Assessment of sanitation and drinking water facilities among slum households in Bhubaneswar, Odisha - A cross-sectional study.

Aim: The study aims to assess the practice of using unsafe drinking water and sanitary practices among the population dwelling in slum settings of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 288 households in the Bhubaneswar slums of Chandrasekharpur, Neeladri Vihar, and Trinatha basti. A questionnaire was administered face to face. Descriptive statistics were used to define the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, household information, drinking water, latrine characteristics, and waste disposal. Results: The majority (59.7%) resided in kutcha households in notified slum areas, and 89.6% were reportedly illiterate. About 92.7% resided in a deplorable condition, relying on piped water (79.5%) from the community sources and 20.5% used it for drinking and household purposes. Around 83% of the respondents stated they did not treat water before consumption. Bathroom facilities were found to be inadequate, and 74.3% used pit latrines. The majority of household wastes (83%) were managed by directly letting them to the drainage system untreated. As a consequence, 91% reported breeding of flies and mosquitoes near their household premises and 70.5% stated having fever in the past 6 months. Conclusion: Despite the government's initiatives to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) strategies, an extensive gap in practice was observed. As a result, Bhubaneswar municipality must strictly enforce policy and regulatory guidelines concerning WASH to improve the sanitation practices, particularly in the areas of drinking water and household waste management.

Factors Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu): A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: Despite ample research, the factors, specific causes, and pathways associated with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) remain elusive. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to explore the potential etiologies for the development of CKDu globally. (2) Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using databases CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO on the specific causes and pathophysiology related to CKDu from inception until April 2021. Study selection, data extraction of included articles, and quality appraisal were assessed. The narrative approach was used to summarize and comprehend the findings. (3) Results: Our study included 25 studies, considering 38,351 participants. Twelve studies were case-control, ten were cross-sectional, and three were cohort designs. All articles were from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The findings suggest 12 factors are associated with CKDu. Most studies (n = 8) identified farming and water sources as the factors related to CKDu, with heavy metal toxicity coming in second (n = 7). (4) Conclusion: The systematic review reported various factors associated with CKDu, from which most studies reported farming, water sources, and heavy metal poisoning. Considering the findings, the study recommends future strategies and public health initiatives to prevent the epidemiological/environmental factors contributing to CKDu.

Community Dynamics and Engagement Strategies in Establishing Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance Systems: A Multi-Site Report from India.

BACKGROUND: Six diverse Demographic Development and Environmental Surveillance System (DDESS) sites were established in urban slum, urban resettlement, peri-urban, rural, and tribal areas located in Northern, North-East, Eastern, and Southern regions of India from June 2020 to March 2022. Understanding the community dynamics and engaging people in the community is critically important in the process of establishing DDESS. We ascertained the barriers, challenges, and facilitators during the establishment of multiple DDESS sites across India. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive mixed-methods study. RESULTS: Multiple barriers and challenges encountered were reported in the process of community engagement (CE), such as geographical inaccessibility, language barriers, adverse weather, non-responsiveness due to perceived lack of individual benefit or financial gain, fear of contracting COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, etc. Facilitators in the CE process were pre-existing links with the community, constitution of community advisory boards, community need assessment, concomitant delivery of outreach health services, and skill-building facilities. CONCLUSION: Most community barriers in the development of DDESS sites in resource-limited settings can be overcome through a multipronged approach, including effective community engagement by focusing on demonstrating trust at the local level, enlisting community mobilization and support, utilizing pre-existing community linkages, initiating community diagnosis, and meeting perceived community health needs.

Infection, cases due to SARS-CoV-2 in rural areas during early COVID-19 vaccination: findings from serosurvey study in a rural cohort of eastern India.

COVID-19 serosurvey provides a better estimation of people who have developed antibody against the infection. But limited information on such serosurveys in rural areas poses many hurdles to understand the epidemiology of the virus and to implement proper control strategies. This study was carried out in the rural catchment area of Model Rural Health Research Unit in Odisha, India during March-April 2021, the initial phase of COVID vaccination. A total of 60 village clusters from four study blocks were identified using probability proportionate to size sampling. From each cluster, 60 households and one eligible participant from each household (60 per cluster) were selected for the collection of blood sample and socio-demographic data. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody was tested using the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay. The overall seroprevalence after adjusting for test performance was 54.21% with an infection to case ratio of 96.89 along with 4.25% partial and 6.79% full immunisation coverage. Highest seroprevalence was observed in the age group of 19-44 years and females had both higher seroprevalence as well as vaccine coverage. People of other backward caste also had higher seropositivity than other caste categories. The study emphasises on continuing surveillance for COVID-19 cases and prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination for susceptible groups for better disease management.

