an increase in household effort in dealing with the problem of mosquitoes/flies. Action by state/local governments in India may convey information to households which may alter their decision-making calculus regarding returns on investments triggering an increase in private effort complementing the public effort. Accordingly, simple government-sponsored advertising campaigns may not be efficacious in promulgating desired behavioural responses. This study finds that direct government action aimed at mitigating the transmission of vector-borne diseases, together with investment in education, social infrastructure and health system interaction may provide positive information signals to households thus enhancing private investment in health-related activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular surveillance of resistance is an increasingly important part of vector borne disease control programmes that utilise insecticides. The visceral leishmaniasis (VL) elimination programme in India uses indoor residual spraying (IRS) with the pyrethroid, alpha-cypermethrin to control Phlebotomus argentipes the vector of Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of VL. Prior long-term use of DDT may have selected for knockdown resistance (kdr) mutants (1014F and S) at the shared DDT and pyrethroid target site, which are common in India and can also cause pyrethroid cross-resistance. We monitored the frequency of these marker mutations over five years from 2017–2021 in sentinel sites in eight districts of north-eastern India covered by IRS. Frequencies varied markedly among the districts, though finer scale variation, among villages within districts, was limited. A pronounced and highly significant increase in resistance-associated genotypes occurred between 2017 and 2018, but with relative stability thereafter, and some reversion toward more susceptible genotypes in 2021. Analyses linked IRS with mutant frequencies suggesting an advantage to more resistant genotypes, especially when pyrethroid was under-sprayed in IRS. However, this advantage did not translate into sustained allele frequency changes over the study period, potentially because of a relatively greater net advantage under field conditions for a wild-type/mutant genotype than projected from laboratory studies and/or high costs of the most resistant genotype. Further work is required to improve calibration of each 1014 genotype with resistance, preferably using operationally relevant measures. The lack of change in resistance mechanism over the span of the study period, coupled with available bioassay data suggesting susceptibility, suggests that resistance has yet to emerge despite intensive IRS. Nevertheless, the advantage of resistance-associated genotypes with IRS and under spraying, suggest that measures to continue monitoring and improvement of spray quality are vital, and consideration of future alternatives to pyrethroids for IRS would be advisable. Author summary: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly parasitic disease with a primary focus in north-eastern India. Control of the sand fly, Phlebotomus argentipes, vector of VL in India, is primarily reliant upon spraying the internal walls of houses and animal shelters with residual pyrethroid insecticide. Spray programmes depend upon well-controlled spraying and effective insecticides to which the targeted insects are susceptible. Changing insecticides is logistically challenging, therefore early detection of insecticide resistance is crucial. As part of a wider programme of entomological surveillance we used molecular resistance assays of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations to investigate evidence for changing resistance profiles, and possible links with the spraying programme across a system of eight districts in north-eastern India. Mutant frequencies varied substantially in space and time, with a major change across the first two years of the study, but stability for the remainder. Resistance-associated kdr alleles were positively associated with indices of spray coverage and with under spraying, suggesting that this creates vulnerability to development of pyrethroid resistance. However, the most strongly resistance conferring mutant genotype was rarely detected, suggesting overall that notable resistance is not yet emerging, despite wide coverage of the spray programme. This is an encouraging result for the VL elimination programme but with apparent advantage of resistance alleles in sprayed areas it would be wise to seek alternative insecticides for spraying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector-borne diseases such as dengue, leishmaniasis, and lymphatic filariasis, constitute significant sources of illness, disability, and mortality among the poor and vulnerable in many countries around the world, including India. Based on the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors study 2019, we analyse the burden of dengue, leishmaniasis, and lymphatic filariasis, in India from 1990 to 2019. Over this period, there was a reduction in the burden of lymphatic filariasis and leishmaniasis. Notably, dengue emerged as the most common vector-borne disease, exhibiting high fatality rate above 15 years of age and the highest DALY within 15–49 age group. Additionally, dengue cases surged substantially between 1990 and 2019. Leishmaniasis related mortality and DALY declined in the year 2019 compared to the year 1990, with high mortality and DALY in the 0-49-year-old age group. For lymphatic filariasis, DALY was more pronounce among those in the 15–49-year age group, which underwent reduction in 2019. Males had a higher burden in other vector-borne diseases than females, although females had a slightly elevated dengue burden. These findings highlight the evolving epidemiological trends related to vector-borne diseases in India, over the last three decades and underline the critical significance of sustained efforts for the elimination and control of vector-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triple drug regimen (IDA; Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, Albendazole) recommended for accelerating elimination of lymphatic filariasis was launched in India in December 2018. Nagpur district in Maharashtra was one of the first five districts where this strategy was introduced. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) at the district reported ~85.0% treatment coverage in the first round of mass drug administration (MDA) with IDA implemented in EU-2 in Nagpur district in January 2019. As per the national guideline, a coverage evaluation survey was carried out and both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the treatment coverage, the level of community preparation and identify the gaps, if any, for improvement. Methodology: A Coverage Evaluation Survey (CES) following the WHO recommended protocol was conducted in one of the two evaluation units (EU-2) in Nagpur district in March 2019. Coverage Sample Builder (CSB) V2.9 tool was used to calculate the sample size, select sites and estimate drug coverage. The CSB tool followed a two-stage cluster sampling procedure to select 30 primary sampling units (ward/village as a cluster) and a list of random numbers for selecting households (HHs) in each cluster. The results were analyzed for operational indicators. Stata ver. 14.0 software was used to construct the 95% confidence limits accounting for clustering. Results: A total of 1601 individuals aged 5–85 years of both gender from 328 HHs were surveyed from the 30 randomly selected clusters in EU-2. The mean age was 33.8±17.6 years. Among the surveyed population, 78.0% received the drugs (programme reach) and 66.1% consumed the drugs (survey coverage). Survey coverage was significantly higher in rural (82.6%) than in urban (59.4%) and peri-urban (58.6%) areas (P<0.001). Directly observed treatment (DOT) among the surveyed population was 51.6%. Adverse events were reported among 6.9% respondents who reported to have consumed the drugs. Conclusion: The IDA based MDA strategy could achieve just the required level of treatment coverage (~65%) in EU-2, Nagpur district, which had previously undergone several rounds of DA-MDAs (Diethylcarbamazine, Albendazole). Having achieved an effective treatment coverage of >80% in rural areas, the coverage in urban and peri-urban areas need to be improved in order to attain the impact of IDA-MDA. It is imperative to strengthen drug delivery and community preparation activities along with improved DOT especially in urban and peri-urban areas to achieve the required level of treatment coverage. Addition of ivermectin did not have any additional perceived adverse events. Author summary: Government of India implemented triple drug regimen for mass drug administration (IDA-MDA) in selected districts from December 2018 to accelerate lymphatic filariasis elimination in the country. Nagpur district in state of Maharashtra, India was one of the five districts where this strategy was first implemented in January 2019 and the reported treatment coverage in one of the evaluation units in the district, EU-2 was 85.0%. This district had previously completed thirteen rounds of DA-MDA till the year 2017. TAS carried out in 2016 showed that the district did not reach elimination level, CFA < 2.0% in children aged 6–7 years. A coverage evaluation survey was carried out in EU-2 following the first round of IDA-MDA and both quantitative and qualitative data was collected to assess the treatment coverage, the level of community preparation and identify the gaps, if any, for improvement. Among the surveyed population (1601), 78.0% received the drugs (programme reach) and 66.1% consumed the drugs (survey coverage). The study showed an effective treatment coverage above 65% in rural areas and a sub-optimal coverage in urban/peri-urban areas (≤65%). There exists a challenge in achieving an effective coverage in urban and peri-urban areas with the new treatment regimen. Appropriate strategies are necessary to improve the treatment coverage in all the areas so as to achieve the elimination target in the evaluation unit. Only 51.6% DOT was observed which needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scrub typhus is a vector borne disease which in a proportion of