Parasite Index Research Articles

Parasitic Study of Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) in Selected Districts of West Bengal, India

The present work was conducted to isolate and identify different parasites from Indian Major Carp (IMC) Catla catla. During the study period the severity of infection and Parasitic Frequency Index (PFI, %) were also estimated in terms of months, seasons and length groups of fishes. For the investigative purpose different districts of West Bengal were selected considering the potential of fishery resources. Approximately 300 fishes were observed during the entire period of observation. The parasite infested fishes were found to suffer mainly from respiratory manifestations, blackness of the skin and mortalities. The isolated parasites were Myxobolus, Thelohanellus, Trichodina, Dactylogyrus, Gyrodactylus, Nematodes, Argulus, Lernea and Chilodonella species. Besides these, developmental stages of different parasites were also found. Among these parasites Myxobolus, Dactylogyrus and Gyrodactylus showed the highest prevalence in winter. Remaining all parasites was found to be more during spring season. The 1-30 cm length group fishes were found to be more infested with the parasites compare to 30.5-40 cm length groups.

Effect of paddy cultivation on nematode community in Jinchuan Wetland of Changbai Mountain area, China

Soil nematode community composition could change following the conversion of wetlands to agricultural fields. In Jinchuan Wetland of Changbai Mountain area, China, we investigated the soil nematode community in different types of wetland-farmland interaction. Our results suggest that the Shannnon–Weaver diversity index in OW, R30, R1, KN, KP and PF are 2.48, 1.65, 1.70, 1.68, 1.39, 1.98, respectively, which means the native wetland had great biodiversity abundance. The genus of nematodes initially increased upon recovery from farmland, and nematode densities decreased in the tillage and cropping wetlands. Wilsonem and Prismatolaimus were sensitive to tillage. The bacterial-feeder nematodes increased after the first tillage treatment, while the nematode community was in a relatively stable state after a return to wetland following 30 years of agriculture. Plant parasite index (PPI) had about tenfold reduced in paddy farmland in comparison to the original wetland, and the values were positively associated with the change extent of recovery to reclamation of wetland. The study showed that agricultural activities disturbed the diversity of soil nematodes in Jinchuan Wetland. Certain kinds of genus and trophic diversity of the nematode community could indicate the effects of paddy cultivation on the wetland soil ecosystem.

Unintended Effects of Illegal Economic Activities: Illegal Gold Mining and Malaria

Illegal economic activities are not only associated with higher violent crime, they may also increase unforeseen risks and cause other negative unintended consequences on the population. This paper investigates the causal effects of illegal gold mining on malaria incidence. For this purpose, I employ unique Colombian satellite data with the location of illegal gold mines matched to municipal governmental health reports on the number of malaria cases. To identify causal effects, I use preexisting geochemical gold anomalies as an instrumental variable for illegal gold production. I find positive and large effects of illegal gold mining on malaria incidence. My estimates suggests that when the area with illegal gold mines increases by 1 hectare, the malaria annual parasite index increases by 1.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Per protocol analysis of therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria in children

Background: High incidence of chloroquine-resistant vivax malaria has led to increasing case fatality and incidence of complicated malaria with Plasmodium vivax contributing to morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines recommend the use of chloroquine along with tissue schizontcides like primaquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. There were reports of increasing resistance to chloroquine in Plasmodium vivax species especially from Asia during the period when this study was taken up. Methods: Present study is a one arm, 28 day follow up, hospital based prospective observational study including 150 children aged 1 to 12 years with smear positive isolated Plasmodium vivax infections. Chloroquine was administered at the standard dose of 25 mg base/kg body weight over three days. Recurrence of parasitaemia and clinical conditions of patients were assessed on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 28 during the 28-day follow-up period. Results: All 150 children included in the study, completed their 28 day follow up. Mean age for enrolment was 5.96±2.38 years. The mean parasite index (%) on enrolment was 1.22±0.46. Based on the per protocol analysis, chloroquine efficacy (adequate clinical and parasitological response) was 92.7%. Treatment was well tolerated. Early treatment failure was seen in 2.7% of study population, late clinical failure in 2% and late parasitological failure in 2.7% of study population, suggesting that response to chloroquine was good in the study population. Conclusions: In the present study the chloroquine therapy showed high therapeutic efficacy (92.7%) in the treatment of uncomplicated vivax malaria. It was also well tolerated and equally safe when used in therapeutic doses. Regular monitoring of the pattern of resistance to chloroquine is needed in vivax malaria endemic areas of the country and measures are taken rapidly and effectively to control spread of resistance.

