Declining Transmission of Malaria in India: Accelerating Towards Elimination

India is ecologically vast and has close to a billion-population living at risk of malaria. Given the evidence-based present-day intervention tools and large-scale implementation, India has recorded declining trends in disease transmission from 2 million cases in 2001 to close to a million cases in 2017 and embarked upon malaria elimination in keeping with the Global Technical Strategy by 2030. India is malaria endemic, but transmission intensities varied across its landscape with just few States of the east, central and northeast contributing bulk (80%) of total positive cases. Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax are the predominant infections of which there has been steady increase in proportions of the former for constituting >60% of total cases what was 50:50 in 2001, a phenomenon attributed to emerging drug resistance. With the rolling out of the available intervention tools, malaria elimination is foreseeable yet there are multiple challenges which must be addressed to overcome the constraints. We strongly advocate continued disease surveillance and monitoring, universal coverage and intensification of core-interventions for prevention and treatment prioritizing high-risk States, strengthening cross-border collaborations for information sharing and coordinated activities, and above all sustained allocation of resources, creating the enabling environment to end malaria transmission

Population genetic structure of Culex quinquefasciatus in India by ISSR marker

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize the genetic structure of various populations of Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus) from India representing different geoclimatic locations.MethodsInter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used. A set of 20 primers were screened with the laboratory populations of mosquito species. Finally the IS 40 primer was chosen based on the scorable banding pattern showing 100 percent polymorphism among the various populations. The statistical analysis was done using POPGENE 1.31 software. The consensus tree was generated based on UPGMA modified from NEIGHBOR procedure of PHYLIP Version 3.5.ResultsThe cluster analysis shows the main cluster which is divided into two sub cluster representing all the populations separated as per their phylogeographic and geoclimatic condition.ConclusionsThe findings will be helpful in understanding the population variation under different ecological conditions and development of effective vector management strategies

Synergistic mosquito-repellent activity of Curcuma longa, Pogostemon heyneanus and Zanthoxylum limonella essential oils

SummaryMosquito repellents play an important role in preventing man–mosquito contact. In the present study, we evaluated the synergistic mosquito-repellent activity of Curcuma longa, Pogostemon heyneanus and Zanthoxylum limonella essential oils. The mosquito repellent efficacies of three essential oils were evaluated separately and in combination under laboratory and field conditions. N,N-Diethylphenylacetamide (DEPA) and dimethylphthalate (DMP) were used for comparison of the protection time of the mixture of essential oils. At an optimum concentration of 20%, the essential oils of C. longa, Z. limonella and P. heyneanus provided complete protection times (CPTs) of 96.2, 91.4 and 123.4min, respectively, against Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the laboratory. The 1:1:2 mixture of the essential oils provided 329.4 and 391.0min of CPT in the laboratory and field trials, respectively. The percent increases in CPTs for the essential oil mixture were 30 for DMP and 55 for N,N-diethylphenylacetamide (DEPA). The synergistic repellent activity of the essential oils used in the present study might be useful for developing safer alternatives to synthetic repellents for personal protection against mosquitoes

Quantitative evaluation of essential oils for the identification of chemical constituents by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Essential oils are greatly strenuous aromatic materials having various constituents. They are used in the preparation of various precious substances like making perfumes, medicines, cleaning agent, and aromatic treatment etc. The purpose of the present investigation was to identify the major and minor chemical constituent in eighteen essential oils viz., amyris, basil, black pepper, camphor, catnip, chamomile, cinnamon, citronella, dill, frankincense, galbanum, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, tagetes and thyme with the help of gas chromatography /mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In eighteen essential oils the identified compounds studied by GC-MS contain various types of high and low molecular weights of chemical ingredients. Therefore, GC/MS efficiently and speedily screened all the volatile elements present in the essential oils for the quantitative use of these identified chemical constituents for various reasons