patients causes multiorgan involvement and death if untreated. Infecting genotype and virulence factors play a role in severity of infection and outcome. The current prospective cohort study was undertaken to elucidate the severity of illness in scrub typhus patients and to identify the circulating genotypes in Karnataka, India. A total of 214 patients of either gender from 9 districts of Karnataka and one patient each from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, India were enrolled in the study. With a predefined severity criterion, 132 patients were segregated to the severe group. Multi organ involvement was seen in 59 (44.69%) patients. Phylogenetic analysis revealed JG-v like (48.97%), Karp-like (26.53%), JG-like (22.44%), and Kato-like (2.04%) strains in Karnataka. Patients infected with Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp-like strains had respiratory involvement (69.2%), cardiovascular involvement (46.2%) and thrombocytopenia (23.1%) and required higher hospital resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DENV (dengue viral infection) is a non-hepatotropic RNA virus, but hepatic involvement is common. High level of viremia is associated with involvement liver and other organs. Present study is a prospective study which is aimed to know about the, pattern of hepatic involvement in dengue patients. Methods: This is a prospective hospital-based study conducted in the Department of General Medicine of tertiary care hospital of central India. During study period 200 clinically and serologically positive patients of Dengue fever, Dengue haemorrhagic fever and Dengue shock syndrome, classified as per the, definition of national vector borne disease control programme Govt. of India. Results: The mean value of total bilirubin was found to be 0.8 mg/dl in patients with dengue fever (DF), 0.96 mg/dl in patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and 1.08 mg/dl in patients with dengue shock syndrome (DSS). The mean value of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was 77.44 IU/L in the dengue fever (DF) group, 112.32 IU/L in the dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) group, and 486.28 IU/L in the dengue shock syndrome (DSS) group. The average alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level in the DF group was 94.36 IU/L, while in the DHF group it was 386.42 IU/L. The average serum albumin levels were found to be 3.97 gm/dl in the DF group, 3.65 gm/dl in the DHF group, and 3.49 gm/dl in the DSS group. The average serum globulin levels were 2.98 mg/dl in the DF group, 2.86 gm/dl in the DHF group, and 2.69 gm/dl in the DSS group. The serum alkaline phosphate level exhibited an elevation in all groups under investigation. The mean value of ALP was found to be 118.46 IU/L in the DF group, 164.32 IU/L in the DHF group, and 342.42 IU/L in the DSS group. Conclusion: The pattern of hepatic involvement of liver in dengue fever varies as per the severity of disease. In milder case of dengue fever liver function test was normal but there was hepatomegaly was present commonly but in severe form of disease pattern of hepatic involvement varies from tender hepatomegaly to significant increase in liver enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Unplanned urbanisation and improper sanitary system in many cities in a developing country increase cases of vector borne diseases. Among these, filariasis is a major health problem in India. Campaign for triple drug therapy to eliminate the lymphatic filariasis was launched by government of India but, data assessing the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) coverage and compliance is scarce. Aim: To assess coverage and compliance of triple drug administration for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) in Prayagraj district. Materials and Methods: This community based crosssectional study was conducted in the Department of Community Medicine at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The duration of the study was 8 days, from 30th October 2021 to 6th November 2021. A total of 1739 individuals belonging to rural and urban area of district Prayagraj. Systematic selection was used for selection of subunit. Random selection of 30 subunits from the survey area was done and also Probability Proportional to Estimate Size (PPES) was used, sampling to give everyone in the survey population an equal probability of being selected. A segment of households was randomly selected (typically-10 household) from each subunit (30 subunits, e.g., village). The number and percentage of characteristics were calculated. The data has been entered in MS excel and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 30.78±18.18 years for males and 30.04±17.48 years for females. A total of 1739 persons were covered in post MDA coverage evaluation survey out of which, 1361 persons belonged to rural area and 378 persons belonged to urban area. Ivermectin, albendazole and Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) were swallowed more in urban area (53.27% for each drug) as compared to rural area (18.25% for each drug). Overall, estimated 45.66% drugs were swallowed in district Prayagraj. Adverse drug effect was not found. Conclusion: The overall coverage of mass drug administration was low (45.66%) and far behind the national target of >85% and it was even worse in urban area where only one-third of the population were offered mass drug administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly invasive and adaptive vector of viruses that can cause human diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya, and zika. As climate and socio-economic changes continue, the mosquito's suitable habitat range is expected to expand, posing a significant threat to global public health. To predict the shifts in the mosquito's global habitat suitability, we developed an ensemble machine learning model that combines a Random Forest and XGBoost binary classifiers. The model was trained using global vector surveillance data and a collection of climate and environmental constraints. We project a significant expansion of the mosquito's habitat suitability, with at least an additional billion people at risk of vector-borne diseases by the mid-21st century. A number of highly populated areas of the world, such as the northern parts of the USA, Europe, and India, will be at risk of Ae. albopictus-borne diseases by the end of the century. Our findings highlight the need for coordinated preventive surveillance efforts by local authorities and stakeholders to control the spread of the mosquito and prevent disease outbreaks. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is an important vector of arboviruses that cause diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and zika. The vector is highly invasive and adapted to survive in temperate northern territories outside its native tropical and sub-tropical range. Climate and socio-economic change are expected to facilitate its range expansion and exacerbate the global vector-borne disease burden. To project shifts in the global habitat suitability of the vector, we developed an ensemble machine learning model, incorporating a combination of a Random Forest and XGBoost binary classifiers, trained with a global collection of vector surveillance data and an extensive set of climate and environmental constraints. We demonstrate the reliable performance and wide applicability of the ensemble model in comparison to the known global presence of the vector, and project that suitable habitats will expand globally, most significantly in the northern hemisphere, putting at least an additional billion people at risk of vector-borne diseases by the middle of the 21st century. We project several highly populated areas of the world will be suitable for Ae. albopictus populations, such as the northern parts of the USA, Europe, and India by the end of the century, which highlights the need for coordinated preventive surveillance efforts of potential entry points by local authorities and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Establishing the etiological cause of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is challenging due to the distinct distribution of various etiological agents. This study aims to determine the etiological profiles of both viruses and bacteria and their associated clinico-epidemiological features among the AES suspected cases in Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: Samples of 5136 suspected AES cases from January 2016 to December 2020 (5 years) were subjected to the detection of etiological agents for AES through serological and molecular diagnosis methods. Further, the clinical profile, age- and gender-wise susceptibility of cases, co-infection with other AES etiological agents, and seasonality pattern with respect to various etiological agents were examined. Results: AES positivity was established in 1480 cases (28.82%) among the 5136 suspected cases and the positivity for male and female groups were 57.77% and 42.23%, respectively. The pediatric group was found to be more susceptible than others. Among the etiological agents tested, the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was the predominant followed by Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus, Varicella Zoster virus, and others. Co-infection with other AES etiological agents was observed in 3.5% of AES-positive cases. Seasonality was observed only for vector-borne diseases such as JEV, dengue virus, and West Nile virus infections in this study. Conclusion: AES was found to be a significant burden for Tamil Nadu with a diverse etiological spectrum including both sporadic and outbreak forms. Overlapping clinical manifestations of AES agents necessitate the development of region-specific diagnostic algorithm with distinct etiological profiles for early detection and effective case management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine theileriosis is one of the most important vector-borne haemoprotozoan diseases and causes huge economic losses in cross-bred animals, particularly in tropical countries like India. The present study describes cutaneous theileriosis in two cross-bred cows presented to a veterinary hospital, VCRI, Namakkal, with a history of fever, anorexia, and