Disease In India Research Articles

Impact of Climate Change on Vector Borne Diseases and Public Health: A Review

Vector-borne diseases endure to contribute knowingly to the global problem of disease, and cause epidemics that disturb health security and cause wider socioeconomic effects around the world. Climate affects by pathogens it causes diseases that spend part of pathogens lifecycle host outside, visible to the environment. The main significant routes of spread of climate sensitive diseases are by arthropod (insect and tick) vectors, in food and water. Climate change has the possible to impact the earth's biological systems, The impacts of climate change on health are wide-ranging and diverse. They encompass the rise in fatalities and illnesses caused by more frequent and intense extreme weather events like heatwaves, storms, and floods. Climate change also disrupts food systems, leading to an increase in diseases transmitted through food, water, and vectors. Due to climate change emerging nations with partial resources are expected to face a host of health effects, including vector-borne and water-borne diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue. Climate change can impact the transmission dynamics, geographical expansion, and recurrence of vector-borne diseases through various channels. These include its direct influence on the pathogens, vectors, non-human hosts, and humans involved. Furthermore, climate change has the potential to modify entire ecosystem habitats, including urban environments, thereby influencing the proliferation or decline of vectors and non-human hosts. This article analyses common and prevalent infectious diseases in India, their links to climate change.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-a rare life threatening association with scrub typhus: case report

Scrub typhus is an important cause of acute febrile illness and one of the re-emerging infectious diseases in India particularly in southern Rajasthan. Hemophagocytic lympho-histiocytosis (HLH) results from an uncontrolled and ineffective hyperinflammatory response to a variety of triggers. HLH is further subdivided into primary and secondary type. We present a case of Scrub typhus which presented with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and secondary HLH which is a rare entity. A 9-month-old male child presented with high grade fever with encephalopathy. Examination showed hepatosplenomegaly, cervical Lymph adenopathy with eschar mark visible on abdomen. Scrub typhus was suspected on clinical grounds and further investigations were done. Serological diagnosis was strongly positive for scrub typhus. Initially, child did not respond to doxycycline, so further investigations were done to rule out HLH which fits into criteria of secondary HLH as per the revised HLH 2004 protocol. In view of secondary HLH and MODS methylprednisolone was added to treatment. Child responded to steroids and there was complete recovery. Scrub typhus patient with progressive MODS, in spite of appropriate antimicrobial therapy should raise the suspicion of secondary HLH which is rare but life-threatening condition and steroids plays an important role in the management of this condition.

Human rickettsial infections in India - A review.

Rickettsial infections are emerging and/or re-emerging disease that poses a serious global threat to humans and animals. Transmission to humans and animals is through the bite of the ectoparasites including ticks, fleas and chigger mites. Most of the rickettsial diseases are endemic in India, but underdiagnosed. This review is aimed at analyzing the prevalence of rickettsiosis in India and the advancement of rickettsial diagnosis. We have conducted a systematic review on the prevalence of rickettsial disease in India ranging from 1.3% to 46.6% for spotted fever, 2.4% to 77.8% for scrub typhus and 1% to 46.4% for Q fever, based on the literature published with the evidence of isolation, serological, and molecular diagnostics. Search engines Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, and EBSCO were used to retrieve the articles from electronic databases by using appropriate keywords to track the emergence of these rickettsial diseases in India for the period of 1865 to till date. We retrieved 153 published rickettsial articles on hospital-based studies from India that were purely made on the basis of prevalence and the laboratory parameters viz., Weil-Felix test (WF) and Rapid Immunochromatographic tests (RICT) with reference to the gold standard IFA and ELISA. More epidemiological studies are required for epidemic typhus to know the exact prevalence status of this louse-borne rickettsiosis in India. Currently, there is no confirmed specific inflammatory marker for rickettsial diseases. Moreover, serological cross-reactivity is an important aspect, and it should be investigated in endemic areas, there is also a need to include molecular diagnostic techniques for further confirmation in healthcare settings.