Study of Twenty One Cases of Red Cell Exchange in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India.

Red Cell Exchange (RCE) is removal of a patient's red blood cells while replacing with donor red blood cells either manually or using automated systems. RCE is beneficial in patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) either during sickling crisis or prior to major surgical procedures to bring down the sickling percentage as high sickling percentage during prolonged anaesthesia may lead to vaso-occlusive crisis. It is also employed in patients infested with malaria and babesiosis where parasitic index remain high despite medical management. RCE is also tried as an adjuvant therapy in certain poisons like nitrobenzene and carbon monoxide when first line management fails. To study the effectiveness, clinical outcome, challenges and complications of RCE in various clinical scenario and to understand how this procedure can be effectively utilized in the management of patients in Indian scenario. This retro prospective study was conducted in tertiary care center in southern India which analyzed 21 RCE procedures performed on patients with different clinical conditions. Of the 21 RCE performed, 18 procedures were performed on patients with case of sickle cell disease, Two procedures were performed on patients infested with severe falciparum malaria and one procedure was performed on a patient with nitrobenzene poisoning. All procedures were performed using Spectra Optia(®) Apheresis System - Terumo BCT. All the 18 patients who underwent the RCE for sickle cell anaemia were admitted for hemi-arthroplasty for avascular necrosis of the head of femur. The average initial HbS levels were between 73-85% and post RCE it was brought down to 22-29% and was achieved in a single sitting in all the cases. Among the two patients infested with severe falciparum malaria, RCE helped in reducing the infestation rate. In case of nitrobenzene poisoning, RCE helped in improvement of oxygen saturation and patient showed significant improvement. RCE is an safe and clinically effective therapeutic modality with very minimal to nil side effects. RCE is possibly underutilized therapy in developing world like India due to various reasons like inadequate awareness/ technical expertise, lack of equipments and facilities to identify the clinical conditions per se etc.

Malaria in gold-mining areas in Colombia.

Gold-mining may play an important role in the maintenance of malaria worldwide. Gold-mining, mostly illegal, has significantly expanded in Colombia during the last decade in areas with limited health care and disease prevention. We report a descriptive study that was carried out to determine the malaria prevalence in gold-mining areas of Colombia, using data from the public health surveillance system (National Health Institute) during the period 2010-2013. Gold-mining was more prevalent in the departments of Antioquia, Córdoba, Bolívar, Chocó, Nariño, Cauca, and Valle, which contributed 89.3% (270,753 cases) of the national malaria incidence from 2010-2013 and 31.6% of malaria cases were from mining areas. Mining regions, such as El Bagre, Zaragoza, and Segovia, in Antioquia, Puerto Libertador and Montelíbano, in Córdoba, and Buenaventura, in Valle del Cauca, were the most endemic areas. The annual parasite index (API) correlated with gold production (R2 0.82, p < 0.0001); for every 100 kg of gold produced, the API increased by 0.54 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. Lack of malaria control activities, together with high migration and proliferation of mosquito breeding sites, contribute to malaria in gold-mining regions. Specific control activities must be introduced to control this significant source of malaria in Colombia.

Long term study of ixodid ticks feeding on red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a meso-Mediterranean climate.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) are very valuable in trophy-hunting but also contribute to the preservation of natural areas. They are affected by many parasites and pathogens, including hard ticks that are not only important parasites themselves but can also act as vectors and/or reservoirs of pathogens. Tick phenology is complex insofar as population dynamics depend on environmental conditions, vegetation, host availability and their own intrinsic characteristic. Ticks were collected monthly from January 2007 to December 2014 from red deer on a natural reserve located in a meso-Mediterranean environment in Central Spain. A total of 8978 specimens of ixodid ticks were recovered with a mean Parasitization Index of 65.06 ticks/deer. Red deer were infected the whole year round with a summer-spring pattern and two secondary peaks in February and October. The main species was Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch followed by Rhipicephalus bursa Canestrini and Fanzago, Rhipicephalus pusillus Gil Collado, Dermacentor marginatus Sulzer and Ixodes ricinus L. Hyalomma lusitanicum has a complex life cycle in which several generations initiate their cycle at different times throughout the year, most probably lasting more than 1 year. We also describe the ability of nymphs to feed on large ungulates even though their habitual host is wild rabbit.