reduced milk yield. Clinical examination of animals revealed ocular edema with pale conjunctival mucous membrane, mild enlargement of the prescapular lymph nodes, and numerous skin nodules all over the body. Microscopic examination of the skin nodules revealed the presence of schizonts (Koch's Blue Bodies) in lymphoblasts. Peripheral blood smear examination showed mild parasitaemia in erythrocytes, and further confirmation by PCR using Theileria-specific primers showed the desired 1098bp amplification comparable to positive control. Appropriate treatment led to the recovery of the animals with the total disappearance of the skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a concerning matter nowadays. It has a long-term effect on human health by spreading vector-borne diseases throughout the world, and West Bengal is not an exception. Vector-borne diseases are life-threatening risk for human; approximately 27,437 people have been infected (2016) every year by this giant killer in West Bengal of India. Temperature and rainfall, two important parameters, have directly influenced the vector-borne diseases. An association between vector-borne diseases and climatic conditions has been established by using geographically weighted regression (GWR) technique. GWR resulted overall r square value more than 0.523 in every case of diseases signifies that the climatic parameters (temperature and rainfall) and vector-borne diseases (Dengue, Malaria, Japanese Encephlities) are strongly correlated. The climatic parameters and positive cases of diseases were mapped out by using inverse distance weight (IDW) interpolation technique in this study. Artificial neural network (ANN) was performed to predict and forecast the climatic condition. The predicted findings have been validated by root mean square error (RMSE) (temperature: 0.301; rainfall: 0.380, i.e., acceptable). This study revealed an insight between climate variables and vector-borne cases in different districts of West Bengal to better understand the effects of climate variability on these diseases. A novel approach of this study is to forecast the spreading of vector-borne diseases for incoming day in West Bengal. After a critical analysis, temperature and rainfall were found to be potent factors for the development of vectors (Aedes Aegypti and Aedes albopictus), and based on this, the risk of vector-borne diseases has been predicted for upcoming years. Forecasted climatic parameters showed that almost all the districts of West Bengal would be reached in a climatic condition where there would be a chance of spreading of vector-borne diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Among vector borne diseases, malaria remained a major threat to public health from decades because of its course and complications. Being the endemic region, malaria poses a great threat because it causes multiorgan failure. Though continuous monitoring, effective implementation of control measures are in place still India contributes to majority of cases in sub Asian region. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of malaria, to determine the seasonality and to analyse the trend of the disease over the period. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted at Chikamagalur a district in Karnataka, India, in the year 2022 over a period of six months. The study was done by collecting the data of patient details from the laboratory register. The results were analysed, positive results were calculated for disease burden by Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) and Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum). Results: Out of 27,474 samples, 94 were found positive for malaria parasite of which P. vivax cases were 90 (95%) and 4 (5%) was P. falciparum cases. Prevalence rate was 0.34%. There is 24% drop in malaria cases from 2019-2021 when compared to 2015-2018. Conclusion: The present study shows decline in the number of malaria cases from 2015 to 2021. The cases showed seasonal variation with maximum cases being reported in September. As India is in the decline phase of cases, with the collective efforts of clinicians, laboratory personnel and community health workers, elimination of malaria could be a possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Scrub typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi presents as acute undifferentiated fever and can be confused with other infectious causes of fever. We studied scrub typhus as part of a study on hospital-based surveillance of zoonotic and vector-borne zoonotic diseases at a tertiary care hospital located in the Wardha district, Maharashtra, India. We report here descriptive epidemiology and climatic factors affecting scrub typhus. Methods: Patients of any age and sex with fever of ≥5 days were enrolled for this study. Data on sociodemographic variables were collected by personal interviews. Blood samples were tested by IgM ELISA to diagnose scrub typhus. Confirmation of scrub typhus was done by indirect immunofluorescence assay for IgM (IgM IFA). The climatic determinants were determined using time-series Poisson regression analysis. Results: It was found that 15.9 per cent of the study participants were positive for scrub typhus by IgM ELISA and IgM IFA, both. Positivity was maximum (23.0%) in 41-60 yr of age and more females were affected than males (16.6 vs. 15.5%). Farmworkers were affected more (23.6%) than non-farm workers (12.9%). The disease positivity was found to be high in monsoon and post-monsoon seasons (22.9 and 19.4%) than in summer and winter. Interpretation & conclusions: There were three hot spots of scrub typhus in urban areas of Wardha district. Rainfall and relative humidity in the previous month were the significant determinants of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue and chikungunya have been emerging as major vector-borne diseases. The global burden of the diseases is rising as a public health problem. The complexity of disease is governed by multiple constraints including only symptomatic treatment and inflicts heavy social and economic burden on society. The present study is designed to assess the economic burden of dengue and chikungunya infection by calculating cost per patient in Gujarat, India. Methods: A total of 210 patients were enrolled in the study from Ahmedabad and Kheda district of Gujarat from May 2018 to December 2019 of which 150 had dengue and 60 chikungunya infections, subject to the willingness of participation in the survey. Information on wage loss days, cost associated with medicines, diagnosis, special food and travel cost, etc., for the calculation of the direct and indirect costs associated with dengue and chikungunya were collected from these participants using a structured questionnaire. Informed consent was taken before including any participant in the study. Results: In the dengue sample, 86 were males (57.3%) and the rest were females, and in the chikungunya sample, 31 were males (51.7%) and the rest females. The median age of the participants with dengue and chikungunya was 18 (p25 to p75: 8 to 26) and 30 (p25 to p75: 21 to 45) years respectively. Median family income was recorded as Rs 15,000 (p25 to p75: 9000 to 25500) and Rs 12,000 (p25 to p75: 9000 to 18500) for the dengue and chikungunya cases, respectively. The average duration of the illness was observed to be higher in chikungunya (median days (P25 to p75): 15 (7–45)) than dengue (median days (P25 to p75): 10 (5–15)). The median indirect cost in the case of dengue was Rs 1,931 (p25 to p75: 300 to 4500) while Rs 2,550 (p25 to p75: 0 to 5250) was observed for chikungunya cases. Two types of direct cost, namely, direct cost related to medical expenses and direct cost related to other expenses were calculated. Direct cost related to medical expenses was observed to be higher in dengue (Md (P25 to p75): Rs 2,450 (400–5000)) than chikungunya (Md (P25 to p75): Rs 1,500 (150–5200)) while indirect cost related to other expenses were comparable between dengue (Md (P25 to p75): Rs 1,575 (1300–2600)) and chikungunya (Md (P25 to p75): Rs 1500 (850–2850)). The average total cost for one dengue episode was estimated to be Rs 6,860 (3700–12525) whereas it was Rs 7,000 (2550–14000) for one episode of Chikungunya. Conclusions: Overall, patients have to bear high costs while suffering from dengue and chikungunya infections. Furthermore, the duration of illness while suffering from viral diseases also contributes to the substantial economic burden. Improved knowledge about the impact of the cost and the economic burden associated with dengue and chikungunya will help policymakers allocate and appropriate resources accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading vector-borne disease with an estimated 100–400 million cases each year. Control of Dengue vectors largely depends upon synthetic pyrethroids. Development of insecticide resistance in Aedes mosquitoes however, poses severe threat to insecticide-based vector management programme. Mutations in the Voltage Gated Sodium Channel gene (vgsc) serve as the primary machinery behind this resistance development. In Aedes albopictus, at least four such kdr (knock down resistance) mutations had already been documented. Here, we describe the occurrence of F1534C kdr mutation in wild population of Ae. albopictus from northern part of West Bengal, India including a novel T1520I mutation. Four populations of Ae. albopictus from the studied region were found resistant against DDT and synthetic pyrethroids, among them only one population possessed F1534C kdr mutation. A total of 200 successful amplification followed by partial sequencing of vgsc gene further revealed the presence of F1534C kdr mutation in both phenotypically susceptible and resistant mosquito specimen. Studied populations were found 81% homozygote susceptible (1534F/F), 12.5% heterozygote (1534F/C) and 6% homozygote resistant (1534C/C) for F1534C kdr mutation. The findings of the current study will help to uncover the mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance and hence to reduce errors in vector control measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquito-borne diseases are a major public health concern. Because of absence of effective therapy and vaccination to treat and prevent such vector-borne diseases, these