Distribution of sibling species of Anopheles culicifacies s.l. and Anopheles fluviatilis s.l. and their vectorial capacity in eight different malaria endemic districts of Orissa, India

The study was undertaken in eight endemic districts of Orissa, India, to find the members of the species complexes of Anopheles culicifacies and Anopheles fluviatilis and their distribution patterns. The study area included six forested districts (Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda) and two non-forested coastal districts (Puri and Jagatsingpur) studied over a period of two years (June 2007-May 2009). An. culicifacies A, B, C and D and An. fluviatilis S and T sibling species were reported. The prevalence of An. culicifacies A ranged from 4.2-8.41 percent, B from 54.96-76.92 percent, C from 23.08-33.62 percent and D from 1.85-5.94 percent (D was reported for the first time in Orissa, except for occurrences in the Khurda and Nayagarh districts). The anthropophilic indices (AI) were 3.2-4.8 percent, 0.5-1.7 percent, 0.7-1.37 percent and 0.91-1.35 percent for A, B, C and D, respectively, whereas the sporozoite rates (SR) were 0.49-0.54 percent, 0 percent, 0.28-0.37 percent and 0.41-0.46 percent for A, B, C and D, respectively. An. fluviatilis showed a similarly varied distribution pattern in which S was predominant (84.3 percent overall); its AI and SR values ranged from 60.7-90.4 percent and 1.2-2.32 percent, respectively. The study observed that the co-existence of potential vector sibling species of An. culicifacies (A, C and D) and An. fluviatilis S (> 50 percent) was responsible for the high endemicity of malaria in forested districts such as Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Angul, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Khurda (> 5 percent slide positivity rate). Thus, the epidemiological scenario for malaria is dependent on the distribution of the vector sibling species and their vectorial capacity.

Scenario of neonatal surgery in West Bengal with refrence to cases of anorectal malformation.

Pediatric Surgery, though a super specialty does not enjoy the glamour and importance like other specialities, though, dealing with the most delicate of mankind, the children. The reasons for this are manifold and the results of this, brutal. This is a retrospective study carried at the major institutes of West Bengal where departments of pediatric surgery exist. We have observed a gross discrepancy between the number of patients admitted for surgically correctable congenital malformations and the standard state/ national frequency of these disorders. We focus on the plight of a child not able to reach the leval III health care system with a pediatric surgical back up and analyze the pros and cons with constructive criticism of the existing system.