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Objectives@#Regions with limited sanitation facilities have higher rates of infections with various enteric pathogens. It is therefore important to identify different hosts and their relative contribution to pathogen shedding into the environment, and to assess the subsequent health risks to humans. @*Methods@#In this study, human faecal (n=310), animal faecal (n=150), and environmental (soil) samples (n=40) were collected from the same locality and screened for selected enteric pathogens by immunochromatography and/or polymerase chain reaction. @*Results@#At least 1 microbial agent was detected in 49.0%, 44.7%, and 40.0% of the samples from human, animals, and soil, respectively. Among humans, rotavirus was predominantly detected (17.4%) followed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (15.4%), Shigella (13.8), and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (9.7%). Among animals, STEC was detected most frequently (28.0%), and EPEC was the major enteric pathogen detected in soil (30.0%). The detection rate of rotavirus was higher among younger children (≤2 years) than among older children. Single infections were more commonly detected than multiple infections in humans (p<0.01), unlike the observations in animal and soil samples. For diarrhoeagenic E. coli and Shigella, most of the human and animal isolates showed close relatedness, suggesting possible cross-infection between humans and domesticated animals in the area studied. @*Conclusions@#The present study provides an improved understanding of the distribution of major enteric pathogens coexisting in humans and animals in the region, thereby suggesting a high potential for possible transmission among livestock and communities residing in the studied locality.
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Objectives@#Regions with limited sanitation facilities have higher rates of infections with various enteric pathogens. It is therefore important to identify different hosts and their relative contribution to pathogen shedding into the environment, and to assess the subsequent health risks to humans. @*Methods@#In this study, human faecal (n=310), animal faecal (n=150), and environmental (soil) samples (n=40) were collected from the same locality and screened for selected enteric pathogens by immunochromatography and/or polymerase chain reaction. @*Results@#At least 1 microbial agent was detected in 49.0%, 44.7%, and 40.0% of the samples from human, animals, and soil, respectively. Among humans, rotavirus was predominantly detected (17.4%) followed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (15.4%), Shigella (13.8), and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (9.7%). Among animals, STEC was detected most frequently (28.0%), and EPEC was the major enteric pathogen detected in soil (30.0%). The detection rate of rotavirus was higher among younger children (≤2 years) than among older children. Single infections were more commonly detected than multiple infections in humans (p<0.01), unlike the observations in animal and soil samples. For diarrhoeagenic E. coli and Shigella, most of the human and animal isolates showed close relatedness, suggesting possible cross-infection between humans and domesticated animals in the area studied. @*Conclusions@#The present study provides an improved understanding of the distribution of major enteric pathogens coexisting in humans and animals in the region, thereby suggesting a high potential for possible transmission among livestock and communities residing in the studied locality.
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Concurrent infections of malaria and dengue are when both of these mosquito-borne diseases occur simultaneously in an individual. In this review, reported cases with these co-infections in Asia are discussed. The focus is on the overlapping clinical presentations and the difficulties encountered in differential diagnosis. Also, cases reported in some special conditions, viz., pregnancy, foetal infections, and co-infections with one or more other infectious agents are highlighted. Due to similar clinical presentations of malaria and dengue, these co-infections may give rise to an incorrect diagnosis. Moreover, the treatment regimens for these co-infections are not the same as those for mono-infections. Hence, a delay in implementing the appropriate treatment regimen for these concurrent infections due to poor diagnosis can be fatal. The present review is intended to increase awareness about the clinical significance and the importance of these co-infections among clinicians, public health workers and health authorities in the Asian region. Though malaria-dengue concurrent infections are seldom reported from the Asian region, it is probably increasing particularly in the countries known to be endemic for both of the above diseases. A compulsory reporting of the incidences of malaria-dengue concurrent infections is recommended.
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Objective To report cases of neurocysticercosis (NCC) from three neighboring districts of Andhra Pradesh state in India where NCC burden was never explored before. Methods A total of 160 patients presenting with recent onset seizures were recruited from neurology, general medicine, and pediatric outpatient clinics of a local major tertiary care teaching hospital serving above districts during the period 2011–2014. Brain imaging was performed in all the above cases. A commercial immunoglobulin G-ELISA kit (sensitivity = 85%; specificity = 94%) was employed for the serological diagnosis of NCC. Results The recruited patients presented with generalized, simple partial, and complex partial seizures (55%, 31.25% and 13.75% respectively). NCC was diagnosed in 44 of 160 (27.5%) seizure cases based on imaging characteristics, and a positive serum antibody ELISA. No association was detected between seropositivity with the number and location of the lesion(s) in the brain. Conclusions The possible potentiality of NCC could be identified as an underlying cause of the recent onset of seizures in this region as explored in the present study. It is recommended that NCC should be suspected as one of the major differential in every recent onset seizure with or without a radio imaging supportive diagnosis, especially in areas endemic for taeniasis/cysticercosis.