initial cases have triggered strong concerns within medical communities, turning a bad dream into reality. To date, reducing the mosquito vector population remains the main strategy to control the transmission of mosquito borne diseases. In this connection, community-based perception recognized as an essential tool for long-term vector control management. In this study, a community perception survey was carried out in six selected study areas of Ganjam district of Odisha. A total of 3257 inhabitants from randomly chosen 600 no. of houses from 06 selected study areas were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire about various mosquito vector-borne diseases. As an outcome, we found that only 36% of people have basic knowledge and idea about vector-borne diseases, out of which only 14% know Anopheles as a causative agent whereas Aedes and Culex were very least concern. Regarding the source of knowledge, electronic media was the principal source of information, while the involvements of health personnel were least mentioned. Results of the current study indicates the necessity to plan health education program to bring important perceptions regarding vector-borne diseases at school and college level because the infrequent source of knowledge is the main cause of an increase in the disease incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a dramatic increase in the frequency of arboviral disease epidemics among humans and domestic animals worldwide in recent decades. Some of these infections have also undergone significant geographical expansion owing to uncontrolled urbanization leading to changes in vector distribution and/or adaptation of the etiologic agent to more anthropophilic vectors. Arboviral infections such as chikungunya have re-emerged in certain parts of the world, such as India (where chikungunya re-emerged in 2006 after 32 years of quiescence). Existing surveillance systems for arboviral infections in developing countries face several issues, such as being dependent on reporting of loosely defined clinical syndromes and infrequent laboratory confirmation. The recent re-emergence of Zika virus infections and its complications in South America underscore the urgent need for advancements in scientific knowledge on the biology of the arboviral agents and their vectors, innovations concerning diagnostic technologies, vector control measures, and therapeutic approaches. India, a tropical country, harbors an abundance of arthropod vectors capable of hosting and propagating viral infections. These vectors can transmit infections within humans, animals and also across species. This review focuses on viral infections in humans transmitted by arthropod vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In India, there are several malaria-endemic regions where non- falciparum species coexist with Plasmodium falciparum. Traditionally, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests are used for the diagnosis of malaria. Nevertheless, microscopy often misses the secondary malaria parasite in mixed-infection cases due to various constraints. Misdiagnosis/misinterpretation of Plasmodium species leads to improper treatment, as the treatment for P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species is different, as per the national vector-borne disease control program in India. Methods Blood samples were collected from malaria-endemic regions (Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Telangana) of India covering almost the entire country. Molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium species was carried out among microscopically confirmed P. falciparum samples collected during a therapeutic efficacy study in different years. Results The polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed a high prevalence (18%) of mixed malaria parasite infections among microscopically confirmed P. falciparum samples from malaria patients that are either missed or left out by microscopy. Conclusions Deployment of molecular tools in areas of mixed species infection may prove vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment of malaria. Further, it will help in achieving the goal of malaria elimination in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India has made considerable progress in malaria reduction over the past two decades, with government-sponsored indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) or long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) distribution being the main vector-related prevention efforts. Few investigations have used non-participant observational methods to assess malaria control measures while they were being implemented, nor documented people's perceptions and acceptance of IRS or LLINs in India, and none have done so in the northeast region. This study evaluated household (HH)-level operation of IRS and distribution of LLINs by India's National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) in 50 villages of Meghalaya state, and documented their acceptance and use. Methods: Study field teams accompanied the government health system teams during August-October, 2019 and 2020 to observe deployment of LLINs, and record HH-level data on LLIN numbers and use. In addition, NVBDCP spray teams were followed during 2019–2021 to observe IRS preparation and administration. HH members were interviewed to better understand reasons for acceptance or refusal of spraying. Results: A total of 8386 LLINs were distributed to 2727 HHs in 24 villages from five Primary Health Centres, representing 99.5% of planned coverage. Interviews with 80 HH residents indicated that they appreciated the LLIN dissemination programme, and generally made regular and appropriate use of LLINs, except during overnight travel or when working in agricultural fields. However, HH-level IRS application, which was observed at 632 HHs, did not always follow standard insecticide preparation and safety protocols. Of 1,079 occupied HHs visited by the spray team, 632 (58.6%) refused to allow any spraying. Only 198 (18.4%) HHs agreed to be sprayed, comprising 152 (14.1%) that were only partly sprayed, and 46 (4.3%) that were fully sprayed. Reasons for refusal included: inadequate time to rearrange HH items, young children were present, annoying smell, staining of walls, and threat to bee-keeping or Eri silk moth cultivation. Conclusions: These findings are among the first in India that independently evaluate people's perceptions and acceptance of ongoing government-sponsored IRS and LLIN programmes for malaria prevention. They represent important insights for achieving India's goal of malaria elimination by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of Zika were reported from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, India in 2021. The Dengue and Chikungunya negative samples were retrospectively screened to determine the presence of the Zika virus from different geographical regions of India. Methods: During May to October 2021, the clinical samples of 1475 patients, across 13 states and a union territory of India were screened and re-tested for Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika by CDC Trioplex Real time RT-PCR. The Zika rRTPCR positive samples were further screened with anti-Zika IgM and Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test. Next generation sequencing was used for further molecular characterization. Results: The positivity was observed for Zika (67), Dengue (121), and Chikungunya (10) amongst screened cases. The co-infections of Dengue/Chikungunya, Dengue/Zika, and Dengue/Chikungunya/Zika were also observed. All Zika cases were symptomatic with fever (84%) and rash (78%) as major presenting symptoms. Of them, four patients had respiratory distress, one presented with seizures, and one with suspected microcephaly at birth. The Asian Lineage of Zika and all four serotypes of Dengue were found in circulation. Conclusion: Our study indicates the spread of the Zika virus to several states of India and an urgent need to strengthen its surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) is one of the interventions to control the vectors of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Different insecticides are used in affected countries, also in the Regional Initiative for the Elimination of VL in South-East Asia. This systematic review assesses all available studies analysing the effectiveness of IRS on the key vectors of VL. The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines, with a broad search strategy, applied to seven key databases. Inclusion criteria were studies focusing on 1) Visceral leishmaniasis 2) Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) or synonyms, and 3) all primary research methods. 21 studies were included, five cluster randomised controlled trials (cRCTs), one randomised controlled trial (RCT), 11 intervention studies, also included were three modelling studies and one survey. 19 out of 21 included studies were published between 2009 and 2020. 