Prevalence of intestinal parasites in rural areas of district Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

A stool survey was carried out in some of the villages of Dadraul and Bhawal Khera PHC's of district Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Out of 381 individuals examined 111 (29.2 per cent) were found positive for one or the other intestinal parasite. Ascaris lumbricoides superseded all the parasites by showing a positivity of 17.85 percent. Other parasites found were Hookworm, Hymenolepis nana, Tapeworm, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Entamoeba histolytica, E. coli and Giardia lamblia. Parasitic load was slightly higher in females (33.59 per cent) than males (28.18 per cent). The highest positivity was encountered in the age groups between 6 to 14 years. This high prevalence of intestinal parasites may be due to the lack of awareness about personal cleanliness and hygiene and illiteracy among rural women. Majority of them had helminthic infections. It is concluded that in rural areas of district Shahjahanpur intestinal helminthic infections are more prevalent that protozoan infections.

Relapse/reinfection patterns of Plasmodium vivax infection: a four year study.

In an endemic area relapse and reinfection in Plasmodium vivax cases poses serious problems for the malaria control program. We have studied the relapse/reinfection patterns of P. vivax infection in 26 villages of District Shahjahanpur, a malaria endemic area of UP, India for a period of four years (May, 1986 to October, 1988). All the P. vivax cases were given a complete course of radical treatment and were followed-up for relapse/reinfection. There were 8,914, 2,484, 1,439 and 883 P. vivax cases in 1986, 1987 and 1989 respectively, our of which 2,066, 141, 58 and 18 cases in the respective years showed relapse/reinfection. The maximum number of relapse/reinfection was recorded from a 47 year old male patient, who suffered from P. vivax infection eight times. The percentage occurrence of relapse/reinfection was much higher (70.2%) in males compared with females (29.8%). Relapses were more common among 16-30 years old patients. In conclusion it was felt that in 1986 relapse/reinfection in vivax cases was higher due to improper treatment of these cases. This situation may have occurred due to lack of awareness among the public, poor surveillance by the National Malaria Program or higher density of the vector mosquitos in the area.

Humoral immune response of normal rhesus monkeys during primaquine administration.

Humoral immune response of normal rhesus monkeys was studied after giving a standard dose of primaquine. The drug did not effect the level of complement (C3) and its haemolytic activity. Levels of Immunoglobulin i.e. IgG, IgM & IgA and number of immunoglobulin secreting cells also remained unaffected. Results of this study suggested that primaquine did not suppress the immune status of the host and could be given safely to the malaria patients.

Effect of silica treatment on histopathology of intestinal & hepatic amoebiasis in murine model.

Histopathological changes in intestinal and hepatic amoebiasis were studied in Swiss albine mice with and without silica pretreatment. The intestinal infection rate was higher in silica treated mice (83%) as compared to non-silica treated mice (33%). Histologically all the silica treated mice had caecal ulceration which tended to spread across the muscularis propria into the serosal layer. The hepatic lesions were observed grossly in 100 and 60 per cent mice with and without silica treatment, respectively. However, the liver lesions in the silica treated mice were more severe, leading to satellite abscesses and in some cases the capsule ruptured leading to adhesions to the diaphragm and peritoneum. Histologically, the blockade of histiocytes with silica resulted in mainly a neutrophilic damage which was extensive and widespread. It also destroyed the amoeba and led to abundant fibrosis. In the non-silica group the damage was slow and devoid of neutrophils with quicker healing and lack of fibrosis resembling human hepatic lesions.

Cerebral malaria in pregnancy.

Three cases of cerebral malaria during pregnancy are described. One patient had intrauterine foetal death and died, one patient delivered a dead baby and the other had severe postpartum haemorrhage. Cerebral malaria worsens the outlook both for the mother and for the foetus.