Eradication Project Research Articles

Is Spartina alterniflora eradication project in Chongming Island a nature-based solution?

Invasive species profoundly impact ecosystems globally, not only threatening biodiversity by displacing native species but also disrupting ecological balances and imposing significant economic burdens. This has led countries to actively combat these pervasive threats. In China, Spartina alterniflora, an invasive species, has taken over more than 70 % of the coastal zone in just 50 years, especially in salt marsh. This study aims to assess the Spartina alterniflora eradication project in Dongtan of Chongming Island, Shanghai, based on the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NBS). To ensure the comprehensiveness and diversity of the assessment process, stakeholders with diverse backgrounds were invited. The Dongtan project was qualitatively evaluated using the IUCN self-assessment tool for its adherence to the IUCN NBS Standard, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, improvement areas, and contributions to the national eradication campaign. The results show that the Dongtan Project closely aligns with the NBS standard, achieving an 88 % match, and demonstrates excellence in addressing societal challenges, enhancing biodiversity, and offering multiple benefits. Nevertheless, improvements can be made in Economic Feasibility (Criterion 4), Inclusive Governance (Criterion 5), and Balance Trade-offs (Criterion 6). The study underscores the importance of employing NBS standards for self-assessment in the project design phase, which facilitates the identification and refinement of potential design issues. The success of the Dongtan Project, exemplified by its effective Spartina alterniflora eradication strategies, serves as a compelling model for similar national campaigns.

Tracking the Dynamics of Spartina alterniflora with WorldView-2/3 and Sentinel-1/2 Imagery in Zhangjiang Estuary, China

The invasion of Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) has posed serious threats to the sustainability, quality and biodiversity of coastal wetlands. To safeguard coastal ecosystems, China has enacted large-scale S. alterniflora removal projects, which set the goal of effectively controlling S. alterniflora throughout China by 2025. The accurate monitoring of S. alterniflora with remote sensing is urgent and requisite for the scientific eradication, control and management of this invasive plant. In this study, we combined multi-temporal WorldView-2/3 (WV-2/3) and Sentinel-1/2 imagery to monitor the S. alterniflora dynamics before and after the S. alterniflora removal projects in Zhangjiang Estuary. We put forward a new method for S. alterniflora detection with eight-band WV-2/3 imagery. The proposed method first used NDVI to discriminate S. alterniflora from water, mud flats and mangroves based on Ostu thresholding and then used the red-edge, NIR1 and NIR2 bands and support vector machine (SVM) classifier to distinguish S. alterniflora from algae. Due to the contamination of frequent cloud cover and tidal inundation, the long revisit time of high-resolution satellite sensors and the short-term S. alterniflora removal projects, we combined Sentinel-1 SAR time series and Sentinel-2 optical imagery to monitor the S. alterniflora removal project status in 2023. The overall accuracies of the S. alterniflora detection results here are above 90%. Compared with the traditional SVM method, the proposed method achieved significantly higher identification accuracy. The S. alterniflora area was 115.19 hm2 in 2015, 152.40 hm2 in 2017 and 15.29 hm2 in 2023, respectively. The generated S. alterniflora maps clearly show the clonal growth of S. alterniflora in Zhangjiang Estuary from 2015 to 2017, and the large-scale S. alterniflora eradication project has achieved remarkable results with a removal rate of about 90% in the study area. With the continuous implementation of the “Special Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Spartina alterniflora (2022–2025)” which aims to eliminate more than 90% of S. alterniflora in all provinces in China by 2025, the continual high-spatial resolution monitoring of S. alterniflora is crucial to control secondary invasion and restore coastal wetlands.

Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma After Helicobacter pylori Eradication Treatment in a Population-Based Multinational Cohort Study

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a decreased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, and the decreasing prevalence of such infection might contribute to the increasing incidence of this tumor. We examined the hypothesis that eradication treatment of H pylori increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This population-based multinational cohort, entitled "Nordic Helicobacter Pylori Eradication Project (NordHePEP)," included all adults (≥18 years) receiving H pylori eradication treatment from 1995-2018 in any of the 5 Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) with follow-up throughout 2019. Data came from national registers. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by dividing the cancer incidence in the exposed cohort by that of the entire Nordic background populations of the corresponding age, sex, calendar period, and country. Analyses were stratified by factors associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma (ie, education, comorbidity, gastroesophageal reflux, and certain medications). Among 661,987 participants who contributed 5,495,552 person-years after eradication treatment (median follow-up, 7.8 years; range, 1-24 years), 550 cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma developed. The overall SIR of esophageal adenocarcinoma was not increased (SIR= 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97). The SIR did not increase over time after eradication treatment, but rather decreased and was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.86) at 11-24 years after treatment. There were no major differences in the stratified analyses. The overall SIR of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, calculated for comparison, showed no association (SIR= 0.99; 95% CI, 0.89-1.11). This absence on an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma after eradication treatment of H pylori suggests eradication is safe from a cancer perspective.