Species richness and the diversity of parasite communities of eelpout Zoarces viviparus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Oder River estuary, Poland

Abstract A parasitological study was carried out on 330 eelpouts from two fishing grounds of the Polish fishing zone off the Oder estuary (Pomeranian Bay and Dziwna Mouth). A total of 11 species and genera of parasites from six higher taxa were recorded: 1 monogenean, 1 digenean, 5 nematodes (eelpout was a new host for Ascarophis morhuae and Capillaria gracilis), 2 acanthocephalans, 1 mollusk and 1 protist (a fungus-related pathogen). A total of 4284 autogenic countable parasites were identified. These included parasites of eight species and two genera (six higher taxa) from Pomeranian Bay, and five species (two higher taxa) from the Dziwna Mouth. The abundance of parasites per host was higher in fish from the Dziwna Mouth, while the parasitic biodiversity index was almost two times lower than in Pomeranian Bay. Pomphorhynchus laevis dominated among the eelpout parasites in both fishing grounds, but the parasite communities from the Dziwna Mouth consisted of a larger number of dominating classes. The high intensity of infection of Hysterothylacium auctum and the relative density affect more the dimensions of the dominant parasite (P. laevis) in the Dziwna Mouth than the crowding of parasites. Infection by more abundant large parasites have an important influence on the value of Fulton’s coefficient.

First record of larvae of Hysterothylacium (Nematoda: Anisakidae) with zoonotic potential in the pirarucu Arapaima gigas (Osteichthyes: Arapaimidae) from South America.

Third-stage larvae (L3) of Hysterothylacium sp. were collected by the first time in juveniles of pirarucu Arapaima gigas farmed in the Rio Preto da Eva, Amazonas state. Ninety-eight (98) out of 100 examined fish showed to be parasitized. Five hundred and ninety larvae of Hysterothylacium sp. were collected from the intestines, stomach and pyloric caeca. The mean intensity of parasite indexes was 6.02 (±5.75) ranging from 1 to 40 larvae per host and the mean abundance was 5.9 (±5.76). The A. gigas is the new host record for larvae of Hysterothylacium sp. in Brazil, and this is the first record of larvae of Hysterothylacium (Nematoda: Anisakidae) with zoonotic potential in the pirarucu from South America.

Is there malaria transmission in urban settings in Colombia?

BackgroundColombia contributes a significant proportion of malaria cases in the Americas, which are predominantly rural. However, in the last 8 years ~ 10 % of the endemic municipalities have also reported urban and peri-urban malaria cases, a growing concern for health authorities. This study focused on the characterization of the officially reported urban malaria cases.MethodsA descriptive retrospective study based on secondary information provided by the Colombian National Surveillance System-SIVIGILA for the 2008–2012 period was conducted. A total of 17 municipalities with consistent and persistent reports of urban and peri-urban malaria were selected for analysis, which included site of origin and of residence, age, gender and ethnicity of patients, health system affiliation, Plasmodium species and the presence of malaria vectors.ResultsA total of 18,113 malaria cases were reported from urban and peri-urban areas of 17 endemic municipalities. Almost 70 % of the reports originated in localities in the departments of Chocó and Nariño, located on the Pacific Coast where a predominantly Afro-Colombian population, of individuals of under 30 years of age, was the most affected (80.7 %), mainly with Plasmodium falciparum infections (52.1 %). Median annual parasite index (API) was 6.4 per 1000 inhabitants (3.4 in 2008; 10.8 in 2010 and 6.0 in 2012). Between 2011 and 2012 complicated cases (2.4 %) and malaria in pregnant women (1.4 %) were reported. Study areas reported the presence of at least seven Anopheles species considered malaria vectors. These analyses did not allow ascertaining the presumable origin of the recorded urban cases due to the lack of a consensus on a definition of urban, peri-urban and rural limits and the lack of proper verification of the geographical source of infection.ConclusionsThe study indicates the probable presence of endemic, unstable and low-intensity malaria transmission in Colombian urban and peri-urban areas of a group of municipalities located mainly on the Pacific coast region and a few others in the eastern region. There is a need to unequivocally confirm the urban or peri-urban origin of the malaria cases reported and the transmission conditions, as well as to develop and implement new strategies for urban and peri-urban malaria control and elimination.

