A Note on Rodent Migration following Gregarious Bamboo Flowering in North-Eastern Hill Region with Particular Reference to Mizoram (India) and Its Consequences

Bamboo is a versatile non-timber forest product (NTFP) with a wide range of domestic, commercial and industrial uses. Bamboos account for 12.8 percent approximately of the total forest cover in India. The North-Eastern Hill (NEH) region harbors more than 66 percent of the Indian bamboo genetic resources. Out of 125 bamboo sp. available in India, 8.4 taxa are found in NEH region. Mizoram occupies the largest forest area (30.8%) under different bamboo species, followed by Meghalaya with 26.0 percent.The gregarious bamboo flowering of Melocanna bacciferaor Mautam occurs periodically after every 48±1 years and causes ecological imbalance in NEH region comprising seven contiguous states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland. Bamboo plants die after flowering and fruiting, leaving bare and exposed soil, which is disastrous in mountainous states. Secondly, rodents feed on the flowers and seeds of the dying bamboo, leading to a rapid growth in their numbers, which migrate toward agricultural fields, granaries and destroy standing crops and stored grains. The destruction of crops results in food scarcity and famine. The epidemiological imbalance also leads to increased risk of infection in man and animals or outbreak of rodent-borne diseases. The modes of transmission are through rat bite, insect vector bites, fleas and other ecto-parasites or contamination of food, water and air by rodent urine or excreta. Some of these diseases require immediate control measures to minimize the morbidity and mortality in local inhabitants.From historical or scientific records, it is believed that masting of Mau bamboo-M. baccifera occurred across north-eastern India in 1815, 1863, 1911, and 1959. A Melocanna masting event occurred on schedule in Mizoram in 2006-09. The crops suffered massive damage, with yields at 30 year low.It was reported that spontaneous increase in rodent population due to high nutritive value of bamboo fruits, reduction in cannibalism due to the availability of plenty of food during bamboo flowering and change in the ecological conditions resulting in ‘r’-pattern of rodent breeding might be the probable reasons for the rodent outbreaks.The rodent fauna of the Indian sub-continent is represented by 46 genera and 128 species. Out of 18 commensal rodents, Rattus rattus is the most predominant species. In NEH region, Rattus spp. forms about 45% of the total rodent population (specially, R. nitidus-24.51%) followed by Mus spp. (16.9% M. musculus) and Bandicota bengalensis (lesser bandicoot rat) about 31.5%. Rodents responsible for famine in the years of bamboo flowering are R. rattus, R. nitidlis, R. niviventer and R. r. brunnellsculus.Mizoram was under threat during bamboo flowering because Myanmar-a high risk area for transmission of plague, salmonellosis being endemic in Mizoram with frequent food poisoning outbreaks, gastroenteritis being second leading health problem indicates unsafe food and drinking practices. Higher attitudes and practices of people towards rodents including consumption of their flesh, difficult terrains and inaccessible remote or interior villages with poor health facilities were the real threats for the transmission of rodent-borne diseases.The state had prepared a series of Bamboo Flowering and Famine Combat Schemes (BAFFACOS) in 2005 for inter-sectoral coordination with various departments like agriculture, health, rural works and public works. A central team of rodent and rodent-borne disease experts from CAZRI, Jodhpur; NIPHM, Hyderabad and National Centre for Disease Control, Plague Surveillance Unit, Bangalore, visited Mizoram several times during 2006-2009 for making on the spot assessment, to demonstrate rodent pest management and surveillance, prevention and control of rodent-borne diseases in the region and to train the workers involved in surveillance and control works

Sericulture and the Development of Resistance to Various Insecticides in Xenopsylla cheopis (Rodent flea), Efficient Vector of Human Plague in Active Enzootic Plague foci of Kolar District, Karnataka, and Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India

