Length?weight Relationships of Four Indigenous Freshwater Fishes of Longshen Stream, Indo-Myanmar Borderline of North-East of India

Length-weight relationships (LWR) are reported for four indigenous fish species of longshen stream, Indo-Myanmar boundary line North-Eastern Ghats of Indian region, for the period of June 2020 to September 2022. Specimen species were collected during different exploratory surveys, using through traditional bamboo made fishing gears. The b value for LWRs varied from 2.09(Barilius vagra) to 2.63(Garra lissorhynchus). R2 values varied from 0.85 to 0.95, indicating unique values. The results providing baseline information for the need of sustainable ecological as well as economical management and conservation of indigenous fish species in Indo-Myanmar borderlines

A study of the prevalence of post-partum depression in a secondary care hospital in Dimapur, Nagaland, Northeast-India

Background: Post Partum Depression (PPD) is a very common mental health issue emerging in pregnant woman worldwide. This research tries to find out prevalence of post-partum depression and factors leading to its development.Methods: A structured interview was conducted involving 178 pregnant women of age >18 years. During their intra-natal period they were given an EPDS questionnaire and then after 2 weeks they were reassessed through telephonic interview. The results of two EPDS scores and variables was obtained on paper and analysed on Microsoft Excel.Results: This study shows a prevalence of PPD to be 54.49%. It was also found in this study that Post-Partum Depression is very closely associated with history of miscarriage in previous pregnancies (p=0.042).Conclusions: Prevalence of PPD is very high in Northeast India specially in urban areas. This study included in-patients and found 54.49% prevalence of PPD. Miscarriage being strongly associated.

Study on Shifting Cultivation Cycle (Jhum Cycle) in Mokokchung District of Northeast India Using Multi Temporal Satellite Data

Shifting cultivation has a long history that predates the development of agriculture as a whole. Locally known as jhum farming in Northeast India, this system's farmers are referred to as jhummias. The strategy is based on crop planting during the wet season and cutting and burning vegetation during the dry season. After growing crops for two to three years, the land is left fallow for a number of years before being further cultivated. The locations and area under various jhum cycles are currently inadequate. This was the first attempt to use GIS and remote sensing tools to generate data on various shifting cultivation fellow cycle periods in Mokokchung district of Northeast India between 1991 and 2012. To locate moving farmed areas, IRS sensor data for the year 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2012 were used. While for the years 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000, Land-sat TM satellite imagery was used. ERDAS envision and Arc GIS 10.0 software tool were used to determine the area under different jhum cycles, namely 20, 10, and 5 years, and to create the map. For the purpose of determining the spatial extent of the current shifting agricultural areas over the course of 20 years, visual interpretation of the images has been carried out and verified with field checking. Our findings indicate that the Northeast Indian district of Mokokchung's jhum lands declined from 8.99% to 6.31% of its overall geographic area. The highest jhum area in the research region was likewise estimated to be under 20 years cycle (817.23 ha), followed by 5 years cycle (783.02 ha), 10 years cycle (591.9 ha), and 15 years cycle (684.55 ha). A correct fallow cycle of shifting agriculture may help to increase watershed conservation while maximizing crop productivity, according to the fundamental concept of our work.

Acute Febrile Illnesses – Clinico-epidemiological Pattern in a RemoteGeographical Location of North-eastern India

Background:Acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI / AFI) is a common cause for patients seeking hospital care in tropical countries like India. Non-specificity of symptoms and lack of appropriate diagnostics pose a challenge, especially in resource-limited settings. Investigation into the etiology and trends of AUFI provide valuable public health data to target clinical workup and guide optimal treatment.Method: A record-based descriptive study was conducted on all AFI cases presented to a Government tertiary care centre in a tribal hilly state of Northeast India in the year 2021. Result: Under five children were the most affected and respiratory infections were the most common cause of fever.Enteric fever and scrub typhus were the most common cause of undifferentiated fever.However, it was a remarkable finding that no case of malaria or dengue was reported from this region. Fevers remained undetermined in 28% of cases.Undetermined fevers and scrub typhus had higher occurrence during winters while no seasonality was observed with enteric fever. The majority of the patients recovered and were discharged. The case fatality rate was 0.35%. Conclusion:The local epidemiology of AUFI can help guide presumptive diagnosis and deliver optimal patient management in these settings.Typhoid and scrub typhus are to be considered differentials for AUFI in this region.