POVERTY ERADICATION PROJECT IN SABAH, MALAYSIA: NEW INITIATIVE, NEW CHALLENGES?

Since independence, the Malaysian government has invested billions of ringgits in the fight against poverty. Despite the national decrease in the percentage of the population living in poverty, the state of Sabah has had the highest poverty rate in Malaysia since 1997. Why has the poverty alleviation programme been less effective in reducing this social phenomenon among the poor communities in Sabah? To address this question, this paper discusses the issues and challenges confronting stakeholders involved in the poverty eradication programme in Sabah. The paper focuses on the implementation of the People's Income Initiative (PII) Phase 1 project in two communities: Penimbawan Village, Tuaran, and Bongkol Village, Pitas. This qualitative study reveals those participants, implementing agencies, and other stakeholders face issues and challenges when implementing poverty eradication projects. Furthermore, the issues faced by the poverty eradication project participants were found to include their own attitudes towards the project, such as a lack of focus on or interest in the project; the existence of a subsidy mentality; and the lack of clarity regarding the project's goals. However, the implementing agency was discovered to encounter issues with market support. The difficulties currently faced by these three parties could affect how long the PII Project can successfully eradicate poverty in both localities.

Mapping trade-offs among key ecosystem functions in tidal marsh to inform spatial management policy for exotic Spartina alterniflora

Invasive Spartina alterniflora has become a global management challenge in coastal wetlands. China has decided to eradicate it completely, but the high costs and its provision of beneficial ecosystem functions (EF, in the form of blue carbon and coastal protection) have raised concerns about its removal. Here, using the Yangtze Estuary as a case study, we explore a reasonable pathway of S. alterniflora management that balanced control of invasive species and EF. We simulated the spatial patterns of two key EF – blue carbon storage and wave attenuation – and identified appropriate zones for eradicating S. alterniflora based on their trade-offs. We observed contrasting patterns along the land-sea gradient for S. alterniflora community, with a decrease in blue carbon storage and an increase in wave attenuation. Notably, pioneer S. alterniflora near the foreshore displayed a high cluster of blue carbon storage (63.61 ± 7.33 Mg C ha−1) and dissipated nearly 70% of wave energy by a width of 163 m. The trade-offs between the two EF indicated that the eradication project should be implemented along the seawall rather than the foreshore. Even in the scenario of prioritized shore defense with the largest eradication zone, S. alterniflora still stored 43.1% more carbon (10.67 Gg C) compared to complete eradication and dissipated over 70% of wave energy in extreme events. Our study innovatively integrates eradication and reservation in S. alterniflora management, providing a sustainable and flexible spatial strategy that meets the needs of stakeholders.

Settler Sensibilities and Environmental Change

Malaria eradication arrived in Nepal in the 1950s as part of a global initiative to make malarial landscapes available for land reclamation and universal settlement. This article situates period reports from World Health Organization personnel involved in the Nepal Malaria Eradication Organization alongside testimonies from two malaria eradication workers from the country's Farwestern Tarai region to disentangle the socioecological and political effects of Nepal's malaria eradication project in its formative years. By concentrating on the labor of malaria eradication—focused on geographic reconnaissance and indoor residual spraying and the employment of laborers of diverse caste and ethnic backgrounds—the author argues that the project helped generate a settler sensibility toward the Nepal Tarai, transforming the forests and grasslands into a domesticated, development-ready village landscape. Applying insights from settler studies to a formally non-colonized nation-state, Nepal, the article highlights settlerism as a practice extending beyond the geography of European-American imperialism and embeds Nepal's malaria eradication program within the colonial landscape of Northern South Asia.

Facilitators and barriers to community engagement in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative-A mixed methods study.