18 of the studies were conducted in the context of the Regional Initiative. Effects of IRS on vector populations are positive, confirmed in terms of effectiveness and by the availability of studies. Deltamethrin and alpha-Cypermethrin reduce total sandfly counts, and/or Phlebotomus argentipes counts by up to 95% with an effect of a minimum of one month. Prolonged effects are not regularly seen. DDT has been used in India only: whereas in the 1990s a good effect could be measured, this effect waned over time. Two intervention studies, embedded in larger programmes in 2019 and 2020, replaced DDT with alpha-Cypermethrin throughout the study. Combinations of different interventions are not systematically researched, however showing some promising results, for example for the combination of IRS and Temephos. Constant monitoring of insecticide resistancies and quality delivery of IRS are confirmed as key issues for programmes. No human transmission data are available to directly relate an effect of IRS–although modelling studies confirm the effect of IRS on human transmission. Concluding, IRS continues to be an effective intervention for Phlebotomus argentipes control. Delivery requires constant monitoring and quality assurance. Further studies need to assess IRS in different geographical areas affected by VL and combinations of interventions. Author summary: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector borne disease endemic in Southeast Asia (SEA) and present in other regions of the world. VL is transmitted by different species of sandflies and key strategies against VL rely on the control of the vectors. This systematic review assesses the efficacy and community effectiveness of indoor residual spraying (IRS) in controlling sandflies and VL occurrence among humans. After a revision of 8822 initial hits, 21 studies were included in this systematic review. Effects of IRS on vector populations are positive, Deltamethrin and alpha-Cypermethrin reduce total sandfly counts by up to 95% for at least one month. DDT has been used in India only: whereas in the 1990s a good effect could be measured, this effect waned over time. Combinations of different interventions are not systematically researched, however showing some promising results, for example for the combination of IRS and Temephos. Constant monitoring of insecticide resistancies and quality delivery of IRS are confirmed as key issues for control programmes. No human transmission data are available to directly relate an effect of IRS on human transmission,–although by modelling studies an effect of IRS on human transmission can be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Lack of effective early screening is a major obstacle for reducing the fatality rate and disease burden of dengue. In light of this, the government of Tamil Nadu has adopted a decentralized dengue screening strategy at the primary healthcare (PHC) facilities using blood platelet count. Our objective was to determine the cost-effectiveness of a decentralized screening strategy for dengue at PHC facilities compared with the current strategy at the tertiary health facility (THC) level. Methods Decision tree analysis followed a hypothetical cohort of 1000 suspected dengue cases entering the model. The cost-effectiveness analysis was performed at a 3% discount rate for the proposed and current strategy. The outcomes are expressed in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per quality-adjusted life years gained. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were done to check the uncertainty in the outcome. Results The proposed strategy was found to be cost-saving and ICER was estimated to be −41 197. PSA showed that the proposed strategy had a 0.84 probability of being an economically dominant strategy. Conclusions The proposed strategy is cost-saving, however, it is recommended to consider optimal population coverage, costs to economic human resources and collateral benefits of equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filariasis is a vector borne disease commonly found in tropical countries like India. Causative agent for this is Wuchereria Bancrofti. This paper presents report of the microfilaria in endometrial histopathology in a 35-year-old reproductive age female presenting with incomplete abortion with vaginal bleeding. There is hardly any case report with similar presentation. Endemicity of the disease is one of the associated factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector-borne haemoparasitic diseases of migratory small ruminants have been less explored to date. Therefore, transhumant migratory sheep and goats of the Himalayas were molecularly screened for various vector-borne pathogens like Anaplasma, Theileria , Babesia , Anaplasma marginale , Theileria luwenshuni , Theileria orientalis, and Trypanosoma evansi using their specific primers. Out of the 171 animals screened, 73.09% of the animals were infected with Anaplasma spp. and 74.85% of the animals with Theileria spp., while no animals were found infected with Babesia spp. and Trypanosoma evansi. In a quest to identify the species, a few positive PCR amplicons representing Anaplasma spp., Theileria spp., and Theileria/Babesia spp. were sequenced. The sequences obtained were further BLAST analyzed to reveal maximum identity with Anaplasma capra (100%), Theileria luwenshuni (99.71%), and Theileria sinensis (98.73%). Among them Theileria luwenshuni was further confirmed with their species-specific PCR and the positive amplicons were sequenced and BLAST analysed to reveal their maximumsimilarity with Chinese isolates rather than Indian isolates. Further, phylogenetic analyses of the resulting sequences were conducted to identify their evolutionary history. It revealed that 1100 bp- amplicons of Theileria spp. were showing maximum likeness to Theileria sp. MK, a non-transforming Theileria. This is the first report of zoonotic Anaplasma capra and Theileria sp. MK in small ruminants from India and it could be mostly due to their transboundary migration history through the Indo-Tibetan border during summer seasons as a part of the traditional migratory system of livestock rearing practice in the Himalayas. The high prevalence of haemoparasites in migratory small ruminants calls for the adoption of effective control measures. • First report of Anaplasma capra , Theileria sp. MK from migratory small ruminants of India. • Anaplasma capra is zoonotic and therefore demands utmost attention. • Theileria sp. MK is a non-transforming Theileria closely related to Theileria orientalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are malaria vector control measures used in India, but the development of insecticide resistance poses major impediments for effective vector control strategies. As per the guidelines of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the study was conducted in 12 districts of Madhya Pradesh to generate data on insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. Methods. The susceptibility tests were conducted on adult An. culicifacies as per the WHO standard technique with wild-caught mosquitoes. The blood-fed female mosquitoes were exposed in 3 to 4 replicates on each occasion to the impregnated papers with specified discriminating dosages of the insecticides (DDT: 4%, malathion: 5%, deltamethrin: 0.05%, and alphacypermethrin: 0.05%), for one hour, and mortality was recorded after 24-hour holding. Results. An. culicifacies was found resistant to DDT 4% in all the 12 districts and malathion in 11 districts. The resistance to alphacypermethrin was also observed in two districts, and possible resistance was found to alphacypermethrin in seven districts and to deltamethrin in eight districts, while the vector was found susceptible to both deltamethrin and alphacypermethrin in only 3 districts. Conclusion. An. culicifacies is resistant to DDT and malathion and has emerging resistance to pyrethroids, alphacypermethrin, and deltamethrin. Therefore, regular monitoring of insecticide susceptibility in malaria vectors is needed for implementing effective vector management strategies. However, studies to verify the impact of IRS with good coverage on the transmission of disease are required before deciding on the change of insecticide in conjunction with epidemiological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vector-borne diseases are infections caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria and transmitted by vectors, which are usually insects. A greater risk of diseases such as dengue, malaria, seasonal influenza, leptospirosis, chikungunya, enteric fever, etc co-exist in COVID-19 cases. This poses challenges in clinical and laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, which may affect clinical management and patient outcomes. Methodology: Several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, DOAJ, and EMBASE, were reviewed using the keywords vector-borne infections in India amidst COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 23 articles and WHO and National website for vector-borne diseases was found. Review: For many decades, vector-borne diseases have been a major health burden for both underdeveloped and developing countries, including India. With better preparedness, the threat of climate change on vector-borne diseases may be negated. Rains during monsoon increase not only the risk of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya but also that of food- and water-borne diseases as well as other skin infections. A greater risk of diseases such as dengue, malaria, seasonal influenza, leptospirosis, chikungunya, enteric fever, etc co-exists in COVID-19 cases. This poses challenges in clinical and laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, which may affect clinical management and patient outcomes (3). Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a sudden outbreak of Zika virus infection was reported at the beginning of July 2021 in the districts of Kerala, from where it started, spreading to the neighboring states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India. Conclusion: With better preparedness, the threat of climate change on vector-borne diseases may be negated. Designing and strengthening an intervention strategy for environmental sanitation, regular cleaning of living houses, and keeping personal hygiene shall be considered. Risk assessment is crucial to optimize surveillance, preventative measures (vector control), and resource allocation (medical supplies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A wide range of insect-specific viruses (ISVs) have been reported worldwide. There are no studies from India that have reported ISVs. The current study describes the identification of Phasi Charoen-like virus (PCLV) from Aedes aegypti mosquito-pools from six districts of Karnataka state, India. Materials and Methods: During the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak in the Bangalore Urban district in 2019, using conventional PCR, it was found that both human and mosquito samples were positive for CHIKV. For retrieve the complete genome sequence, mosquito samples were subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and PCLV was also found. During 2019, as part of a vector-borne disease surveillance, we received 50 mosquito pool samples from 6 districts of the state, all of them were subjected to NGS to identify PCLV. Results: The A. aegypti mosquito-pools samples were subjected to the NGS platform that led to identification of an ISV, PCLV. PCLV was identified in 26 A. aegypti mosquito-pools collected from 6 districts. We also found mixed infection of PCLV with the Dengue virus (DENV; genotypes 1 and 3) and CHIKV from five pools. The nucleotide identity for the L gene of Indian PCLV sequences ranged between 97.1% and 98.3% in comparison with the Thailand sequences. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PCLV dual infection with DENV and CHIKV in India. The present study confirms the presence of PCLV in A. aegypti mosquitoes from Karnataka state. The study adds India in the global geographical distribution of PCLV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector borne diseases are having increasing trend in both vertical and horizontal structure of the disease epidemics in India for the recent decades. Filariasis, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue, Chikungunya, Leishmaniases, and Malaria are the major vector borne diseases in India for several decades. The increasing trend of both spatial distribution and magnitude of the disease makes public health challenging problem in India, especially, for the recent decades. The both spatial extent and magnitude of vector borne disease outbreaks have been increasingly reported and it has been found ubiquitous across the country. The geographical extent of endemic regions, the frequency of outbreaks in both urban and rural, and the spatial and temporal aspects of vector borne disease epidemics were analyzed across the nation for the past 30 years, in order to assess the probability of potential risk of the VBD outbreaks in the country using GIS, accordingly, the appropriate control strategy will be prepared to manage the future epidemic situations in a site specific areas of high risk hotspot regions. Spatial and temporal dynamics of vector-borne disease epidemics across the country have been evidently associated with land use / land cover changes including the agriculture practices, urban dynamics, industrial growths, population movements, manmade environmental transition, etc., and have been acted upon the epidemic scenarios change the indigenous territories, and also intrusion into the non-endemic areas. The concept of control activities of vector borne disease sudden occurrence could not be achieved with no single intervention will be sufficient to control epidemic diseases, and therefore, prevention measures and control strategy must have to be advantageously applied during the intermittent outbreaks situations regularly, so as to move towards the achievement of erratic transmission control and prevent acceleration in epidemic transmission early in advance successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dengue is a viral infection with different presentations, hence predicting the disease severity at admission is essential to triage patients needing meticulous monitoring. In severe dengue there is increase of urinary protein clearance due to the increase in systemic vascular permeability. Simple urine protein excretion screening test could guide the triage and monitor the patients with suspected dengue infection. Aim: To evaluate the urine spot Protein Creatinine Ratio (PCR) as a tool in predicting the disease severity and adverse outcome in children with dengue. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Institute of Child Health, Egmore, Tamil Nadu, India, from October 2021 to December 2021. All children aged 1 month to 12 years presenting with symptoms of fever, thrombocytopenia (less than 1, 50, 000 /µL) with or without dengue non structural protein component (NS1)/ Immunoglobulin M Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) positivity were recruited for the study. Study parameters included were demographic factors, severity of dengue classification based on National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) guidelines, urine spot PCR. The UPCR (urine protein creatinine ratio) was compared between dengue and non dengue cases and within the different categories of dengue cases. Chi-square was used for comparing proportions. Results: Among 150 children enrolled in present study, 134 (89.3%) were dengue positive, 16 (10.7%) were non dengue. Most predominant age group involved was 6-9 years followed by 3 to 6 years. Among 134 children with dengue, 98 (73.1%) had high UPCR and among 16 non dengue children, 2 (12.5%) had high UPCR which was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Mean spot UPCR was 0.32±0.12 in mild dengue, 0.77±0.40 in moderate dengue and 1.68±1.67 in severe dengue which was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Children with severe dengue had higher PCR values in comparison to mild and moderate dengue. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant association of urine spot PCR with severity of dengue and this simple test can be used for triaging and monitoring children with suspected dengue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar (KA), is a neglected vector-borne disease, targeted for elimination, but several affected blocks of Bihar are posing challenges with the high incidence of cases, and moreover, the disease is spreading in newer areas. High-quality kala-azar surveillance in India, always pose great concern. The complete and accurate patient level data is critical for the current kala-azar management information system (KMIS). On the other side, no accurate data on the burden of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and co-infections are available under the current surveillance system, which might emerge as a serious concern. Additionally, in low case scenario, sentinel surveillance may be useful in addressing post-elimination activities and sustaining kala-azar (KA) elimination. Health facility-based sentinel site surveillance system has been proposed, first time to do a proper accounting of KA, PKDL and co-infection morbidity, mortality, diagnosis, case management, hotspot identification and monitoring the impact of elimination interventions. Methodology/principal findings: Kala-azar sentinel site surveillance was established and activated in thirteen health facilities of Bihar, India, using stratified sampling technique during 2011 to 2014. Data were collected through specially designed performa from all patients attending the outpatient departments of sentinel sites. Among 20968 symptomatic cases attended sentinel sites, 2996 cases of KA and 53 cases of PKDL were registered from 889 endemic villages. Symptomatic cases meant a person with fever of more than 15 days, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, and substantial swelling of the liver and spleen (enlargement of spleen and liver).The proportion of new and old cases was 86.1% and 13.9% respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed for reduction in KA incidence from 4.13/10000 in 2011 to 1.75/10000 in 2014 (p<0.001). There were significant increase (0.08, 0.10 per 10 000 population) in the incidences of PKDL and co-infection respectively in the year 2014 as compared to that of 2011 (0.03, 0.06 per 10 000 population). The proportion of HIV-VL co-infection was significantly higher (1.6%; p<0.05) as compared to other co-infections. Proportions of male in all age groups were higher and found statistically significant (Chi-square test = 7.6; P = 0.026). Utilization of laboratory services was greatly improved. Friedman test showed statistically significant difference between response of different anti kala-azar drugs (F = 25.0, P = 0.004).The initial and final cure rate of AmBisome was found excellent (100%). The results of the signed rank sum test showed significant symmetry of unresponsiveness rate (P = 0.03). Similarly, relapse rate of sodium antimony gluconate (SAG) was also found significantly higher as compared to other drugs (95%CI 0.2165 to 19.7035; P = 0.03). A statistically significant difference was found (p<0.001) between villages having 1–2 cases (74%) and villages with 3–5 cases (15%). Significantly higher proportion (95%) of cases were captured by existing Govt. surveillance system (KMIS) (p<0.001), as compared to private providers (5%). Conclusions/significance: Establishment of a sentinel site based kala-azar surveillance system in Bihar, India effectively detected the rising trend of PKDL and co-infections and captured complete and accurate patient level data. Further, this system may provide a model for improving laboratory services, KA, PKDL and co-infection case management in other health facilities of Bihar without further referral. Program managers may use these results for evaluating program's effectiveness. It may provide an example for changing the practices of health care workers in Bihar and set a benchmark of high quality surveillance data in a resource limited setting. However, the generalizability of this sentinel surveillance finding to other context remains a major limitation of this study. The justifications for this; the sentinel sites were made in the traditionally high endemic PHC's. The other conditions were Program commitment for diagnostic (rk-39) and the first line anti kala-azar drug i.e. miltefosine throughout the study period in the sentinel sites. In addition, there were clause of fulfillment of readiness criteria at each sentinel site (already described in the line no 171 to 180 at page no-8, 181–189 at page no-9 and 192–212 at page no-10). Rigorous efforts were taken to improve all the sentinel sites to meet the readiness criteria and research activities started only after meeting readiness criteria at the site. Therefore sentinel site surveillance described under the present study cannot be integrated into other set up (medium and low endemic areas). However, it can be integrated into highly endemic areas with program commitment and fulfillment of readiness criteria. Author summary: Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne disease, and one of the major public health problems of Bihar. The disease has been targeted for elimination by 2020. Bihar still posing challenge i.e. incidence is much high in a number of affected blocks, and even the disease is spreading in newer areas. None availability of an accurate data on the burden of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and co-infections under the current surveillance system may emerge as a serious concern. Therefore, health facility-based sentinel site surveillance system has been