The intensive use of various insecticides in agriculture has caused concern for increased selection pressure for insecticide resistance development in insect vector population. Selection at different life stages of rodent fleas is usually assumed to arise because of indiscriminate use of agricultural pesticides or indoor residual spray for anti-flea or anti-mosquito measures. Susceptibility status of rodent fleas to various insecticides was studied during 2007 to 2009 in sericulture and non-sericulture villages of Kolar, Karnataka, and Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, to study the selection pressure of various insecticides used in agriculture and public health sectors. Mortality rate in synthetic pyrethroids is found to be significantly higher in Palamneru (A.P.) areas in both sericulture and non-sericulture areas compared to Kolar (Karnataka) areas. However, there is no significant difference in mortality rate in other insecticides used in public health programs between sericulture and non-sericulture areas of Kolar and Palamneru area. Silk farmers resist to indoor residual insecticide spraying for mosquito or flea control due to its toxic effect on silk worms. As a result, malaria incidence in the area was high in early nineties. Due to non-acceptance of indoor residual spray in silk-rearing villages of Kolar and Chittoor districts, selection pressure of various insecticides on flea population breeding indoor is negligible but the selection pressure from the insecticide-treated mulberry plant leaves on indoor resting flea population was always there

Experience with Dilute Chemical Decontamination in Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors

AbstractDilute Chemical Decontamination (DCD) process has been used in several full system and components of nuclear coolant systems to effectively remove the radioactive contaminants that causes radiation field and consequent MANREM problem. The DCD process uses chemicals in very low concentrations (millimolar) and dissolves the oxide film along with the activity incorporated in the oxide film. In DCD process operated under the regenerative mode, the chemical formulation spent in the process of oxide dissolution is replenished by passing through cation exchange columns. Finally, after achieving sufficient decontamination of the system/component, the added decontamination chemicals along with the activities and metal ions released during the process are removed by mixed bed ion exchange columns and the system is restored to normal operating condition in a few days time. In PHWRs, the regenerative DCD process is applied for full primary coolant system decontamination. The chemicals are added directly to the heavy water coolant with the fuel in the core. In Indian PHWRs (MAPS#1&2, RAPS#1&2, NAPS#1&2 and KAPS#1), the process has been applied eleven times. A chemical formulation based on NTA, Citric acid and Ascorbic acid has been applied seven times with good results. Decontamination factors in the range 2-30 have been obtained in different components with good MANREM savings in the subsequent maintenance works.Efforts are on to modify the process to take care of the challenges posed by antimony isotopes. An inhibitor (Rodine-92B) based process was successfully tested in NAPS#2 for removing antimony isotopes (122Sb and 124Sb). Further refining of the antimony removal process is being worked out. Similarly, the process is being modified to effectively remove the hotspot causing stellite particles in the moderator system of PHWRs. A permanganate based process has been developed and tested in several adjustor rod drive mechanisms in KAPS and NAPS. The experience of applying/testing the DCD process in the Indian nuclear reactors is described in this paper

Surveillance of Rodent and Fleas and Prevention of Plague in International Sea Ports in India in the context of International Health Regulations-2005

Rodents are among the most important competitors globally with humans for food and other resources. In the past century alone, more than ten million people died due to rodent borne diseases. Plague is a rodent borne zoonotic disease therefore, absence of human plague cases in a particular ecological zone would not justify the conclusion that plague has disappeared from the area. Plague continues to pose a threat to human health in certain regions of the world where natural foci still exist.An assessment of the effectiveness of the International Health Regulations (1969) in control of cholera, plague, and yellow fever reveals that WHO member states have not observed the regulations strictly. In consideration of the growth in international travel and trade, and the emergence or re-emergence of international disease threats and other public health risks, the International Health Regulations (2005) were adopted by the Fifty eighth World Health Assembly on 23rd May 2005. It came into force on 15th June 2007. The purpose and scope of IHR (2005) are to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public Health Response to the international spread of the disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.The Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate/ Ship Sanitation Control Certificate replaces the narrower in scope Deratting/ Deratting Exemption Certificate as from 15th June 2007. It has greatly expanded the areas for public health inspections on international ships. Contaminated international vessels may transport rodent borne diseases (31-Viral, Bacterial, protozoan, nematode and 11 documented Hunta viruses) across geographical boundaries. Rodents can gain access to ships directly by mooring ropes, hulls and gang ways. Rodents may be concealed in cargo, ship’s stores and other materials taken on to the ship.All the international sea ports in India including residential areas of the ports were jointly surveyed by NCDC, Plague Surveillance Unit, Bangalore and Port Health Organizations in collaboration with Rodent control unit of Port Trusts every year from 2008 to 2011. During the survey, heavy infestation of different species of rodents were detected in and around of sea port areas. Rattus rattus and Bandicoota bengalensis, which were found to be the predominant rodent sp. in all the port areas along with Bandicoota indica, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus and Meriones hurrianae. In some ports, absolute and specific flea indices of Xenopsylla cheopis, the efficient vector of human plague transmission were found above critical level (≥1.0). Mooring ropes in 73.6 percent of the ships inspected during the survey were without the rodent guards or rodent guards without proper locking system. All the Gang ways in the ships, which were supposed to be lifted during night time to prevent the entry of the rodents were kept touching the ground. Suggestions were made for appropriate rodent control measures to keep the sea port areas rodent free

