Changing trends of maternal mortality with its causes- ten years retrospective study in a peripheral medical college of West Bengal, India

Background: The estimates of maternal mortality can only be used as a rough indicator of maternal health situation in any given country. High maternal mortality reflects not only in inadequacy of health care services for mothers, but also a low standard of living and socio economic status of the community. Objective was to assess the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), its probable causes and changing trends.Methods: The present study conducted at Midnapore Medical College (MMC), West Bengal. Data for analysis were collected from medical college record section and maternal death registrar book after having permission from higher authority of the college during the period from January 2009 to 2018 December. Total sample size for this period was 249. Statistical analysis was done through SPSS software.Results: Ten years data analysis of 249 subjects showed that total live births from January 2009 to December 2018 was 1,39,126 with MMR 178.97%. Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (40.56%) was the leading direct cause of maternal death followed by hemorrhage (24.49%) and septicemia (10.84%). Heart disease (6.42%) was the major indirect cause of death followed by anemia (3.6%). Maternal death rate found high among primi gravida (59.43%) mothers and within 20 years age group (46.18%).Conclusions: Most maternal deaths are preventable by proper antenatal care, early diagnosis of high risk factors, timely referral to tertiary care centre along with community upliftment especially in rural and tribal based population.

Biosurveillance in Central Asia: Successes and Challenges of Tick-Borne Disease Research in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Central Asia is a vast geographic region that includes five former Soviet Union republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The region has a unique infectious disease burden, and a history that includes Silk Road trade routes and networks that were part of the anti-plague and biowarfare programs in the former Soviet Union. Post Soviet Union biosurveillance research in this unique area of the world has met with several challenges, including lack of funding and resources to independently conduct hypothesis driven, peer-review quality research. Strides have been made, however, to increase scientific engagement and capability. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are examples of countries where biosurveillance research has been successfully conducted, particularly with respect to especially dangerous pathogens. In this review we describe in detail the successes, challenges and opportunities of conducting biosurveillance in Central Asia as exemplified by our recent research activities on ticks and tick-borne diseases in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

The Convergence of High-Consequence Livestock and Human Pathogen Research and Development: A Paradox of Zoonotic Disease

Citation: Michelotti, J.M.; Yeh, K.B.; Beckham, T.R.; Colby, M.M.; Dasgupta, D.; Zuelke, K.A.; Olinger, G.G. The Convergence of High-Consequence Livestock and Human Pathogen Research and Development: A Paradox of Zoonotic Disease. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2018, 3, 55.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals to humans account for 75 percent of new and emerging infectious diseases. Globally, high-consequence pathogens that impact livestock and have the potential for human transmission create research paradoxes and operational challenges for the high-containment laboratories that conduct work with them. These specialized facilities are required for conducting all phases of research on high-consequence pathogens (basic, applied, and translational) with an emphasis on both the generation of fundamental knowledge and product development. To achieve this research mission, a highly-trained workforce is required and flexible operational methods are needed. In addition, working with certain pathogens requires compliance with regulations such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Select Agent regulations, which adds to the operational burden. The vast experience from the existing studies at Plum Island Animal Disease Center, other U.S. laboratories, and those in Europe and Australia with biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) facilities designed for large animals, clearly demonstrates the valuable contribution this capability brings to the efforts to detect, prepare, prevent and respond to livestock and potential zoonotic threats. To raise awareness of these challenges, which include biosafety and biosecurity issues, we held a workshop at the 2018 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Biothreats conference to further discuss the topic with invited experts and audience participants. The workshop covered the subjects of research funding and metrics, economic sustainment of drug and vaccine development pipelines, workforce turnover, and the challenges of maintaining operational readiness of high containment laboratories