Development of a Blended Physiotherapeutic Module for Young Adults with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Feasibility Study

Introduction: Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain (NSCLBP) is a prevalent non-communicable disease in India, burdening individuals psychologically and socially. Due to economic constraints, people prefer self-management rather than seeking professional advice. Therefore, their go-to search strategy for self-management is social media platforms. Many researchers have identified a lack of evidence in these social media videos. Aim: To develop and evaluate the feasibility of a blended physiotherapeutic module for young adults with NSCLBP. Materials and Methods: This feasibility study was conducted at Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Deralakatte, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India from July 2023 to December 2023. This study involved three phases: identifying modifiable risk factors for exercise adherence in individuals with NSCLBP, developing a module, and evaluating its feasibility. Twenty-four young individuals with low back pain were given the blended physiotherapeutic module for four weeks, consisting of three sessions per week. The first two sessions were conducted online, and the following session was face-to-face. The data were analysed using SPSS software (SPSS Inc.; Chicago, IL) version 29.0.10. The collected data were summarised using Descriptive Statistics: frequency, percentage; mean, and Standard Deviation (SD). To compare the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) scores, repeated measures ANOVA was employed. The Bonferroni test was utilised for pairwise comparisons of QBPDS and NPRS scores. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: In this study, the average percentage of individuals who performed exercises for four weeks was 22 (91.7%), indicating high adherence. There was a significant difference (p-value < 0.05) in the QBPDS as well as the NPRS from baseline to weeks -2, 3, and 4. Conclusion: The developed blended physiotherapeutic module for NSCLBP individuals was found to be feasible. Positive results were identified in reducing pain and disability after two weeks. This study aids individuals struggling with physiotherapy exercises in a digitalised society, suggesting that future research could incorporate real-time movement analysis and regional language databases and software that should be validated.

Tackling non-communicable diseases in India: The role of health literacy

Tackling non-communicable diseases in India: The role of health literacy

Empowering Health Literacy: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in India

Empowering Health Literacy: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in India

Post graduate program in public health entomology: A new horizon of capacity building for fighting against vector borne disease in India

Post graduate program in public health entomology: A new horizon of capacity building for fighting against vector borne disease in India

Development and validation of multicentre study on novel Artificial Intelligence-based Cardiovascular Risk Score (AICVD)

ObjectiveCardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the most prevalent diseases in India amounting for nearly 30% of total deaths. A dearth of research on CVD risk scores in Indian population,...

Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Challenges in the Management of Chronic Kidney Disease in India

Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Challenges in the Management of Chronic Kidney Disease in India

Alteration of liver function tests in various liver diseases

Background: The burden of liver diseases in India has witnessed a significant rise, spurred by factors such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and a spectrum of metabolic and genetic disorders. Liver function tests (LFTs) serve as invaluable tools in the hands of clinicians, offering insights into the dynamic interplay between hepatic health and various disease processes. This study aims to provide a detailed exploration of the alterations in LFTs associated with various liver diseases prevalent in India. Aim and Objectives: (i) To Identify the various types of Liver diseases; (ii) To evaluate the various liver function tests in various liver diseases. Materials and Methods: The study involved the collection of samples from 100 liver disease patients who seek medical care at C. U. Shah Medical College and Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from all participants and the study protocol was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Results: Our study shows that the prevalence of cirrhosis of liver was 25% among study participants. Majority of liver disease were prevalent in male whereas, mostly affected age group was 51–60 years. Bilirubin was altered in cirrhosis of liver (88%), obstructive jaundice (100%), alcoholic liver disease (80%), viral hepatitis (75%), and in other liver disease (85%). Conclusion: Altered LFT is a useful tool to reach the Etiology of Liver disease. Alterations in liver enzymes as well as HbsAg reactivity are specific tests for cirrhosis of liver and viral hepatitis.

Investigating the Insecticidal Properties of Alangium salviifolium Root Extracts on Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquitoe

This study evaluated the effectiveness of successive hexane, chloroform, and methanol extracts of Alangium salviifolium roots in combating mosquito-borne diseases caused by Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoe in India. The hexane extract showed the highest efficacy with LC50 values of 105.0 ppm (larvicidal activity), 108.0 ppm (pupicidal activity), and 65.6 ppm (ovicidal activity). The chloroform extract had LC50 values of 156.8 ppm (larvicidal), 376.0 ppm (pupicidal), and 20.0 ppm (ovicidal), while the methanol extract had LC50 values of 235.7 ppm (larvicidal), 441.8 ppm (pupicidal), and 30.4 ppm (ovicidal). The hexane extract of A. salviifolium roots shows potential as a mosquito control agent, specifically against Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Further studies are needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of this extract. This research highlights the potential of plant extracts as alternative mosquito control agents for mitigating mosquito-borne diseases in India.