Low and Declining Risk for Malaria in Visitors to Indonesia: A Review of Local Indonesian and European Travelers' Data and a Suggestion for New Prophylactic Guidelines

The world's malaria map is constantly changing and with it the risk for travelers to contract malaria. While some efforts to appreciate the malaria situation for indigenous populations in Indonesia have been made recently, there is only sparse data in the literature on the risk for travelers to Indonesia. Data were collected from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Indonesian official statistics website Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), and from the different European national surveillance bodies. Finally, a comparison between recent official guidelines for prevention of malaria in travelers from Germany, the United States, the UK, and from WHO was done. Data from Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland show a steady decline of imported cases of malaria from Indonesia from 1997 to 2013, with a leveling off during the last few years. In our study material, the Plasmodium falciparum incidence 2009 to 2013 was 0.35 cases per 100,000 visits and the Plasmodium vivax incidence 1.3 cases per 100,000 visits, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.1-0.9 and 0.7-2.2, respectively. Indonesian data also show a decline of malaria cases-the Annual Parasite Index (API) for all species of malaria has decreased from 4.68 cases per 1,000 inhabitants in 1990 to 1.38 cases per 1,000 inhabitants in 2013. Based on these data updated recommendations for malaria prophylaxis in travelers to Indonesia are suggested.

Basic sanitation, socioeconomic conditions, and degree of risk for the presence and maintenance of malaria in a low-transmission area in the Brazilian Amazon.

This study aimed to evaluate basic sanitation and socioeconomic indicators, reported cases of malaria, and risk of contracting malaria in the Ananindeua municipality, State of Pará. Data on basic sanitation and socioeconomic dimensions were taken from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics [ Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE)] 2010 census. Epidemiological malaria information was taken from the Epidemiological Malaria Surveillance Information System [ Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Malária (SIVEP/Malaria)], between 2003 and 2013 of the Ministry of Health and from the SIVEP/Malaria forms of the municipality's Endemic Diseases Unit for 2,013 cases. Our data do not confirm the correlation among indicators of basic sanitation, socioeconomic conditions, and water supply with malaria cases. Of the 1,557 cases evaluated, most were caused by Plasmodium vivax , with rare cases of Plasmodium falciparum and mixed infections. There were 756 notifications in 2003. The number of reported cases was sharply reduced between 2006 and 2012, but a 142-case outbreak occurred in 2013. Ananindeua municipality's Annual Parasite Index indicated low risk in 2003 and no risk in other years, and the 2,013 cases were predominantly male individuals aged ≥40 years. Our data confirm the non-endemicity of malaria in the Ananindeua municipality, as the Annual Parasite Indices described for the years 2004-2013 classify it as a risk-free area. However, the 2013 outbreak indicates the need to strengthen prevention, surveillance, and control activities to reduce the risk of new outbreaks and consequent economic and social impacts on the population.

Responses of Soil Nematode Abundance and Diversity to Long-Term Crop Rotations in Tropical China

A field experiment was carried out from 2003 to 2013 in the Wanzhong Farm of the Hainan Island, China, to determine the effects of two long–term banana rotations on the abundance and trophic groups of soil nematode communities in the island. The experiment was set out as a randomized complete block design with three replications of three treatments: banana–pineapple rotation (AB), banana–papaya rotation (BB) and banana monoculture (CK) in a conventional tillage system. Soil samples were taken at depths of 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm, and nematodes were extracted by a modified cotton–wool filter method and identified to the genus level. Nematode ecological indices of Shannon–Weaver diversity (H′), dominance index (λ), maturity index (MI), plant parasite index (PPI), structure index (SI), enrichment index (EI), and channel index (CI) were calculated. A total of 28 nematode genera with relative abundance over 0.1% were identified, among which Tylenchus and Paratylenchus in the AB, Thonus in the BB, Tylenchus and Helicotylenchus in the CK were the dominant genera. The rotation soils favored bacterivores, fungivores and omnivores–predators with high colonizer–persister (c–p) values. Soil food web in the rotation systems was highly structured, mature and enriched as indicated by SI, MI and EI values, respectively. Higher abundance of bacterivores and lower values of CI suggested that the soil food web was dominated by a bacterial decomposition pathway in rotation soils. Nematode diversity was much higher after a decade of rotation. Soil depth had significant effects on the abundance of soil nematodes, but only on two nematode ecological indices (λ and MI).