Genetic diversity analysis of specialty glutinous and low-amylose rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces of Assam based on Wx locus and microsatellite diversity

The sticky rice of Assam is traditionally classified as bora (glutinous) and chokuwa (semi-glutinous) basedon their stickiness after cooking. The Waxy (Wx) gene encodes for granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS)that controls the synthesis of amylose, which is a key determinant of rice end-use quality attributes. In thisreport, we analysed the level of variation in grain quality traits in a collection of bora and chokuwacultivars, and examined the nucleotide diversity at the Wx locus of selected rice accessions to identify thepossible cause of low-amylose in these rice cultivar groups. The Wx gene sequencing from 24 bora andchokuwa cultivars revealed several nucleotide variations that can explain the variation in the amylosephenotypes. The nucleotide polymorphisms in the downstream intron regions were similar to those reportedin Bangladeshi Beruin cultivars. Among the Wx polymorphisms, the CTn microsatellite in exon 1 and G/TSNP in intron 1 (G/T-Int1) should be considered for marker assisted breeding involving bora cultivars. TheWx gene tree, classified the bora accessions possessing the G/T-Int1 SNP as japonicas. However, clusteranalysis using microsatellite markers classified the bora and chokuwa cultivars as indica, and intermediateof indica-aus. The findings of this study supplemented our understanding on the evolution of the Wx geneunder human selection. The results will assist plant breeders to effectively improve the bora and chokuwalandraces.

Cancer in the NorthEast India: Where we are and what needs to be done?

North East Region in India is showing a peculiar type of cancer incidence pattern. This is an attempt to get a clear picture of cancer in NE India, the gaps in providing cancer care, and a way forward for a healthier NE. For this purpose, a desk review was undertaken along with secondary data analysis in 2018. In NE, the survival rate is comparatively very low, with higher proportion of distant metastasis cases at diagnosis. Even worse, the NE region lacks required infrastructure with respect to specialized treatment facilities, human resources, etc., In view of high burden of the disease with very limited resources, a multidisciplinary, multidimensional, and multilevel approach are needed to protect this vibrant region from becoming the cancer hub.

Clinical profile of primary hyperparathyroidism in Northeast India: a single centre experience

Background: A retrospective study of the presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism was done at a tertiary care centre in northeast India and was compared with variable features in other parts in India and worldwide.Methods: The clinical presentation, biochemical parameters, radiological and histopathology findings of 27 subjects of primary hyperparathyroidism who presented to us over a period of 5 years were retrospectively analysed. Chi-square test, student t test and 'one way ANOVA' were used to compare different variables. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: The age distribution ranged from as young as 13 years to 72 years (39±16.7). The male:female ratio was 1:1.25. The duration of symptoms at presentation ranged from 2 to 72 months (21.7±20.3). The most common presentation was bone pain in 59.2% of cases, followed by proximal myopathy (48.1%), fatigue (44.4%), abdominal pain (44.4%), constipation (11.1%), hypertension (18.5%), palpable neck swelling (22.2%), limb deformity (22.2%) and fracture (14.8%). The mean serum calcium was 12.2±0.87mg/dl. Parathyroid adenoma was localized radiologically in all patients and single adenoma was the most common cause in 96.3%. Left inferior parathyroid adenoma was the most common site of involvement in 51.8%.Conclusions: Hyperparathyroidism at our centre in northeast India has a classic symptomatic presentation with severe bone and renal involvement and younger age at diagnosis, and equal gender distribution.

Genetic characterisation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses circulating in Assam, Northeast India during 2009�15

Introduction: Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, since its identification in April 2009, has continued to cause significant outbreaks of respiratory tract infections including pandemics in humans. In the course of its evolution, the virus has acquired many mutations with an ability to cause increased disease severity. A regular molecular surveillance of the virus is essential to mark the evolutionary changes that may cause a shift to the viral behavior. Materials and Methods: Samples of Throat/Nasal swabs were collected from a total of 3715 influenza-like illness cases and screened by Real-time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction for influenza viruses. Nucleotide sequence analysis was done to identify changes in antigenicity of the virus strains. Results: The present study describes the molecular characteristics of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses detected in Assam of Northeast India during 2009�15. Influenza A viruses were detected in 11.4% (425/3715), of which influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses were detected in 41.4% (176/425). The nucleotide sequencing of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses revealed a total of 17 and 22 amino acid substitutions in haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the virus, respectively, compared to contemporary vaccine strain A/California/07/2009. The important mutations detected in HA genes of A/Assam(H1N1)pdm09 strains included E391K, K180Q and S202T. Mutation 'N248D' which has an ability to develop oseltamivir resistance was also detected in NA gene of A/Assam(H1N1)pdm09 strains. Conclusions: Regular molecular surveillance of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 is important to monitor the viral behavior in terms of increase virulence, drug resistance pattern and emergence of novel strains.