attempted for the first time in Bihar for proper accounting of KA, PKDL and co-infection morbidity, mortality, diagnosis, case management, hotspot identification and monitoring the impact of elimination interventions. A system for capturing regional transmission is essential that can target focal areas of infection to monitor progress towards kala-azar elimination. Kala-azar sentinel site surveillance was established and activated in thirteen health facilities of Bihar during 2011 to 2014. The results showed a significant increase in PKDL and co-infection in 2014 when compared to 2011. Findings further revealed that utilization of laboratory services and case management were greatly improved, as majority of patients with KA, PKDL & co-infections were managed by the sentinel sites itself. The final cure rate of AmBisome was found excellent (100%). These observations may be useful to provide the basis for the design, refinement and resource allocation of the kala-azar control program. This system may also be useful in measuring impact of elimination interventions, their effectiveness and finally help in improving program management. It may further be used as an example for changing the practices of health care workers in Bihar and a lesson how to achieve high quality surveillance data in a resource limited setting. Standardization of sentinel site surveillance in terms of improved procedure, training, logistics, etc may further increase the effectiveness of this system. It may possibly be used as a cost-effective approach for capturing real-time kala-azar data under national kala-azar elimination programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2005, Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem. The approach to this was through improved case detection and treatment, and controlling transmission by the sand fly vector Phlebotomus argentipes, with indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticide. Initially, India applied DDT with stirrup pumps for IRS, however, this did not reduce transmission. After 2015 onwards, the pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin was applied with compression pumps, and entomological surveillance was initiated in 2016. Methods: Eight sentinel sites were established in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. IRS coverage was monitored by household survey, quality of insecticide application was measured by HPLC, presence and abundance of the VL vector was monitored by CDC light traps, insecticide resistance was measured with WHO diagnostic assays and case incidence was determined from the VL case register KAMIS. Results: Complete treatment of houses with IRS increased across all sites from 57% in 2016 to 70% of houses in 2019, rising to >80% if partial house IRS coverage is included (except West Bengal). The quality of insecticide application has improved compared to previous studies, average doses of insecticide on filters papers ranged from 1.52 times the target dose of 25mg/m2 alpha-cypermethrin in 2019 to 1.67 times in 2018. Resistance to DDT has continued to increase, but the vector was not resistant to carbamates, organophosphates or pyrethroids. The annual and seasonal abundance of P. argentipes declined between 2016 to 2019 with an overall infection rate of 0.03%. This was associated with a decline in VL incidence for the blocks represented by the sentinel sites from 1.16 per 10,000 population in 2016 to 0.51 per 10,000 in 2019. Conclusion: Through effective case detection and management reducing the infection reservoirs for P. argentipes in the human population combined with IRS keeping P. argentipes abundance and infectivity low has reduced VL transmission. This combination of effective case management and vector control has now brought India within reach of the VL elimination targets. Author summary: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a major parasitic disease in South Asia (Indian subcontinent), with 85% of the disease incidence in India. Historically VL had been controlled and almost eliminated with Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) using dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). However, reinitiating this approach in 2015 failed due to high insecticide resistance in the sand fly vector and poor IRS quality, meaning that VL elimination targets were not met. To improve this the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme changed to an effective insecticide, alpha-cypermethrin and altered the mode of application to compression pumps. Sentinel sites were established to monitor the entomological indicators, these showed the positive impact of these changes from 2016 to 2019. During this period the overall incidence of disease has decreased, and India is now on track to reach it's target incidence for VL of less than 1/1000 people at the sub-district (block) level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts have been made to quantify the spatio-temporal malaria transmission intensity over India using the dynamical malaria model, namely, Vector-borne Disease Community Model of International Centre for Theoretical Physics Trieste (VECTRI). The likely effect of climate change in the variability of malaria transmission intensity over different parts of India is also investigated. The Historical data and future projection scenarios of the rainfall and temperature derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) model output are used for this purpose. The Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR) and Vector are taken as quantifiers of malaria transmission intensity. It is shown that the maximum number of malaria cases over India occur during the Sept–Oct months, whereas the minimum during the Feb–Apr months. The malaria transmission intensity as well as length of transmission season over India is likely to increase in the future climate as a result of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus (ZIKV), a previously obscure flavivirus closely related to dengue leads to the biggest outbreak in India of Zika virus to date in the capital of the western state of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Therefore, the present study was undertaken in October 2018 for the evaluation of the entomological surveillance of Aedes mosquito borne diseases (VBD) in Jaipur International Airport areas to minimize potential global health risks and prevent spread of Zika in other states of India. All the entomological indices were found to be above the critical level, which are prescribed for airports by the International Health Regulations Act, 2005. The Container Index was found to be highest in Shankar Vihar colony with 37% whereas the House Index was recorded as 37% and Breteau Index with 48% in AAI colony. Inside port area, indices were found above critical level with Premises Index 26%, Container Index with 25%, whereas the Breteau Index recorded with 42%. From this study it evident that inside port area the surveyed sites provided ample habitats for the mosquitoes to breed and thrive in the wet season. During the dry season adjoining residential colonies was a matter of concern in maintaining the potential breeding of Aedes mosquitoes and needed attention from vector control personals/ port health authority. Therefore, routine entomological surveillance has been required not only to monitor the mosquito breeding in and around port area, but also to prevent the transportation and establishment of mosquito species in newer areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector‐borne diseases (VBD) constitute 17% of all infectious diseases that pose a major public health concern around the world. In India, VBD like malaria and dengue continue to account for a significant disease burden. Management of these diseases is dependent in part upon effective vector control and hence several vector control strategies are in use for controlling mosquito populations. However, vectors evolve over time and become capable of averting many of the used control measures, leading to a constant need to find for novel and improved interventions. Attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) is a novel vector control strategy that is highly effective at regulating vector density in a particular area. ATSBs exploit the sugar feeding behaviour of mosquitoes. They are developed by combining small amounts of toxins with sugar. A chemical attractant is also included to lure the mosquito into the toxic sugary trap. Although effective, ATSB testing has been limited in scope around the world and ATSBs are completely unexplored in India. In this review, we provide an in‐depth account of the development of ATSBs. We highlight the potential of ATSBs in controlling major Indian vectors of malaria and dengue, and we discuss possible challenges that could affect the efficacy of ATSBs in India. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are a serious threat in many Indian states, including Kerala. Community-based decentralized planning and engagement are effective strategies that can make positive behavioral changes to control VBDs. Methods This community-based implementation research was conducted during November 2016 – October 2018 in Alappuzha municipality in Kerala, India. It was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, formative research was conducted to know the community's profile and perceptions and thus to plan and develop an appropriate intervention. Baseline data on some entomological indicators were also collected. These data were used to assess the impact of the intervention by comparing with the post-intervention data. In the second phase, an intervention through the community's engagement was implemented in selected wards. The activities included the formation of community committees and the vector control and source reduction activities with the community engagement and inter-sectoral coordination. Results The intervention resulted in a positive change among the community to engage in vector control activities. These efforts along with inter-sectoral coordination resulted in successfully implementing vector source reduction activities. In both wards, pre- and post-intervention entomological data (house index: 16.7 vs 6.0 and 64.2 vs. 8.6; container index: 24.8 vs. 12.1 and 37.7 vs. 18.1; and Breteau index: 21.3 vs. 7.3 and 47.7 vs. 8.6) revealed a considerable vector source reduction. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest considering and including community engagement in public health policy as the main thrust to control VBDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Watershed development (WSD) projects, aimed primarily at enhancing soil and water conservation and supporting livelihoods in semi-arid areas, have the potential to impact health by modifying the occupational and household environments in agrarian communities. To identify and address potential health concerns arising from a planned WSD project in Kolar district, India, a health impact assessment (HIA) was conducted. This necessitated understanding the health status and concerns in the project villages. Objective: To characterize the health of farmers and their household members in close proximity of the planned WSD project. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional survey between April and July 2019. The study comprised: (i) a household survey covering the four project villages and two comparison villages (e.g. socio-demographic characteristics, occurrence of vector-borne diseases (VBDs), access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and utilization of healthcare); and (ii) an anthropometric survey for children under the age of 5 years in the four project villages and four comparison villages. Results: Respondents (n = 333) reported household-level occurrences of VBDs (chikungunya, 3.3%; and dengue, 1.5%), consuming unsafe water (54.5%) and frequent pesticide application in fields (26.7%). The prevalence of child underweight was 23.8%. Conclusions: VBDs, poor water quality and child undernutrition were found to be important local health concerns, amenable for preventive and promotive measures through the planned WSD project. Occupational environments in agricultural settings affect the workers and their households, and comprehensive projects such as WSD can seize the opportunity for improving health of farming and other rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Indian subcontinent is prone to tropical cyclones that used to originate in the North Indian Ocean. Through this study, an inventory of disease outbreaks for the tropical cyclone-affected regions from 2010 to 2018 has been compiled. This inventory is used to assess the success of recent sanitation intervention, Swachh Bharat Mission, also known as the Clean India Mission. Methods: Meteorological parameters from the Indian satellites were used to demarcate the cyclone-affected area. Disease outbreaks and epidemics during the tropical cyclones were compiled from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program and other relevant sources. The inventory has been used to track the effect of recent sanitation interventions on disease outbreaks. Results: Districts in the eastern coast of India are frequently affected due to tropical cyclones that have originated from the North Indian Ocean. Infectious diseases like the acute diarrheal diseases, vector-borne diseases, viral fevers, enteric fevers, and food poisoning have recursively occurred during the cyclonic events and persisted up to 2 weeks from the cyclonic episode. The effectiveness of the Clean India Mission is evident during the recent cyclones, Ockhi, Titli, and Gaja, where a significantly lower number of infectious disease outbreaks were recorded. Conclusions: The Clean India Mission has exhibited positive results on the public health consequences associated with tropical cyclones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar (KA) is a Vector-Borne Disease (VBD) that remains the second-largest parasitic killer across the globe (mortality rate: 75–95%). More than 60% of KA cases originate in South Asia, wherein India accounts for 2/3rd of the cases, and Bihar, a state in India, alone accounts for more than 50% of the Indian cases. Past studies suspected climate change vulnerabilities as a driving cause of KA outbreaks. The VBDs-based epidemic prediction systems have been developed to mitigate recurrent outbreaks; however, Machine Learning (ML) based approaches still need to be explored for modeling changing climate impacts on KA cases. This study, for the first time, develops a Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel-based Support Vector Regression (SVR), hereinafter RBF-kernel-based-SVR model for the most-affected endemic districts of Bihar (northern-India), using the data from 2016 and 2021. Forward selection, backward elimination, and stepwise regression procedures were adopted while selecting influential climatic variables, followed by the k -fold cross-validation technique and, then, the RBF-kernel-based-SVR algorithm for classification. Results suggested that temperature, wind speed, rainfall, and population density significantly contributed to the KA outbreaks. This study also developed Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) models to compare SVR with other classification models. Findings indicated that the proposed RBF-kernel-based-SVR model [Correlation Coefficient (CC) = 0.82, Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) = 12.20, and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) = 0.66] outperformed MLR (0.81, 14.20, 0.48) and MLP (0.81, 12.95, 0.61). Study recommends using the RBF-kernel-based-SVR model as a quick and efficient model capable of detecting KA cases with high predictability even under limited data availability. Such models can assist public health authorities, given monitoring KA spread, learning the climate impacts of outbreaks, and ensuring timelier health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Andhrapradesh, and Guntur municipal corporation, India announced a war against mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, filariasis, dengue, chikungunya, and encephalitis. The Senegalia rugata (Lam.) Britton & Rose, Synonym: Acacia concinna (Wild.) DC., Family: Fabaceae is one of the ayurvedic medicinal plants and is commonly known as soap pod and shikakai in India. This research isolated and characterized a mixture of methyl esters of five polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA): methyl oleate, glyceryl trilinoleate, methyl linoleate, methyl eicosenoate, and methyl vernolate from petroleum ether extract of pods of S rugata (PESR) and epigallocatechin (EGC) from the ethanol extract of S rugata pods (EESR) using column chromatography, ¹HNMR, 13CNMR, and IR spectral studies. The EESR, PESR, and PUFA emulsion (PFE) were evaluated for their larvicidal action against fifty larvae each of four mosquito species as per the guidelines for mosquito larvicidal bioassay, WHO. The LC50 and LC90 values of PFE were 10 ml and 15 ml respectively. The LC50 and LC90 values of PESR were 20 ml and 30 ml respectively. No mortality was observed with the EESR mixture. The result showed the concentrationdependent larvicidal actions of PFE and PESR. The Senegalia rugata environmentally friendly alternative in reducing the use of chemicals for mosquito control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mosquito borne diseases of public health importance are complex. These diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To determine the knowledge and determinants about MBDs in community and stakeholders among slum dwellers of Agra. Materials and Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in urban slums of Agra city. A sample size of 400 participants and 100 stakeholders from Municipal Corporation, health department, community leaders and community representatives were interviewed. Results: Maximum participants were of age group 26-35 years (23.5%) followed by 36-45 years (21.5%), of those 57.25% and 42.75% were men and women respectively. Most of participants (96.75%) did not have any knowledge about types or names of mosquitoes (Aedes, Anopheles and Culex). More than 50% of participants reported that MBDs spreads through bite of infected mosquitoes followed by poor environmental hygiene (34.75%). Almost all stakeholders (98.0%) had knowledge about name of mosquitoes. 80% of stakeholders perceived their responsibility towards MBD prevention and control. Conclusion: Knowledge about mosquito borne diseases ranged from only 3% aware about types of mosquito, around 50% aware of breeding and habitats of mosquitoes with poor knowledge of larvae. Stakeholders had better awareness than community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Malaria is devastating infectious disease not only India but also throughout the globe due to its high morbidity and mortality factor for last few centuries. From 19th and early 20th centuries, almost a quarter of the Indian populations were severely suffering from malaria. The economic loss due to increased mortality in malaria was estimated 10 million rupees per year in 1935. According to the World Malaria Report of 2017, malaria incidence accounted for 58% of cases in India. The objective of this study is to prediction of "annual" malaria incidences in India, depending on the basis of last 22 years national malaria epidemiology data. Methods: This study uses data from the official website of the National Program for the Control of Vector borne Diseases (NVBDCP) (http://nvbdcp. gov.in/) from 1995 to 2016. For creating a forecasting tool on Malaria surveillance in India, Econometric forecasting model (ARIMA Model ((0,1,1) (1,0,0) 12)) was used. Results: ARIMA statistical model ((0,1,1) (1,0,0) 12) found to be highly effective and significant (P < 0.05) in prediction of future epidemiological surveillance of malaria in India. ARIMA statistical model could be successfully use in prediction of annual malaria incidences in India after adjusting different highly contributing environmental and geographical factors, such as climate change, temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity. Conclusion: The historical forecast of the occurrence of malaria in India will allow the government to improve planning, control and prevention through public health interventions. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry will assist medical members in pre-treatment and drug interventions to respond to the increased or decreased occurrence of malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]