Biological and Chemical Management Strategy to Control Brown Spot Disease in Rice Caused by Bipolaris oryzae

The main objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of various fungicides in managing rice brown spot, a common fungal disease in India that can reduce crop yield and seed quality. During 2020-21 crop seasons, a research project was conducted in the experimental plot of the Department of Plant Pathology at the College of Agriculture in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India. Different treatments involving fungicide application at various rice growth stages were implemented. The results showed that all treatments involving fungicides significantly reduced the incidence of rice brown spot in-vitro condition and increased crop yield when compared to the control group. Among the fungicides, Difenoconazole 25% EC at a concentration of 200ppm proved to be highly effective in controlling the growth of the fungal mycelium. In in-vivo condition, the treatment involving T4, which includes seed treatment with the bio-control agent Trichoderma viride (10g/kg seeds), the application of Trichoderma viride (10g/l) at 15-20 days after transplanting, and the application of propiconazole (1g/l) at the booting exhibited the highest level of reduction in the incidence of brown spot disease, amounting to 13.6 per cent. The integrated management approach are very effective to control the brown spot disease in rice.

Why do Doctors Miss the Diagnosis of Leptospiral Uveitis? Emergence of New Serovars and Challenges in Diagnosis

ABSTRACT Purpose Leptospirosis is an endemic disease in India and uveitis is its late complication. Several Indian reports showed diversity of serovars, changing patterns and existence of new serovars. Failure to add new serovars in testing panel result in increased false-negativity in serology. Aim To analyse seroprevalence, changing patterns and to discuss the resulting challenges in diagnosis. Methods In this retrospective study covering the period from 1994 to 2020, we analysed data from laboratory records of patients diagnosed with leptospiral uveitis in South India. Microscopic agglutination Test (MAT) and/or Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) were performed on clinically diagnosed leptospiral uveitis cases from our hospital, as well as on systemic leptospirosis patients from government and private hospitals. Results Out of a total of 87 216 new uveitis cases with varying causes over 27 years, 3,658 (4.1%) were clinically diagnosed as leptospiral uveitis. Among them, 1,268 (34.7%) patients were seropositive. In 1994, 92% of clinically diagnosed leptospirosis patients were seropositive in the MAT performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. However, the positivity rate gradually declined to 35% over the years. The predominant serovars identified were L. autumnalis, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, and L. australis. There were notable variations in the distribution of serovars over the years. Conclusions The data suggest a declining sensitivity of MAT and ELISA, possibly due to the emergence of new serovars. Customizing the panel based on local isolates could enhance the performance of MAT. Critical need is the addition of advanced molecular techniques to improve the diagnosis.

A social profile of deaths related to sickle cell disease in India: a case for an ethical policy response.

India accounts for 14.5 percent of the global SCD newborns, roughly over 42,000 a year, second to sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the availability of cheap diagnostic and treatment options, SCD remains a largely neglected disease within healthcare policy and practice. Epidemiological modeling based on small, often dated, regional studies (largely from sub-Saharan Africa) estimate that between 50 and 90 percent of affected children will/die before the age of 5 years. This premise, coupled with targets of reducing under 5 mortality (SDG 4), privileges public health interventions for screening and prevention of new births, undermining investments in long-term health and social care. This paper presents a retrospective, descriptive analysis of the socio-demographic profile of 447 patients diagnosed with sickle cell or sickle-beta thalassemia, who died following admission at a tertiary care entre in India. We used anonymized hospital records of 3,778 sickle cell patients, admitted in pediatric and adult/medical wards between January 2016 and February 2021. A majority of hospital deaths occurred in the second and third decades of life, following a hospital admission for a week. The overall mortality during 2016-2019 was 14% with little gender difference over time. Contrary to our expectations, the number of hospital deaths did not increase during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2020 and 2021. The conclusion highlights the importance of longitudinal, socio-demo-graphic data on deaths as providing important insights for identifying ethical policy interventions focused on improving SCD outcomes over time, reducing inequities in access to care, and preventing what might be considered "excess" deaths.

Prevailing practices for the management of dry eye disease in India: A questionnaire based survey 2023