Community engagement (CE) is an important component of public health research and program implementation, especially in low- and middle-income countries. More recently, CE activities have been utilized to develop partnerships in research and program implementation processes, and advocate for policy recommendations with the aim to improve acceptance and reduce disparities of public health research activities and benefits in the involved communities. Utilizing the tacit knowledge gained from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, this paper highlights the contributors and challenges to the implementation of the GPEI program's community engagement initiatives from an implementers' perspective. The study took a mixed methods approach to analyze data collected from the Synthesis and Translation of Research and Innovations from Polio Eradication (STRIPE) project, which conducted an online survey and hosted key informant interviews with individuals who had been engaged with the GPEI program from 1988 onwards for at least 12 or more continuous months. An analysis of data limited to individuals (32%, N = 3659) who were primarily involved in CE activities revealed that around 24% were front-line healthcare workers, 21% were supervisors and 8% were surveillance officers. CE activities mainly focused on building trust within the communities, addressing misinformation, myths and fears around vaccinations, mobilization to reach high-risk or hard to reach populations, as well as building ownership and buy in from the communities. The strength of the implemental process of a program (38.7%) was among the key drivers of success, coupled with personal beliefs and characteristics of the implementers (25.3%). Social, political, and financial forces received mixed opinions as to their importance, depending on the stage of execution and readiness of the communities to accept the programs. Lessons learnt from the GPEI program provide tried and tested best practices and evidence for strategies that would work in diverse backgrounds with some customization to suit the needs of the situation.

Use of PCR for detection of Burkholderia mallei in Türkiye

Within the scope of the "National Ruam Eradication Project" carried out between 2000-2001, Glanders was eradicated in our country. Unfortunately, 81 horses were culled in Türkiye in December 2019, following the detection of Epidemic in horses in Büyükada. In 2019, Glanders were reported in horses in Uşak and Bolu. No human cases have been reported. Türkiye is at risk for Glanders because of its geography. Therefore, reliable and fastly detection of Burkholderia mallei by PCR in a short time will prevent the distribution of unwanted infections that may occur in the future throughout the country. In this study; Burkholderia mallei strains isolated from horses were verified and optimized by PCR. The use of PCR for the detection of Burkholderia mallei was performed for the first time in our country. It has been concluded that the PCR as a diagnostic method with high reliability and sensitivity safely used together with diagnosis of Glanders.

A trial on Te Pākeka/Maud Island for reducing aerial baiting sow-rates for the eradication of house mice

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is considered the most difficult rodent species to eradicate from islands. Eradication projects require careful planning and execution of an ‘over-engineering’ approach to ensure every individual of the targeted population is encountered and removed. Aerial broadcasting of rodenticides has been the method of choice for island rodent eradications since the 1990s and the methods and parameters continue to be refined.

Cohort profile: Nordic Helicobacter Pylori eradication project (NordHePEP)

Purpose This cohort description presents the Nordic Helicobacter Pylori Eradication Project (NordHePEP), a population-based cohort of patients having received eradication treatment for Helicobacter pylori (HP). The cohort is created with the main purpose of examining whether and to what extent HP eradication treatment influences the risk of gastrointestinal cancer. Participants NordHePEP includes all adults (aged ≥18 years) having been prescribed and dispensed HP eradication treatment according to the nationwide complete drug registries in any of the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden) between 1994 and 2020 (start and end year varies between countries). We have retrieved and merged individual-level data from multiple national registries, including drug, patient, cancer, population, and death registries. Findings The cohort includes 674,771 patients having received HP eradication treatment. During up to 23 years of follow-up, 59,292 (8.8%) participants were diagnosed with cancer (non-melanoma skin cancer excluded), whereof 15,496 (2.3%) in the gastrointestinal tract. Future plans We will analyse HP eradication treatment in relation to gastrointestinal cancer risk. Standardised incidence ratios will be calculated as the observed cancer incidence in the cohort divided by the expected cancer incidence, derived from the background population of the corresponding age, sex, and calendar year.

Assessment of how Free Seed Distribution Project can Aid in Hunger Eradication in Kitui County, Kenya

Purpose: The general objective of this study was to establish the challenges facing the implementation of hunger eradication projects in Kitui County in Kenya.
 Methodology: This study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study randomly selected 150 beneficiaries appearing in the list of 30,643 beneficiaries provided by Kitui County Long Rains Food Security Assessment Report (2013). This study used primary data which was collected through use of a questionnaire. After data had been collected through questionnaires, it was prepared in readiness for analysis by editing, handling blank responses, coding, categorizing and keying into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software for analysis.
 Findings: The study findings indicated that seed delivery timing, corruption, beneficiary participant and project monitoring were key determinants in implementation of hunger eradication project in Kitui County.
 Conclusion: It can be concluded that the farmers were happy about the government initiative of distributing seeds, fertilizers and have farmers given grants for basic farm mechanization which would make farmers become self-sufficient but should be delivered on time of need. Corruption was statistically significant in explaining hunger eradication project implementation.
 Recommendations: The study recommends for rigorous mobilization and sensitization of the community on need for active involvement in execution of community projects especially for food security. It is recommended that the farmers embrace the government initiated projects being implemented in the area as this will help improve food production in the area and avoid food drought and fight poverty. This effort can lead to successful implementation of the projects and subsequently lead to better productivity and by extension that of the overall farms.