Detection of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Vector Mosquitoes in a Non-endemic Area, India

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a serious growing public health problem in India, gradually engulfing new areas. In north India, eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh had been highly endemic for JE since 1978. JE outbreak was reported to have jumped over 800 km distance from its earlier most endemic area (eastern parts of north India) to a location (Karnal) in the Haryana state of western parts of north India, during the year 1990, which never reported JE earlier.1 Later, the disease gradually spread to its adjoining districts in the state. First time, from western Uttar Pradesh, 7 cases and 4 deaths due to suspected JE were reported in 2003 from Saharanpur district. In the subsequent year, 13 deaths due to suspected viral encephalitis were reported from 26th September to 23rd October, 2004 from one village namely Khekra, from Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh which is about 128 km west of Saharanpur. A serosurvey carried out on 24th and 25th October, 2004 among the family members of dead persons revealed hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies against JE and West Nile (WN) virus. Further, an outbreak of suspected JE was reported from Saharanpur district in 2005, with 212 cases and 157 deaths. This caused matter of great concern to extend further studies in Baghpat where prevalence of flavivirus infection was already recorded in the locality. For monitoring of arbovirus activities in an area, detection of virus in human sera is cumbersome, difficult and also not desirable. Therefore, as an alternative approach, detection of virus antigen in mosquitoes by antigen capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has provided a reliable tool to comprehend the types of virus circulating in nature.2 Detecting arbovirus in mosquitos forms an important part of vector surveillance and may at times also serve as an early warning signal for outbreaks, if however linked with phonological and epidemiological studies. Vector infection and abundance were found to be good indicators of JE occurrence in surveillance studies conducted in South India.3 An attempt was thus made to detect the presence of JE virus (JEV) antigen in vector mosquitoes by ELISA method from the encephalitis-affected area of Baghpat district and to provide evidence of circulating of Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) in natural animal-mosquito cycle

An Update on JE Vaccine Development and Use

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an emerging and re- emerging arboviral infection of global significance. Its causative agent Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific. Nearly 3 billion people living in JE endemic areas account for 10000- 15000 deaths annually. The disease has high fatality rate (~30%) and nearly 50% survivors develop permanent neuropsychiatric sequelae. There is no specific treatment for JE. Vaccination is the only effective strategy available for prevention and control of JE. The wider availability and inclusion of JE vaccination in the national immunization programme in many of the affected countries have resulted in better prospects for control of JE. This review is an update on vaccines currently available, their development, recommended immunization schedule for them as well as the upcoming challenges related with cross- protectivity against hetrologous genotypes

Phylogenetic studies reveal existence of multiple lineages of a single genotype of DENV-1 (genotype III) in India during 1956–2007

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) have been mostly circulating silently with dominant serotypes DENV-2 and DENV-3 in India. However recent times have marked an increase in DENV-1 circulation in yearly outbreaks. Many studies have not been carried out on this virus type, leaving a lacunae pertaining to the circulating genotypes, since its earliest report in India. In the present study, we sequenced CprM gene junction of 13 DENV-1 isolated from Delhi and Gwalior (North India) between 2001–2007 and one 1956 Vellore isolate as reference. For comparison, we retrieved 11 other Indian and 70 global reference sequences from NCBI database, making sure that Indian and global isolates from all decades are available for comparative analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The region was found to be AT rich with no insertion or deletion. Majority of the nucleotide substitutions were silent, except 3 non-conservative amino acid changes (I → T, A → T and L → S at amino acid positions 59,114 and 155 respectively) in the Indian DENV-1 sequences, sequenced in this study. Except two 1997–98 Delhi isolates, which group in genotype I; all other Indian isolates group in genotype III. All Indian genotype III DENV-1 exhibited diversity among them, giving rise to at least 4 distinct lineages (India 1–4) showing proximity to isolates from diverse geographic locations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The extensive phylogenetic analysis revealed consistent existence of multiple lineages of DENV-1 genotype III during the last 5 decades in India.</p