Different changes of soil nematode communities in replant and continuous-planting peach orchards and their indicative value for peach replant problem

Abstract Long-term changes of soil nematode diversity and distribution patterns in replant peach orchard (RPO) and continuous-planting peach orchard (CPPO) were assessed to evaluate different effects on nematode community and function by RPO and CPPO, in relation to peach replant problem from the point of soil fauna. Observations were conducted on a silt loam soil, and soil sampling was performed four times through the growing season of peach trees in the period from 2006 to 2008 in Pinggu, Beijing. The result showed that RPO differed from CPPO by its higher abundance of plant feeding nematodes but lower abundance of bacterivore nematodes, as well as significantly higher values of plant parasite index but lower nematode biodiversity. Obviously, the absolute abundance of Paratylenchus in RPO was higher than that in CPPO, which could be a key factor for the peach replant problems from the part of soil nematode. Nematode function indices and weighted nematode fauna profile analysis were no significantly different in the two peach ecosystems, but they represented an indication of high disturbance, N-enriched, bacterial decomposition pathway.

Soil nematode assemblages as bioindicators of primary succession along a 120-year-old chronosequence on the Hailuogou Glacier forefield, SW China

Successional dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems is important for interactions between aboveground and belowground subsystems. In this study, nematode communities in a Hailuogou Glacier Chronosequence from seven stages were investigated to determine whether changes in soil phosphorus (P) and nematode assemblages parallel those observed in aboveground communities, and whether the primary succession in this chronosequence has entered a retrogressive phase after 120 years of succession. The initial 40-year succession, including stages 2, 3 and 4, can be viewed as a build-up phase. Especially at stage 3, vegetation succession from grassland to forest accelerated the accumulation of plant litter and bioavailable P, paralleled with a sharp increase in nematode abundance. The mature phases covering stages 5, 6 and 7 displayed most balanced nematode communities, in which abundance, taxon richness, maturity index and structure index were at highest. However, the last stage 7 appeared to show some retrogressive characteristics, as suggested by the reduced bioavailability of P and a significant decrease in nematode densities, along with the disappearance of some rare genera of nematodes from higher trophic guilds, resulting in decreases in the nematode channel ratio, plant parasite index and enrichment index. Thus, the Hailuogou Glacier Chronosequence may enter its retrogressive phase during the next decade or century. A bacterial-based nematode energy channel dominated the chronosequence during the development; by contrast, a fungivore-based channel was activated at the early and late stages, because fungivores are better adapted to nutrient-poor environments. Our results demonstrated that different nematode guilds have contrasting responses to chronosequence stages, possibly due to their different responses to bottom-up and top-down controls. Furthermore, soil nematode communities could be used as sensitive bioindicators of soil health in glacial-retreat areas.

Human biting activity, spatial-temporal distribution and malaria vector role of Anopheles calderoni in the southwest of Colombia.