Surveillance of Chikungunya virus activity in some North-eastern states of India

Objective: To detect the prevalence pattern of Chikungunya virus in three states of Northeast India. Methods: A total of 1 510 samples were collected from different private and government hospitals of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Serum was tested for the presence of IgM antibodies against Chikungunya virus followed by RT-PCR for amplification of Chikungunya E1 gene region using specific primers. Results: Overall, 11.83% (172/1 454) clinical samples were positive by MAC-ELISA and/or RT-PCR assay. Asymptomatic infection was seen in 17.86%. Males were more affected than females and age group 16-30 years was mostly affected. Fever (100.00%) was the primary symptom followed by headache (72.03%) and arthralgia (41.53%). Only 118 Chikungunya positive cases could be traced, of which 25.42% complained about sequelae of infection. In entomological investigation, Aedes aegypti was more predominant (92.10%) than Aedes albopictus (7.90%). No mosquito pools could be incriminated for Chikungunya virus. Conclusions: In this study, Chikungunya was observed to be prevalent in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Though Chikungunya is a self-limiting infection, increasing morbidity by CHIKV infection is affecting social and economic status of individual. Thus, a community empowerment to effectively control mosquito population by employing different mosquito control measures along with personal protection is mandatory to tackle future outbreak of the disease.

Surveillance of Chikungunya virus activity in some North-eastern states of India

Objective: To detect the prevalence pattern of Chikungunya virus in three states of Northeast India. Methods: A total of 1 510 samples were collected from different private and government hospitals of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Serum was tested for the presence of IgM antibodies against Chikungunya virus followed by RT-PCR for amplification of Chikungunya E1 gene region using specific primers. Results: Overall, 11.83% (172/1 454) clinical samples were positive by MAC-ELISA and/or RT-PCR assay. Asymptomatic infection was seen in 17.86%. Males were more affected than females and age group 16-30 years was mostly affected. Fever (100.00%) was the primary symptom followed by headache (72.03%) and arthralgia (41.53%). Only 118 Chikungunya positive cases could be traced, of which 25.42% complained about sequelae of infection. In entomological investigation, Aedes aegypti was more predominant (92.10%) than Aedes albopictus (7.90%). No mosquito pools could be incriminated for Chikungunya virus. Conclusions: In this study, Chikungunya was observed to be prevalent in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Though Chikungunya is a self-limiting infection, increasing morbidity by CHIKV infection is affecting social and economic status of individual. Thus, a community empowerment to effectively control mosquito population by employing different mosquito control measures along with personal protection is mandatory to tackle future outbreak of the disease.

Factors limiting the Northeast Indian elderly population from seeking cataract surgical treatment: Evidence from Kolasib district, Mizoram, India

Purpose: Reliable data on the barriers to the uptake of cataract surgical services in the Northeast Indian states are scanty. The purpose of this study was to assess the barriers to uptake of cataract surgical services among elderly patients and suggest appropriate strategies to reduce these. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who failed to avail cataract surgical services, 6–12 months' postinitial diagnosis at a community eye health camp. Validated questionnaire was used to collect information through face-to-face interviews at the residence of the participants. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were conducted to assess the association between the barriers quoted and sociodemographic variables. Results: A total of 140 (89.2%) individuals participated in the study, of whom 56 (40%) were aged between 71 and 80 years. The median age for men and women was 73.5 and 72.5 years, respectively. About 57% of participants were female patients. A total of 66 (47.1%) participants had borderline visual acuity followed by those with poor vision (41.4%, n = 58). “Bad roads/difficult terrain” (P = 0.009), “witnessed bad surgical outcomes in others” and “did not feel important” (P < 0.024), “poor overall health status” (P < 0.001), “lack of information” (P = 0.025) and “no escort” (P = 0.025) were significant barriers reported by this population. Conclusion: Most of the barriers reported in this study seem to be endogenous in nature and appear to be within the purview of the local eye care service provider to remedy. Counseling and targeted awareness and information, education, and communication strategies could nullify many of the barriers reported in this study.