PCRRT Expert Committee ICONIC Position Paper on Prescribing Kidney Replacement Therapy in Critically Sick Children With Acute Liver Failure

Management of acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) in the pediatric population can be challenging. Kidney manifestations of liver failure, such as hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) and acute kidney injury (AKI), are increasingly prevalent and may portend a poor prognosis. The overall incidence of AKI in children with ALF has not been well-established, partially due to the difficulty of precisely estimating kidney function in these patients. The true incidence of AKI in pediatric patients may still be underestimated due to decreased creatinine production in patients with advanced liver dysfunction and those with critical conditions including shock and cardiovascular compromise with poor kidney perfusion. Current treatment for kidney dysfunction secondary to liver failure include conservative management, intravenous fluids, and kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Despite the paucity of evidence-based recommendations concerning the application of KRT in children with kidney dysfunction in the setting of ALF, expert clinical opinions have been evaluated regarding the optimal modalities and timing of KRT, dialysis/replacement solutions, blood and dialysate flow rates and dialysis dose, and anticoagulation methods

Association of acute toxic encephalopathy with litchi consumption in an outbreak in Muzaffarpur, India, 2014: a case-control study

Background Outbreaks of unexplained illness frequently remain under-investigated. In India, outbreaks of an acute neurological illness with high mortality among children occur annually in Muzaffarpur, the country’s largest litchi cultivation region. In 2014, we aimed to investigate the cause and risk factors for this illness. Methods In this hospital-based surveillance and nested age-matched case-control study, we did laboratory investigations to assess potential infectious and non-infectious causes of this acute neurological illness. Cases were children aged 15 years or younger who were admitted to two hospitals in Muzaffarpur with new-onset seizures or altered sensorium. Age-matched controls were residents of Muzaffarpur who were admitted to the same two hospitals for a non-neurologic illness within seven days of the date of admission of the case. Clinical specimens (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine) and environmental specimens (litchis) were tested for evidence of infectious pathogens, pesticides, toxic metals, and other non-infectious causes, including presence of hypoglycin A or methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), naturally-occurring fruit-based toxins that cause hypoglycaemia and metabolic derangement. Matched and unmatched (controlling for age) bivariate analyses were done and risk factors for illness were expressed as matched odds ratios and odds ratios (unmatched analyses). Findings Between May 26, and July 17, 2014, 390 patients meeting the case definition were admitted to the two referral hospitals in Muzaffarpur, of whom 122 (31%) died. On admission, 204 (62%) of 327 had blood glucose concentration of 70 mg/dL or less. 104 cases were compared with 104 age-matched hospital controls. Litchi consumption (matched odds ratio [mOR] 9·6 [95% CI 3·6 – 24]) and absence of an evening meal (2·2 [1·2–4·3]) in the 24 h preceding illness onset were associated with illness. The absence of an evening meal significantly modified the effect of eating litchis on illness (odds ratio [OR] 7·8 [95% CI 3·3–18·8], without evening meal; OR 3·6 [1·1–11·1] with an evening meal). Tests for infectious agents and pesticides were negative. Metabolites of hypoglycin A, MCPG, or both were detected in 48 [66%] of 73 urine specimens from case-patients and none from 15 controls; 72 (90%) of 80 case-patient specimens had abnormal plasma acylcarnitine profiles, consistent with severe disruption of fatty acid metabolism. In 36 litchi arils tested from Muzaffarpur, hypoglycin A concentrations ranged from 12·4 μg/g to 152·0 μg/g and MCPG ranged from 44·9 μg/g to 220·0 μg/g. Interpretation Our investigation suggests an outbreak of acute encephalopathy in Muzaffarpur associated with both hypoglycin A and MCPG toxicity. To prevent illness and reduce mortality in the region, we recommended minimising litchi consumption, ensuring receipt of an evening meal and implementing rapid glucose correction for suspected illness. A comprehensive investigative approach in Muzaffarpur led to timely public health recommendations, underscoring the importance of using systematic methods in other unexplained illness outbreaks