BackgroundAnopheles calderoni was first recognized in Colombia in 2010 as this species had been misidentified as Anopheles punctimacula due to morphological similarities. An. calderoni is considered a malaria vector in Peru and has been found naturally infected with Plasmodium falciparum in Colombia. However, its biting behaviour, population dynamics and epidemiological importance have not been well described for Colombia.MethodsTo assess the contribution of An. calderoni to malaria transmission and its human biting behaviour and spatial/temporal distribution in the southwest of Colombia, human landing catches (HLC) and larval collections were carried out in a cross-sectional, entomological study in 22 localities between 2011 and 2012, and a longitudinal study was performed in the Boca de Prieta locality in Olaya Herrera municipality between July 2012 and June 2013. All mosquitoes determined as An. calderoni were tested by ELISA to establish infection with Plasmodium spp.ResultsLarvae of An. calderoni were found in four localities in 12 out of 244 breeding sites inspected. An. calderoni adults were collected in 14 out of 22 localities during the cross-sectional study and represented 41.3% (459 of 1,111) of the collected adult specimens. Other species found were Anopheles albimanus (54.7%), Anopheles apicimacula (2.1%), Anopheles neivai (1.7%), and Anopheles argyritarsis (0.2%). In the localities that reported the highest malaria Annual Parasite Index (>10/1,000 inhabitants) during the year of sampling, An. calderoni was the predominant species (>90% of the specimens collected). In the longitudinal study, 1,528 An. calderoni were collected by HLC with highest biting rates in February, May and June 2013, periods of high precipitation. In general, the species showed a preference to bite outdoors (p < 0.001). In Boca de Prieta, two specimens of An. calderoni were ELISA positive for Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein: one for P. falciparum and one for Plasmodium vivax VK-210. This represents an overall sporozoite rate of 0.1% and an annual entomological inoculation rate of 2.84 infective bites/human/year.ConclusionsThis study shows that An. calderoni is a primary malaria vector in the southwest of Colombia. Its observed preference for outdoor biting is a major challenge for malaria control.

High prevalence of sub-microscopic infections in Colombia.

BackgroundMalaria transmission in Latin America is typically characterized as hypo-endemic and unstable with ~170 million inhabitants at risk of malaria infection. Although Colombia has witnessed an important decrease in malaria transmission, the disease remains a public health problem with an estimated ~10 million people currently living in areas with malaria risk and ~61,000 cases reported in 2012. This study aimed to establish the malaria prevalence in three endemic regions of Colombia to aid in designing new interventions for malaria elimination.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in three regions of Colombia with different malaria epidemiological profiles: Tierralta (Ta), Tumaco (Tu) and Buenaventura (Bv). The Annual Parasite Index (API) was 10.7, 6.9 and 3.1, respectively. Participants were asked to respond to a sociodemographic questionnaire and then were bled to determine the Duffy genotype and the prevalence of malaria infection by microscopy and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).ResultsThe study was conducted between October 2011 and January 2012. Eight sentinel sites with 1,169 subjects from 267 households were included. The overall prevalence of sub-microscopic infections measured by thick blood smear (TBS) was 0.3% (n = 4) whereas by qPCR it was 9.7% (n = 113), with a greater proportion (13%) in 40-50 years old individuals. Furthermore, different regions displayed different prevalence of sub-microscopic infections: Bv 12%, Ta 15%, and Tu 4%. From these 113 samples (qPCR), 74% were positive for P. vivax and 22% for P. falciparum, and 4% were mixed infections, which correlates to the overall parasite prevalence in Colombia. This study showed that in the southern Pacific coast of Colombia (Bv and Tu), around 56% of the population have a Duffy-negative genotype, compared to the northern region (Ta) where the percentage of Duffy-negative genotype is around 3%.ConclusionsSub-microscopic infections are prevalent across different regions in Colombia, particularly in areas with relatively low transmission intensity. The poor microscopy results suggest the need for more sensitive diagnostic tools for detection of sub-microscopic infections. This study underscores the importance of conducting active case surveillance to more accurately determine malaria incidence, and highlights the need for updating the malaria guidelines to track and treat sub-microscopic malaria infections.

Socio-economic, epidemiological and geographic features based on GIS-integrated mapping to identify malarial hotspots.

