Search

Introduction: Echinococcus species are zoonotic parasites that cause hydatid disease, affecting humans and animals. The seroprevalence of hydatid disease reflects the level of exposure to this parasite and can be used as an indicator of the burden of the disease in a population. Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of hydatid disease. Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective observational study conducted at JIPMER hospital, a tertiary care centre located in Puducherry, Southern India. In this study, hydatid serological data from January 2019 to December 2022 were collected in March 2023 and retrospectively analysed in April 2023. All the serum samples that tested positive for Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) for echinococcosis during the period from January 2019 to December 2022 were included. The demographic details such as age, gender, place of residence, etc., of the patients whose samples were included were collected from their case records. These samples were then analysed using Microsoft Excel for proportions and percentages. Results: The study showed that the seroprevalence of hydatid disease was 70 (34%) out of 206 samples tested. The seroprevalence was higher in the older age group (>45 years), with 41 (58.6%) cases. It was observed that males and females were almost equally infected, with minor differences in the prevalence of 37 (52.9%) males and 33 (47.1%) females. Conclusion: As the prevalence of hydatid disease in Southern India was unknown, it was observed to be lower when compared to other states of India. This study has provided valuable information on the level of exposure of hydatid disease in the population and will help formulate disease control and prevention strategies. [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]