Understanding the role of power and its relationship to the implementation of the polio eradication initiative in india.

Power is exercised everywhere in global health, although its presence may be more apparent in some instances than others. Studying power is thus a core concern of researchers and practitioners working in health policy and systems research (HPSR), an interdisciplinary, problem-driven field focused on understanding and strengthening multilevel systems and policies. This paper aims to conduct a power analysis as mobilized by the actors involved in implementation of the polio program. It will also reflect how different power categories are exerted by actors and embedded in strategies to combat program implementation challenges while planning and executing the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. We collected quantitative and qualitative data from stakeholders who were part of the Polio universe as a part of Synthesis and Translation of Research and Innovations from the Polio Eradication Project. Key informants were main actors of the polio eradication program, both at the national and sub-national levels. Research tools were designed to explore the challenges, strategies and unintended consequences in implementing the polio eradication program in India. We utilized Moon's expanded typology of power in global governance to analyze the implementation of the polio eradication programme in India. We collected 517 survey responses and conducted 25 key informant interviews. Understanding power is increasingly recognized as an essential parameter to understand global governance and health. Stakeholders involved during polio program implementation have exerted different kinds of power from structural to discursive, moral power wielded by religious leaders to institutional power, expert power used by professional doctors to commoners like female vaccinators, and network power exercised by community influencers. Hidden power was also demonstrated by powerless actors like children bringing mothers to polio booths. Power is not a finite resource, and it can be used, shared, or created by stakeholders and networks in multiple ways. Those people who seem to be powerless possess invisible power that can influence decision making. Moreover, these power categories are not mutually exclusive and may be deeply interconnected with each other; one type of power can be transformed into another. Power and relations play an important role in influencing the decision-making of the community and individuals. Mid-range theories of core implementation science like PARIHAS and CFIR can also add an important variable of power in their construct necessary for implementation success of any health program.

Changing fortunes of the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis following the Lord Howe Island Rodent Eradication Project - interactions with other recovering species

Summary In 2019, a Rodent Eradication Project (REP) was implemented on World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, Australia. Among the species expected to benefit was a burrow-nesting seabird, the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis. Prior to the REP, we assessed causes of Black-winged Petrel nest failure using surveillance cameras. We also measured breeding success before and after the REP and investigated emerging pressures on breeding success from other native species. In 2017, ship rats Rattus rattus were a major cause of Black-winged Petrel nest failure, and breeding success was as low as 2.5%, compared to 47.5% on rodent-free Phillip Island (Norfolk Island Group). In 2020, in the absence of rodents, breeding success on Lord Howe Island increased dramatically to 67% and remained high (50%) in 2021. This result suggests that reproductive output of small seabirds has been heavily supressed by rodents on Lord Howe Island for decades. A subsequent increase in the population of a predatory endemic rail, the Lord Howe Woodhen Hypotaenida sylvestris, combined with burrow competition from Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis, indicated that initial high breeding success may not be sustained. However, the surge in successful breeding of Black-winged Petrels is likely to result in a significant increase in fledgling numbers and the recruitment of hundreds of additional birds each year. Given the important role of petrels in global nutrient cycling, and their positive influence on island biodiversity, their expansion should benefit the ecological restoration of Lord Howe Island.

Managing non-target wildlife mortality whilst using rodenticides to eradicate invasive rodents on islands

Invasive rodents are one of the greatest threats to island biodiversity. Eradicating these species from islands has become increasingly practicable in recent decades, primarily using anticoagulant rodenticides. However, this approach also poses risks to native wildlife, and there has been corresponding development in the management of risks to non-target wildlife species. Here we review strategies and tactics used in operational management of non-target risk, using examples from rodent eradication projects conducted on 178 islands where non-target risk assessment and mitigation was a component of the rodent eradication campaign. We identified 17 different tactics within a framework of three strategic approaches: avoidance of risk, minimization of risk, and remediation of the impact of non-target wildlife mortality. We summarize these tactics in terms of their applicability, strengths, and weaknesses for rodent eradication projects in general, plus the potential interactions with achieving rodent eradication. There remains great potential for further innovation in reducing non-target wildlife risks from rodenticide used for invasive rodent eradications on islands, supporting advancement of the social acceptability of the toolset and biodiversity conservation.

