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ABSTRACT: Background: The National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) has helped reduce the mortality from malaria in India, and there are alarmingly high mortality rates from anemia in certain geographical regions. Aim: To assess the clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic factors associated with malaria from P. falciparum and P. vivax. Methods: This retrospective record-based clinical study subjects with malaria were further divided into P. vivax and P. falciparum cases. In all the cases, the clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic factors were assessed. Data gathered were analyzed statistically. Results: During the study period, 222 cases of malaria were assessed where 22.52% (n = 50) and 74.48% (n = 172) cases were due to P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively. Hepatomegaly was common in P. falciparum cases and splenomegaly in P. vivax cases. Thrombocytopenia was seen in 58.1% (n = 100) and 72% (n = 36) subjects with P. vivax and P. falciparum cases. No significant difference was seen in other laboratory parameters. Conclusions: Clinical, laboratory, and sociodemographic factors associated with malaria from P. falciparum and P. vivax have no statistically significant difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The highly contagious COVID-19 disease or Corona Virus disease is caused by a novel coronavirus. It is a pandemic affecting a large population globally concerning both health and financial aspect. Vaccination has emerged to be a vital measure to control COVID-19. However, fear of side effects is a major concern with these vaccines warranting further studies. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the adverse effects after vaccinations with either Covishield or Covaxin for COVID-19 infection. Methods: The study included 1160 health care professionals who received either Covaxin or Covishield for COVID-19 infection prevention. The adverse effects were noted following the first and second dose of vaccines at different time intervals of less than 24 hours, 24-48 hours, and between 3 to 7 days post-vaccination. WHO (World health organization) questionnaire was used for recording the side-effects where 720 subjects took Covishield and 440 subjects Covaxin. Results: The study results showed that most of the subjects reported side effects within 24 hours of first dose vaccination with 85% and 90% for Covishield and Covaxin respectively, and after 2nd dose were 74.16% and 89.09% respectively. The most common side effects reported after both vaccines were myalgia, chills, fever, headache, and general weakness. All adverse effects were self-limiting and subsided with no need for hospitalization. Conclusion: The present study concludes that no significant difference is seen concerning side effects with either Covaxin or Covishield in two doses and the two vaccines separately. Further studies are warranted in different populations and age groups to get details on the safety data of these vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: UTIs (urinary tract infections) are the most frequent bacterial disorder requiring medical management with a reported incidence of 8 million where nearly 20% need an emergency visit. Aim: The present study was done to study the systemic immunity and bacteriological profile of subjects having urinary tract infections in Indian subjects. The study focused on isolating the uropathogenic bacteria, assessing their antibiotic sensitivity, and evaluating the serum TLR2 levels in subjects with UTIs and healthy controls. Methods: In 200 blood and mid-stream urine study samples and 100 healthy samples of urine and blood as controls were subjected to TLR-2 detection. The samples from subjects with urinary tract infections were assessed for the presence of Uropathogenic bacteria (both grampositive and gram-negative). Results: The most common isolated bacteria were E. coli seen in 80% (n=160) study subjects followed by enterococcus faecalis in 50% (n=100) study subjects, Klebsiella pneumonia, enterococcus facium, and pseudomonas aeruginosa in 40% (n=80) subjects each, staphylococcus aureus in 36% (n=72) subjects. The mean TLR 2 level was significantly higher for cases subjects with urinary tract infections with a mean value of 3.875±1.495 compared to the control healthy subjects without urinary tract infections where the mean serum TLR2 value was 3.316±4.731. This difference was statistically significant with p=0.04 Conclusion: The present study concludes that subjects with active urinary tract infection commonly show more gram-negative bacteria than gram-positive bacteria with a predominance of E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and staphylococcus spp. Also, toll-like receptor 2 is significantly higher in subjects with urinary tract infections compared to their control subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most common arboviral diseases affecting large populations globally, is Dengue fever. Increased outbreaks of Dengue are reported in the subtropical and tropical regions on the annual basis. Dengue affects a large population in India with a considerable mortality rate. However, the data concerning the biochemical, hematological, and clinical profile of dengue subjects in India are scarce which is vital for appropriate management. Aim: The present study aimed to assess the biochemical, hematological, and clinical profiles of the subjects affected by the dengue virus in India. Methods: The present study assessed subjects affected by the dengue virus in India. For all participants, blood samples were collected and assessed for IgM antibodies specific against dengue using ELISA. Biochemical and hematological parameters were recorded along with the clinical features of included subjects. Results: The most common clinical feature was fever seen in 100% (n=204) study subjects followed by headache in 87.25% (n=178) study subjects, myalgia in 80.39% (n=164) study subjects, nausea and vomiting in 69.60% (n=142) study subjects, abdominal pain in 59.80% (n=122) study subjects, mucosal bleeding and eye pain in 37.25% (n=76) study subjects. Platelet counts were <140,000 cells/cu mm in 59.80% (n=122) of study subjects. raised lymphocyte counts were seen in 1.96% (n=4) subjects and neutrophil counts were higher ≥1500 cells/cu mm in 84.31% (n=172) study subjects. AST levels were higher with >37 IU/L in 45.09% (n=92) subjects with dengue and the ALT levels were >42 IU/L in 17.64% subjects with dengue infection Conclusions: The present study, considering its limitations, concludes that assessing the laboratory profile and clinical features in the dengue viral infection-affected area can help physicians assess the likelihood of the infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infestation by the mite, Sarcoptesscabiei var. hominis, leads to a skin condition termed Scabies. Aim: The present study was conducted to assess the outbreak of Scabies in a known Indian population. Materials and Methods: The present prospective clinical study was based on examination and data recorded over 1 year. The collected data were subjected to statistical evaluation, and the results were formulated. Results: Skin lesions were present in 17.94% (n=56) subjects with scabies in the present study, whereas, the skin lesions of scabies were absent in 64.10% (n=200) subjects of scabies. The presence of the skin lesions was unknown in 17.94% (n=56) subjects. The presence of rashes was seen in 39.10% (n=122) of study subjects with scabies. The presence of scratching was seen in 20.83% (n=65) of study subjects with scabies. The itching was reported as a symptom of scabies in 40.06% (n=125) of study subjects with Scabies. Conclusion: The present study concluded that there is a high prevalence of scabies in the known Indian population and was highly prevalent in females than males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]