Malaria transmission in Tripura: disease distribution & determinants.

Background & objectives: Malaria is a major public health problem in Tripura and focal disease outbreaks are of frequent occurrence. The State is co-endemic for both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax and transmission is perennial and persistent. The present study was aimed to review data on disease distribution to prioritize high-risk districts, and to study seasonal prevalence of disease vectors and their bionomical characteristics to help formulate vector species-specific interventions for malaria control. Methods: Data on malaria morbidity in the State were reviewed retrospectively (2008-2012) for understanding disease distribution and transmission dynamics. Cross-sectional mass blood surveys were conducted in malaria endemic villages of South Tripura district to ascertain the prevalence of malaria and proportions of parasite species. Mosquito collections were made in human dwellings of malaria endemic villages aiming at vector incrimination and to study relative abundance, resting and feeding preferences, and their present susceptibility status to DDT. Results: The study showed that malaria was widely prevalent and P. falciparum was the predominant infection (>90%), the remaining were P. vivax cases. The disease distribution, however, was uneven with large concentration of cases in districts of South Tripura and Dhalai coinciding with vast forest cover and tribal populations. Both Anopheles minimus s.s. and An. baimaii were recorded to be prevalent and observed to be highly anthropophagic and susceptible to DDT. Of these, An. minimus was incriminated (sporozoite infection rate 4.92%), and its bionomical characteristics revealed this species to be largely indoor resting and endophagic. Interpretation & conclusions: For effective control of malaria in the State, it is recommended that diseases surveillance should be robust, and vector control interventions including DDT spray coverage, mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets/ long-lasting insecticidal nets should be intensified prioritizing population groups most at risk to avert impending disease outbreaks and spread of drug-resistant malaria.

First case of Paragonimus westermani infection in a female patient in India.

Paragonimiasis is a foodborne parasitic zoonosis caused by lung fl uke species of the genus Paragonimus. The Paragonimus westermani is the most common human pathogen in Asian countries. In northeast India, Paragonimus heterotremus has been documented as the only human pathogen in the earlier literature. In India, P. westermani infection in humans remained undetermined. Herein, we report a case of pulmonary paragonimiasis due to P. westermani in an adult female in Manipur. The diagnosis was made by morphological and molecular characterisation of the eggs in the sputum. This is the fi rst confi rmed case of paragonimiasis due to P. westermani in India.

Antimalarial plants of northeast India: An overview.

The need for an alternative drug for malaria initiated intensive efforts for developing new antimalarials from indigenous plants. The information from different tribal communities of northeast India along with research papers, including books, journals and documents of different universities and institutes of northeast India was collected for information on botanical therapies and plant species used for malaria. Sixty-eight plant species belonging to 33 families are used by the people of northeast India for the treatment of malaria. Six plant species, namely, Alstonia scholaris, Coptis teeta, Crotolaria occulta, Ocimum sanctum, Polygala persicariaefolia, Vitex peduncularis, have been reported by more than one worker from different parts of northeast India. The species reported to be used for the treatment of malaria were either found around the vicinity of their habitation or in the forest area of northeast India. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (33%), roots (31%), and bark and whole plant (12%). The present study has compiled and enlisted the antimalarial plants of northeast India, which would help future workers to fi nd out the suitable antimalarial plants by thorough study.

Opportunity for natural selection among some selected population groups of Northeast India.

BACKGROUND: Selection potential based on differential fertility and mortality has been computed for seven population groups inhabiting different geographical locations of Northeast India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Crow’s as well as Johnston and Kensinger’s index have been used for the present purpose. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Irrespective of the methodology, the total index of selection was found to be highest among the Deoris followed by the Kaibartas. The lowest selection index was found among the Oraon population. If the relative contribution of fertility and mortality components to the total index is considered to be multiplicative, it is observed that in all these communities the fertility component exceeds that of mortality component, which may indicate initiation of demographic transitional phase in the selected populations with the betterment of healthcare and socioeconomic condition within the last few decades.