Public willingness to pay for eradicating a harmful marine organism: the case of Aurelia aurita in South Korea.

Aurelia aurita (AA), a legally registered harmful marine organism in South Korea, is damaging marine human leisure activities, local residents’ tourism income, fisheries, and cooling water intake at power plants. The government is therefore seeking to eradicate AA by removing AA-attached larvae (polyps). This article looks into the public willingness to pay (WTP) for the eradication, utilizing a contingent valuation. For the sake of eliciting the WTP response, the one-and-one-half-bounded (OB) model was adopted. For comparison, the single-bounded (SB) model, which uses only the response to the first question in the OB model, was also applied. A spike model with a considerable plausibility that could explicitly deal with zero WTP responses was employed. Consequently, the estimation results of the SB model were used for further policy analysis. The household average WTP was estimated as KRW 3,911 (USD 3.49) per year, securing statistical significance. The national value was KRW 80.46 billion (USD 71.71 million) per annum. This figure can be interpreted as public value of the AA eradication project and used as essential basic data to evaluate the economic feasibility of implementing the project. Some factors such as income and education level significantly positively affected the intention of paying a suggested bid.

“Darkening the Dark”: Assessing the Impact of Banditry on Educational and Socio-Economic Development in Northern Nigeria

Over these last few years, the Northern region of Nigeria has been ignited with spates of students’ abductions and ransom demands which throw parents, security agents, and government (both federal and states) into confusion. In fact, it has become an existential threat such that national dailies break even with captivating, yet regrettably stylistic reportage of this ugly menace. The popular discourse for this threat is rooted in the motive for financial gains. In contrast, this paper situates it within the context of education eradication and Islamization project. In this light, the paper aims to pigeonhole the interface between the rising menace of banditry in the Northern Nigeria and the mission of annihilating western education which would further set the region on the track of socio-economic backwardness and form the catalyst for Islamization. The current form of banditry has a close relationship with known terrorist groups in the Nigerian state ( Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Ansaru) and therefore, has common ideology of eradicating education in the region and setting the center stage for Islamization. Abduction of students and ransom collections are just logic in furtherance of the ideology. The paper does not involve field work; hence it adopts a qualitative approach that draws data from scholarly works, newspapers, and publications from international bodies. It recommends therefore, that government adopt a stick and carrot approach; provide more security around schools and prosecute identified sponsors and apprehended bandits.

Eradication of sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius, from Tsuken Island, Okinawa, Japan, under transient invasion of males

AbstractAn eradication project against the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Brentidae), one of the most important pests of sweet potato in the world, was initiated in Oct. 2007 on Tsuken Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The sterile insect technique (SIT) and male annihilation technique (MAT) were employed as the main control measures to suppress and ultimately eradicate wild populations by impeding normal mating. In addition, two monitoring methods (host plant survey and trap survey) were used to evaluate the progress of the control actions. However, several years after the start of the project, wild male weevils were regularly captured by male‐attractant traps in seasonal patterns, although infestation was scarcely detected by host plant surveys. Evidently, the males flew to Tsuken Island from uncontrolled areas that were farther away than the weevils were previously expected to travel. Although the transient invasion of only males did not cause new colonization, it created a challenge for the progress of the project and the confirmation of the eradication of the weevil on Tsuken Island. To solve this problem, suppressive control measures in the uncontrolled area (Okinawa Island) to reduce transient invaders were implemented. In addition, to assess if control actions needed after eradication, a system was introduced to detect recolonization of the weevil based on trap catches of transient invading males. After the successive collection of 142,257 m of stem of host plants and 158.45 kg of root tubers of sweet potato without infestation (from February 2019 to November 2020), the eradication of C. formicarius from Tsuken Island was ultimately confirmed in November 2020.

