Serological diagnosis of dengue in laboratory practice in Kolkata.

Purpose: To find out the most suitable serological investigative procedures to diagnose dengue cases effectively in the laboratory practice identifying primary and secondary cases as well as period of suffering. Materials and Methods: Dengue suspected cases sent to the laboratory in 2012 in central Kolkata by the local physicians were categorised into seven panels according to the investigations asked for such as (1) only dengue‑specific NS1 antigen (2) only IgM antibodies, (3) NS1 + IgM + IgG antibodies, (4) only IgM and IgG, (5) NS1 + IgM, (6) NS1 + IgG and (7) only IgG. Results: Out of 1892 suspected cases, dengue was diagnosed in 725 (38.3%). Through panels I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII, it was possible to diagnose dengue in (I) 35.98% (435/1209), (II) 37.5% (24/60), (III) 49% (173/354), (IV) 30.8% (68/221), (V) 60.5% (23/38), (VI) 40% (2/5) and (VII) 0 of cases respectively. Detail information such as confirmed diagnosis, duration of the disease (whether early or prolonged) and classification of primary and secondary dengue in such early or prolonged stages would only be possible in panel III, which information would be helpful for effective monitoring and treatment of dengue patients. In all other panels, merely fragmentary information would be obtained. Conclusions: Serodiagnostic tests dengue‑specific NS1 antigen and IgM and IgG antibodies when conducted simultaneously would be able to diagnose confirmed dengue cases categorising primary and secondary dengue along with the duration of the disease, whether early or prolonged.

Emerging Plasmodium falciparum in an endemic area in Calcutta.

Calcutta is now intensely malarious. Malarial infections are detected in every month. In an endemic area in central Calcutta a year-long study from August 1996 to July 1997 reveals that 31.47% of all cases are due to Plasmodium falciparum infection. A competition is going on between P vivax and P falciparum to gain upperhand. An equilibrium is there in the month of January (1997), when P vivax and P falciparum cases constitute 51.13% and 49.43% respectively. The highest and lowest percentage of P falciparum infection is in December 1996 (67.98%) and in May 1997 (0.89%) which is just reverse in the case of P vivax in December 1996 (33.60%) and in May 1997 (99.10%). Three imported cases of P malariae have been detected but the patients cannot be traced. Six cases of mixed infections have been found.

A simple medium without blood modified for successful isolation & cultivation of LD bodies.

A simple growth medium for primary isolation and subsequent cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes without using whole blood is described. This medium is modified from Aljeboori's biphasic medium (used originally only for cultivation), containing only beef extract, peptone, sodium chloride, bactoagar and foetal calf serum (FCS). We have modified the medium by adding glucose and ascertaining the pH in the solid phase and by drastically reducing (91%) FCS in the liquid phase. The medium helps in isolation of L. donovani promastigotes from kala-azar patients, in addition to luxurious growth of parasites. The medium is simple, reliable, reproducible and convenient, with minimal interference in using the parasitic cells for immunological, molecular and isoenzyme studies.

A retrospective study on scorpion sting in a pediatric age group in a hospital in Calcutta.

During 1985-1989, in Calcutta Medical College Hospitals, of 152 children of 1-6 year age group admitted with the history of scorpion sting 18 (11.8%) died. Maximum numbers of stings were inflicted in the fingers. Important clinical features recorded were circulatory failure, breathlessness, profuse sweating, vomiting, local oedema and convulsion. Incidences of scorpion stings were much more frequent in the summer and rainy seasons than in the winter season.

Epidemiology of snake bite in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal.

An epidemiological field survey on snake bite was conducted on 26 randomly selected villages with a population of 18,892 in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal to assess the magnitude of the problem in a decade (1980-1989). Total number of snake bite, number of presumably poisonous snake bite and deaths due to snake bite poisoning were 307, 48 and 31 respectively. The death rate among snake bite victims was 10.09%. Males (54.72%) were bitten more than females (45.23%) and highest incidence of snake bite was found in the age group of 21-30 years and during the months of July and August. Majority of the snake bites (53%) were encountered in the lower extremities. Among the snake bite patients 201 (65.47% went to the traditional healers (ozhas) and 68 (22.14%) persons received hospital treatment, while 12 (3.09%) people neither went to the ozhas nor to hospital and 26 (8.46%) persons went to hospital after consulting the ozhas. If the present data are extrapolated for the total population of the district, average number of snake bite and death per year would be 7,857 (0.16%) and 793 (0.016%) respectively. Deaths due to snake bite per 100,000 population varied from 5.28 to 31.75 (average 16.4) over 10 years.

Longitudinal study on distribution of Phlebotomus argentipes sandflies at different heights in cattleshed.

Distribution of Ph. argentipes at three levels (level I, 0-0.91 m; level II, 0.91-1.82 m; and level III 1.82-2.74 m) above the ground in 6 cattlesheds was studied during July 1989 to June 1990. Of the 8044 Ph. argentipes caught, 3151 (39.2%), 3936 (48.9%) and 957 (11.9%) were from levels I, II, and III respectively. Both male and fed, half-fed, gravid and unfed female sandflies were found at all the three levels and in all the three seasons viz., rainy, winter and summer, of the year. The maximum height of occurrence of sandflies was 2.51 m (8.3 ft) above the ground level.

Efficacy & safety of glycine fortified oral rehydration solution in the treatment of acute dehydrating diarrhoea in children.

Efficacy and safety of glycine fortified oral rehydration solution (ORS) was compared with a standard ORS (WHO formula) in a randomized clinical trial in children aged between 4 months and 5 yr with moderate degree of dehydration owing to acute watery diarrhoea. No significant differences (P greater than 0.05) were observed in diarrhoeal stool output, duration of diarrhoea and intake of ORS between the study and control groups respectively. Thus glycine fortified ORS does not have any additional advantage over standard ORS. Moreover, two children developed hypernatraemia after receiving glycine fortified ORS in contrast to the control group. It is therefore suggested that glycine supplemented ORS should not be prescribed for the treatment of diarrhoeal dehydration in children.