BackgroundMalaria is a major health problem in the tropical and subtropical world. In India, 95% of the population resides in malaria endemic regions and it is major public health problem in most parts of the country. The present work has developed malaria maps by integrating socio-economic, epidemiology and geographical dimensions of three eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The area has been studied in each dimension separately, and later integrated to find a list of vulnerable pockets/villages, called as malarial hotspots.MethodsThe study has been done at village level. Seasonal variation of malaria, comparison of epidemiology indices and progress of the medical facility were studied. Ten independent geographical information system (GIS) maps of socio-economic aspects (population, child population, literacy, and work force participation), epidemiology (annual parasitic index (API) and slides collected and examined) and geographical features (settlement, forest cover, water bodies, rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature) were drawn and studied. These maps were overlaid based on computed weight matrix to find malarial hotspot.ResultsIt was found that the studied dimensions were inter-weaving factors for malaria epidemic and closely affected malaria situations as evidenced from the obtained correlation matrix. The regions with water logging, high rainfall and proximity to forest, along with poor socio-economic conditions, are primarily hotspot regions. The work is presented through a series of GIS maps, tables, figures and graphs. A total of 2,054 out of 8,973 villages studied were found to be malarial hotspots and consequently suggestions were made to the concerned government malaria offices.ConclusionWith developing technology, information tools such as GIS, have captured almost every field of scientific research especially of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria. Malarial mapping enables easy update of information and effortless accessibility of geo-referenced data to policy makers to produce cost-effective measures for malaria control in endemic regions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0685-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Vergleichende Untersuchung der bodenbewohnenden Nematodenfauna von mit der Wurzelreblaus ( Viteus vitifoliae Fitch) befallenen Weinreben ( Vitis spp.)

Comparative study ofthe soil-living nematofauna associated with vine ( Vitis spp.) infested with phylloxera ( Viteus vitifoliae Fitch) The diversity and the community structure of nematodes, and the correlation between the occurrence of nematodes and the infestation of grapevines ( Vitis spp.) with grape phylloxera ( Viteus vitifoliae ) were studied. Grapevines ungrafted and grafted to different rootstocks were planted and samples of roots and soil were collected at 7 sites in the Austrian vine growing regions Weinviertel, Neusiedlersee, Sudburgenland, and Sudoststeiermark. The formation of nodosities on rootlets and the nematode fauna were examined. A total of 58 nematode genera (37 families) were found to be associated with grapevines. Mean nematode abundance in the 7 vineyards ranged from 342 to 444 individuals per 100 g soil. Diversity indices, mean evenness, Maturity Index (MI), and Plant Parasite Index (PPI) were nearly identical among sites and no significant differences were found between phylloxera-infested and non-infested rootstocks. Looking at the trophic structure given by feeding types (bacteriovores, carnivores, omnivores, plant parasites, fungivores) the plant parasitic nematodes were the dominant feeding group; they were detected in all vineyards. Helicotylenchus digonicus, Helicotylenchus vulgaris, Paratylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Mesocriconema xenoplax, Tylenchorhynchus dubius and Xiphinema vuittenezi were the most frequent plant parasitic nematodes. Helicotylenchus was the only nematode genera correlated with phylloxera infestation. The genera Helicotylenchus showed significantly higher abundances at rootstocks infested with phylloxera and at some sites its abundance was up to 680 individuals per 100 g soil.

Surmised total leucocyte counts miscalculate the parasite index of Plasmodium vivax malaria patients of tertiary and primary care settings in South-Western India

BackgroundFor the calculation of parasite index (PI) by microscopy method, an assumed total leucocyte count (TLC) of 8,000/μL is used conventionally. However, due to obvious variation in the population and individual TLCs, use of 8,000/μL may result in either over/underestimation of the PI.MethodsThis study was aimed at ascertaining the utility of 8,000/μL TLC, as well as other assumed TLCs, with respect to measured TLC for the calculation of PI. A tertiary care hospital and five primary health centres were the base for the prospective study conducted among microscopically proven, symptomatic Plasmodium vivax mono-infection patients aged ≥18 years. PIs calculated by assumed TLCs ranging from 4,000-11,000/μL were compared with those calculated by measured TLCs. Geometric mean with 95% confidence interval, Bland-Altman plot and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis.ResultsA total of 284 P. vivax mono-infection patients, including 156 from a tertiary care hospital and 128 from five primary health centres, were recruited in the study. Assumed TLCs below 5,000 cell/μL and above 5,500 cell/μL in tertiary care setting resulted in significant (p <0.05) underestimation and overestimation, respectively. However, in primary health centres, it was an assumed TLC of 5,000 cell/μL, below and above which there was significant (p <0.05) underestimation and overestimation observed, respectively.ConclusionsAssumed TLC of 8,000/μL is not suitable for the calculation of PI. Either actual TLC of the patient should be measured or a representative TLC should be derived for the population under investigation for any study requiring calculated PI by microscopy.