Detections of house mice on Gough Island approach zero within days of aerial baiting

Context House mice (Mus musculus) on temperate Gough Island (6500 ha) are known for their large size, boldness, and tendency to kill large prey such as albatross chicks and even adults. To remove this threat, a mouse eradication operation was implemented in June–August 2021. How mice react to bait during eradications is not well understood, so we capitalised on this operation and conducted the first study with wild house mice during an actual eradication. Aim To document how rapidly mouse activity declined after application of rodent bait, to improve eradication guidelines. Methods We set up a monthly monitoring regime using 10 trail cameras without lures, active for three nights in various habitats around a research station, because this area supported the highest abundance of mice and was logistically feasible. Monitoring commenced before the mouse eradication operation (January–May 2021), and continued when rodent bait was spread (from June 2021), when mouse activity was monitored for 17 consecutive nights, starting the day before baiting. In addition, an increasing number of cameras (up to 15) associated with lures were set further afield in July–August to detect survivors. Key results In the months before bait application, mean daily mouse activity was 3.2 detections/camera (range: 0–56 detections/camera). Immediately after the first bait application, detection rates declined dramatically, from 9.6 to zero detections/camera per day on Day 4 post-baiting. From 1 week post-baiting, mouse detections were extremely rare on both cameras with and without lures. Our last mouse record, 27 days after the first bait application, may be related to initial rapid bait disappearance. Opportunistic camera traps first detected surviving mice 6 months after the first bait drop. Conclusions The rapid decline in detections suggests that most mice consumed bait as soon as it became available, which is faster than what laboratory trials suggest. Future similar operations can expect that mouse activity will decline sharply within 1 week, although some mice may survive longer. Implications Documenting similar declines in mouse activity using cameras could inform operational decisions such as timing of a second bait application or non-target monitoring on future eradication projects. Cameras, particularly with attractive lures, are an effective addition to the mouse detection toolkit, and facilitated a timely confirmation of eradication outcome.

Immunogenicity of a Candidate DTacP-sIPV Combined Vaccine and Its Protection Efficacy against Pertussis in a Rhesus Macaque Model.

The research and development of a pertussis-combined vaccine using a novel inactivated poliovirus vaccine made from the Sabin strain (sIPV) is of great significance in the polio eradication project and to address the recent resurge in pertussis. In the present study, we compared the immunogenicity and efficacy of a candidate DTacP-sIPV with those of a commercial DTacP-wIPV/Hib, DTaP/Hib, pertussis vaccine, and aluminum hydroxide adjuvant control in the rhesus macaque model with a 0-, 1-, and 2-month immunization schedule. At day 28 after the third dose, rhesus macaques were challenged with aerosol pertussis and the antibody and cellular response together with pertussis clinical symptoms were determined. The production of anti-PT, anti-PRN, anti-FHA, anti-DT, anti-TT, and polio type I, II, III antibodies was induced by the candidate DTacP-sIPV, which was as potent as commercial vaccines. In comparison with the control group that showed typical pertussis symptoms of humans after the aerosol challenge, the DTacP-sIPV group did not exhibit obvious clinical pertussis symptoms and had higher neutralization titers of anti-PT, anti-PRN, and anti-FHA. In conclusion, the DTacP-sIPV vaccine was able to induce immunity in rhesus macaques to prevent pertussis infections after immunization. The developed vaccine was as efficient as other commercial vaccines.

Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude towards Oral Precancer and Cancer among Narikuravar Population in Pondicherry State

Objective Literature revealed that oral health status and awareness about oral hygiene measures of Narikuravar tribes were very poor. There was also an increased prevalence of tobacco usage among this population. Considering this, incidence and prevalence of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions are expected to be high in this population. Surprisingly, the literature search revealed a lack of data on the awareness, knowledge, and prevalence of oral cancer and precancer in this group. The primary objective of this survey is to assess knowledge, awareness and attitude toward oral precancer and cancer among the Narikuravar tribal population in Pondicherry state. Materials and Methods This questionnaire survey is a part of the Model for Oral Cancer Eradication project conducted among the Narikuravar population in Pondicherry, which is funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A total of 153 participants were recruited for the survey. A prevalidated questionnaire was used for the survey. Results The results indicated that 47% of the participants were aware of what is oral precancer and cancer. As much as 62% knew that chewing tobacco causes oral cancer and 44% thought that the growth of tissue in the mouth could be a sign of oral cancer. Almost 100% did not think that the presence of a red lesion, white lesion, or limitation of mouth opening could be signs of cancer or precancer. Only 16% thought that oral cancer is preventable. Conclusion Awareness about oral cancer and precancer is inadequate among the Narikuravar population of Pondicherry. Majority of the population is not aware of the risks, signs, or treatment options of oral precancer and cancer. The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) identified the people’s knowledge gaps, and improving awareness is one of the strategies of the program.