: Dry eye disease is a common ophthalmic condition which is chronic in nature, It is major health issue especially in the current digital era. Dry eye disease is one of the most common reasons for visiting eye care practitioners. To understand the treatment pattern of medical management of dry eye disease across India.This single visit, cross-sectional, non-interventional, interview-based ophthalmologist survey on dry eye disease (DED) was conducted between 10-13 May 2023 at 81st Annual Conference of All India Ophthalmological Society, Kochi–AIOC 2023. A total of 71 registered ophthalmologist from all over India attending AIOC 2023 who were willing to provide their written consent participated in the survey and completed structured questionnaire on dry eye disease management. Approximately 39.44% ophthalmologist have 20-40% of patients who visiting to daily OPD are suffering from DED, and 40.85% ophthalmologist said the percentage is even more i.e. between 40-60%. 88.73% ophthalmologist responded environmental factors such as digital use specially increased usage of computers and mobile are responsible for dry eye. 49.30% patients suffered from aqueous - deficient dry eye (ADDE) and remaining 50.70% evaporative dry eye (EDE). Artificial Tears (AT) is the first line in management of DED said by all ophthalmologist & in certain cases, depending on type, severity, and cause of dry eye other drugs like cyclosporine, corticosteroids, antioxidant supplements and other medications might be used. Viscosity, pH and osmolarity are important for artificial tear said by 77.46% of ophthalmologist & 23% ophthalmologist opine that viscosity is major factor. 50% ophthalmologist believes that carboxymethylcellulose is the most suitable ingredient followed by sodium hyaluronate (29.58%). 61.43% Ophthalmologists replied, AT should provide continues relief from dry eye symptoms. 42.86% said AT should be used for long terms, it should be preservative free replied by 58.57% Ophthalmologists and 40% replied acceptance from patient should be there in terms of cost. Tear substitutes are the most commonly prescribed medications for the management of dry eye disease. Artificial tears are amongst the first-line agents in the management options for the management of dry eye disease, because of their ease for usage, with a better safety and tolerability profile and their availability in various formulations.

Techniques for assessing hearing loss in infants

The ability to hear is one of the five major senses that allows us to communicate effectively with others. Unfortunately, individuals frequently take their sense of hearing for granted, and they do not know how important it is until it is lost or compromised. Hearing loss was not a top concern for the Indian government until recently. Prevention, early diagnosis, and care can prevent half of all occurrences of deafness and hearing impairment. The auditory sense is critical for a child’s brain development. This will also reduce the strain of hearing loss, preventing the loss of many potentially productive years. The most cost-effective strategy to lessen the burden of hearing loss is to screen new-borns and babies. Hearing loss is the most frequent sensory deficiency in people all over the world. The severity of hearing loss can range from mild to severe. Kapoor Set al. suggested that by screening, the condition is detected earlier than it would otherwise be diagnosed. Because of the urgent need to prevent infectious causes of mortality, neonates and new-borns are not regularly checked for any specific disease in India. The Department of Prevention of Communication Disorders of All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) located in the Southern India, conducts infant screening for hearing disorder on regular basis in different hospitals attached to it using Behavioural Observational Audiometry, Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) screening, and administering High Risk Register (HRR). In the year 2009-2010, a total of 12416 new-borns in 10 hospitals associated with AIISH were screened for hearing disorder. The following paragraphs deals with various issues related to the hearing screening of infants in India. Methodology of study was as we searched PubMed Central and Google Scholar for relevant articles with key words «hearing, screening, hearing loss and infants». Full-text articles were downloaded dated July 2022 to September 19, 2022. Relevance was judged according to articles describing theories of hearing screening of infants India. Conclusion. Hearing screening for new-borns is critical for detecting congenital hearing loss and providing early management. Every person has the right to live a healthy lifestyle. Hearing impairment, like communication disorders, begins early in life. Infants with hearing loss will only be able to reach their full potential as fully active, contributing, and integrated members of society if systematic early screening programmes are implemented. Hearing screening for new-borns is critical for detecting congenital hearing loss. The AABR is considered necessary for HRNHS in high-risk new-borns (prematurity, anoxia, hyperbilirubinemia) who are at risk of auditory neuropathy that cannot be detected using the OAE test. The OAE test is faster and easier to conduct, but it has a larger false positive rate than the AABR. The ideal hearing procedure is still being developed. As a result, the hearing screening technique should be adapted to the specific demands of each centre.

Estimating the potential impact of a health tax on the demand for unhealthy food and beverages and on tax revenue in India.

Foods high in fat, sugar or salt are important contributors to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases globally and in India. Health taxes (HTs) have been used by over 70 countries as an effective tool for reducing consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). However, the potential impacts of HTs on consumption and on revenues have not been estimated in India. This paper aims to estimate the potential impact of health taxes on the demand for sugar, SSBs and foods high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) in India while exploring its impact on tax revenues. PE of sugar was estimated using Private Final Consumption Expenditure and Consumer Price Index data while price elasticities for SSBs and HFSS were obtained from literature. The reduction in demand was estimated for an additional 10-30% HT added to the current goods and services tax, for varying levels of price elasticities. The results show that for manufacturers of sweets and confectionaries who buy sugar in bulk and assuming a higher price elasticity of -0.70, 20% additional HT (total tax 48%) would result in 13-18% decrease in the demand for sugar used for confectionaries and sweets. For SSBs, HT of 10-30% would result in 7-30% decline in the demand of SSBs. For HFSS food products, 10-30% HT would result in 5-24% decline in the demand for HFSS products. These additional taxes would increase tax revenues for the government by 12-200% across different scenarios. Taxing unhealthy foods is likely to reduce demand, while increasing government revenues for reinvestment back into public health programmes and policies that may reduce obesity and the incidence of non-communicable diseases in India.

