Incidence of chikungunya fever in ghatampur municipality, kanpur nagar district, uttar pradesh, India

Objectives: [I] To estimate the magnitude, compare the results of two wards [Shivpuri and Achhimohal] and [ii] to formulate recommendations for prevention and control. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study

Place And Duration: 1st October to 16th November 2006 in residents of Shivpuri and Achhimohal ward

Methodology: We selected and compared two wards; Shivpuri ward with high attack rate and the other Achhimohal one-low attack rate. We defined a case as the occurrence of fever with joint pain with or without skin rashes during the period of 1st October to 16th November 2006 in residents of Shivpuri and Achhimohal ward. We collected information on age, sex, residence, date of onset, symptomatology, history of treatment, deaths in the family. We described outbreak in time, place and person characteristics. We collected 14 random blood samples from shivpuri and 7 blood samples from Achhimohal ward for serological investigation. We conducted entomological survey for species identification

Results: We identified total 384 case-patients among 2,202 residents [overall attack rate [AR: 384/2202 [17%]; Median age: 31 year] in both the wards. [343/1173 [29%] in Shivpuri ward vs 41/1029 [4%]]; sex specific AR was 52% for females. The major symptoms were fever 384/384 [100%], arthralgia 380//384 [99%]. Severity of disease and oedema were less prevalent in children of age group 1-15 year as compared to older age group 31-45 years [109/239 [46%], 13/183 [7%]]. The attack rate was highest 88/239 [37%] and statistically significant [P<0.03] in Shivpuri ward adjacent to pond. Both wards, Shivpuri-141 of 343 [41%] and Achhimohal-23 of 41 [56%] reported consulting with unqualified private practitioners. 19/21 were positive for anti Chikungunya IgM antibodies. 38/43 households [88%] in Shivpuri ward and 6/43 households [13%] in Achhimohal ward identified three species of Aedes mosquitoes

Conclusion: Chikungunya is mosquito born and laboratory confirmed; severely debilitating disease. Recommended for aggressive Information, Education and Communication [IEC] for emptying the storage of water once in a week and rational use of drugs

Filariasis in Ghatampur Tahsil of Kanpur Nagar District: indications of high endemicity locus.

A study in the 26 villages surveyed, the mf rate was observed to vary from 6.4% to 17.8%, the disease rate ranged from 1.9% to 10% and total infection rate from 8.2% to 26.4%. The median microfilaraemia density among positives was 10 and 90% of persons had density below 60 and in 10% above this level. The mf rate among those who never used bednets while sleeping was found to be 11.8%, 15.7% higher than 10.2% among those who ever used bednets (8.7% in regular users and 10.7% among irregular users) to protect from mosquitoes bites (p < 0.05). The lymphatic disease was found to be 3.8%; 3.7% in males and 4.1% in females. Of the males, 16.3% had acute disease, 51.8%) hydroceles of varying grades and 32% edema of different grades including elephantiasis. Of the females with lymphatic disease, 25.6% acute disease, 62.8% edema including elephantiasis and 11.6% had mastitis. The study indicates that area is endemic for filariasis and needs control programmes.

Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA from soil samples by PCR targeting RLEP sequences.

Despite near elimination of leprosy as a public health problem, several problems in leprosy still remain. These include early detection, determining efficacy of the treatment and differentiating relapses from re-infection. These aspects have important impact on the patients undergoing treatment and also have a bearing on understanding transmission dynamics in the community. While early diagnosis and management do not need major technological inputs, various reports have suggested that M. leprae is found in the environment and may have a role in continued transmission of disease. In earlier studies from other parts of world the presence of M. leprae DNA in the environment has been investigated both by microbiological and molecular studies. In the present study, an attempt was made to extract M. leprae DNA from soil samples, which were collected from eighteen different locations including 3 from our Institute area and 15 from different villages of Ghatampur area. We optimized a protocol for the extraction of DNA and amplified a fragment of M. leprae using specific primers targeting RLEP sequences. It was found that 33.3% of these soil samples collected from areas inhabited by leprosy cases gave positive result for M. leprae specific DNA. The utility of this method needs to be explored on a larger scale to establish the presence of M.leprae in the environment, and its role in the spread of the disease.