Prevalence of Ocular Morbidities and its Socio-demographic correlates in an urban slum of western Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: Ocular Morbidities with its economic and social consequences, represents an important public health problem in various parts of the world. Aims & Objective: 1. To find out the prevalence of Ocular Morbidities in relation to socio-demographic correlates in an Urban Slum of District Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh. Material & Methods: This community based cross – sectional study was carried out among 1603 individuals from 341 families selected by simple random technique in field practice area of Urban Health Training Centre, Makkinagar, Khalapar, Muzaffarnagar. The present study focuses on ocular examinations and diagnosis of ocular morbid conditions which were prevalent in that selected area. The information was collected on a pre-designed and pretested questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of ocular morbidities in the study group was found to be 50.0% with significantly much higher in the age group 60 years and above. The major cause ocular morbidities were refractive errors (84.8%), followed by cataract (19.8%). The prevalence was significantly more in widows/widower (73.7%) than other groups of marital status (48.5%); upper socio – economic status (74.4%) than other groups of socio-economic status (48.7%), joint family (56.3%) than nuclear family (40.7%) and Muslim community (52.1%) than Hindu community (42.6). Conclusion: In this present study the prevalence of ocular morbidities was found to be 50.0% in the population with a marginal higher prevalence in females (52.4%) as compared to the males (47.8%). The most common cause was refractive errors followed by cataract. The ocular morbidities were significantly associated with age, marital status and socio-economic status. There was no significant correlation with educational status and occupations of the patients

Resistance Status of the Malaria Vector Mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles subpictus Towards Adulticides and Larvicides in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas of India

Susceptibility studies of malaria vectors Anopheles stephensi Liston (Diptera: Culicidae) and An. subpictus Grassi collected during 2004–2007 from various locations of Arid and Semi-Arid Zone of India were conducted by adulticide bioassay of DDT, malathion, deltamethrin and larvicide bioassay of fenthion, temephos, chlorpyriphos and malathion using diagnostic doses. Both species from all locations exhibited variable resistance to DDT and malathion from majority of location. Adults of both the species were susceptible to Deltamethrin. Larvae of both the Anopheline species showed some evidence of resistance to chlorpyriphos followed by fenthion whereas susceptible to temephos and malathion

Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in adults, characterised by chronic pain and loss of mobility. Osteoarthritis most frequently occurs after age 40 years and prevalence increases steeply with age. WHO has designated 2021–30 the decade of healthy ageing, which highlights the need to address diseases such as osteoarthritis, which strongly affect functional ability and quality of life. Osteoarthritis can coexist with, and negatively effect, other chronic conditions. Here we estimate the burden of hand, hip, knee, and other sites of osteoarthritis across geographies, age, sex, and time, with forecasts of prevalence to 2050. Methods In this systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study, osteoarthritis prevalence in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020 was estimated using data from population-based surveys from 26 countries for knee osteoarthritis, 23 countries for hip osteoarthritis, 42 countries for hand osteoarthritis, and US insurance claims for all of the osteoarthritis sites, including the other types of osteoarthritis category. The reference case definition was symptomatic, radiographically confirmed osteoarthritis. Studies using alternative definitions from the reference case definition (for example self-reported osteoarthritis) were adjusted to reference using regression models. Osteoarthritis severity distribution was obtained from a pooled meta-analysis of sources using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index. Final prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights to calculate years lived with disability (YLDs). Prevalence was forecast to 2050 using a mixed-effects model. Findings Globally, 595 million (95% uncertainty interval 535–656) people had osteoarthritis in 2020, equal to 7·6% (95% UI 6·8–8·4) of the global population, and an increase of 132·2% (130·3–134·1) in total cases since 1990. Compared with 2020, cases of osteoarthritis are projected to increase 74·9% (59·4–89·9) for knee, 48·6% (35·9–67·1) for hand, 78·6% (57·7–105·3) for hip, and 95·1% (68·1–135·0) for other types of osteoarthritis by 2050. The global age-standardised rate of YLDs for total osteoarthritis was 255·0 YLDs (119·7–557·2) per 100 000 in 2020, a 9·5% (8·6–10·1) increase from 1990 (233·0 YLDs per 100 000, 109·3–510·8). For adults aged 70 years and older, osteoarthritis was the seventh ranked cause of YLDs. Age-standardised prevalence in 2020 was more than 5·5% in all world regions, ranging from 5677·4 (5029·8–6318·1) per 100 000 in southeast Asia to 8632·7 (7852·0–9469·1) per 100 000 in high-income Asia Pacific. Knee was the most common site for osteoarthritis. High BMI contributed to 20·4% (95% UI –1·7 to 36·6) of osteoarthritis. Potentially modifiable risk factors for osteoarthritis such as recreational injury prevention and occupational hazards have not yet been explored in GBD modelling. Interpretation Age-standardised YLDs attributable to osteoarthritis are continuing to rise and will lead to substantial increases in case numbers because of population growth and ageing, and because there is no effective cure for osteoarthritis. The demand on health systems for care of patients with osteoarthritis, including joint replacements, which are highly effective for late stage osteoarthritis in hips and knees, will rise in all regions, but might be out of reach and lead to further health inequity for individuals and countries unable to afford them. Much more can and should be done to prevent people getting to that late stage