Traditional processing methods for quality enhancement of indigenous basil seeds and formulation of functional flours

The changing food habits and lifestyle led to consumption of faulty diets with increased prevalence of life style diseases in India. This has spurred health consciousness among food consumers and enhanced the demand for functional foods. The indigenous underutilised clove and sweet basil seeds being rich source of fibre (36.23, 28.85%), protein (9.16, 8.55%), polyphenols (17.28, 17.71 mg GAE/g extract) and antioxidants (266.13 and 344.63 mg TE/g extract), exhibited vast potential for formulation of functional flours. Traditional processing methods such as roasting, fermentation and germination have significantly enhanced the nutritional and antioxidant properties of both the seeds. Among them, germination was found to be ideal processing technique with relatively higher fibre, protein, total mineral, phenolic contents, antioxidant capacity and less fat content. Henceforth, processing of basil seeds in a traditional way could significantly enhance their quality and promote their utilisation as functional ingredients for designing healthy foods.

Saliva as a potential non-invasive liquid biopsy for early and easy diagnosis/prognosis of head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are the most devastating diseases in India and southeast Asia. It is a preventable and curable disease if detected early. Tobacco and alcohol consumption are the two major risk-factors but infection of high-risk HPVs are also associated with development of predominantly oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas. Interestingly, unlike cervical cancer, HPV-induced HNSCCs show good prognosis and better survival in contrast, majority of tobacco-associated HPV−ve HNSCCs are highly aggressive with poor clinical outcome. Biomarker analysis in circulatory body-fluids for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring are becoming important in clinical practice. Early diagnosis using non-invasive saliva for oral or other diseases plays an important role in successful treatment and better prognosis. Saliva mirrors the body's state of health as it comes into direct contact with oral lesions and needs no trained manpower to collect, making it a suitable bio-fluid of choice for screening. Saliva can be used to detect not only virus, bacteria and other biomarkers but variety of molecular and genetic markers for an early detection, treatment and monitoring cancer and other diseases. The performance of saliva-based diagnostics are reported to be highly (≥95 %) sensitive and specific indicating the test's ability to correctly identify true positive or negative cases. This review focuses on the potentials of saliva in the early detection of not only HPV or other pathogens but also identification of highly reliable gene mutations, oral-microbiomes, metabolites, salivary cytokines, non-coding RNAs and exosomal miRNAs. It also discusses the importance of saliva as a reliable, cost-effective and an easy alternative to invasive procedures.

Characterization of field isolates of Fusarium spp. from eggplant in India for species complexity and virulence

Eggplant wilt, despite emerging as a severe disease in India, the etiology must be better studied for its species' complexity and variability. The identity of fungal isolates associated with eggplants of India was established morphologically followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Three species, Fusarium falciforme, Fusarium incarnatum and Fusarium proliferatum, were observed for the first time in India. The isolates were tested for pathogenicity. Though all of them were pathogenic, the isolates displayed varying degrees of virulence. In further studies, the genetic relatedness of the isolates for virulence was assessed with candidate avirulent (SIX effectors), virulent (Fow1 and Fow2) and SSR markers. The SIX effector genes could not delineate the virulent isolates and were expressed in some non-F. oxysporum isolates for the first time. Likewise, the virulent genes, Fow1 for expression across the isolates and Fow2 for random expression across the isolates, were unsuitable markers for identifying the virulent groups. Hence, the F. oxysporum and F. solani isolates were genotyped with SSR markers. Though the clustering did not correlate with their virulence levels, the dendrogram grouping revealed variability among the F. oxysporum and F. solani isolates. This study concludes that although multiple species of Fusarium are associated with eggplant wilt in India, only F. oxysporum and F. solani are widespread in the surveyed areas. Though the three markers could not delineate the race specificity of the isolates, only the SSR makers could identify the genetic variability and hence, would help screen eggplant germplasm for fusarium wilt resistance.