Factors associated with poor self-rated health among chronic kidney disease patients and their health care utilization: Insights from LASI wave-1, 2017-18.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), associated with other chronic conditions affects the physical, behavioral, and psychological aspects of an individual, leading to poor self-rated health. Hence, we aimed to assess the factors associated with poor self-rated health (SRH) in CKD patients. Additionally, we assessed their health care utilization. Methods: This is an observational study consisting of 527 CKD patients from Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), 2017-2018. A descriptive statistic computed prevalence. Regression analysis assessed the association between poor SRH and socio-demographic variables presented as adjusted odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95%. Health care utilization among CKD patients was graphically presented. Results: Around 64% of CKD patients had poor SRH. Aged 75 years and above (AOR=1.8, 95% CI= 0.5-6.8), rural residents (AOR= AOR 1.8, 95% CI =1.0 -3.1) and those with other chronic conditions (AOR=5.1, 95% CI= 2.3-11.0) were associated with poor SRH. Overall 79% of the CKD patients availed health care facility, most (44.8%) of those visit private facility. Conclusion: We observed older adults, females, rural residents, and having other chronic conditions were associated with poor SRH among CKD patients which highlights the need for equitable and strengthened health care system. There is an urgent need to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services for these individuals so as to maintain continuity of care.

Dolor abdominal e ictericia recurrente como manifestación clínica en un niño con colangitis escleronsante primaria / Abdominal pain and recurrent jaundice as demonstration clinic in a child with primary sclerosing cholangitis

La colangitis esclerosante primaria es una enfermedad hepatobiliar progresiva caracterizada por una inflamación crónica con fibrosis periductal de los conductos biliares intra y extrahepáticos que producen constricciones y ectasia generalizadas del tracto biliar. Se presenta el caso de un escolar masculino de 12 años de edad, quien inicio enfermedad actual a partir de los 5 años de edad cuando presentó dolor abdominal recurrente localizado en epigastrio y mesogastrio, leve a moderada intensidad, tipo cólico. A partir de los 8 años de edad se anexó tinte ictérico en piel y mucosa, con orinas coloreadas en forma intermitente. A los 10 años de edad, el 16/06/2008, el dolor abdominal aumenta en intensidad acompañado de nauseas, recibió tratamiento con sucralfato y ranitidina sin mejoría por lo que el 19/06/2008 se hospitalizó. Se le realizó exámenes de laboratorio que reportó elevación de las transaminasas, fosfatasa alcalina y gamma glutamil transpeptidasa. Tomografía abdominal signos sugestivos de colangitis por lo que se realizó serología para algunos virus hepatotropos, colangioresonancia y posteriormente biopsia hepática corroborándose el diagnóstico de colangitis esclerosante primaria. Aunque es una enfermedad colestásica frecuentes en el adulto debe ser tomada en cuenta en niños para hacer un diagnóstico precoz y posterior seguimiento

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease progressive hepatobiliary characterized by chronic inflammation with bile duct intra periductal fibrosis and extrahepatic that produce widespread biliary tract constrictions and ectasia. The case of a male school of 12 years of age who start current illness from 5 years of age when he presented recurrent abdominal pain located in the epigastrium and mesogastrio, mild to moderate intensity, cramping occurs. From the age of 8 was annexed on skin and mucosa, icteric dye with urine colored intermittently. To 10 years of age, 16/06/2008, abdominal pain increases in intensity accompanied of nausea, he received treatment with sucralfate and ranitidine without improvement for what 06 19, 2008 hospitalized. Laboratory tests which reported elevation of transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was carried out. Abdominal CT signs suggestive of cholangitis by what took place some virus serology hepatotropic, Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography and then liver biopsy corroborating the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Although is a disease common in the adult cholestatic should be taken into account in children to make an early diagnosis and subsequent follow-up

Isolamento de fagócitos viáveis do leite de búfalas (Bubalus bubalis) hígidas, sem elicitação, criadas no estado de São Paulo

A obtenção de células viáveis do leite em quantidade adequada tem sido considerada limitante para a avaliação das funçõescelulares, sem elicitação prévia e na ausência de inflamação. O presente estudo teve por objetivo padronizar o volume edescrever o processamento das amostras para a recuperação de 2 x 106 células viáveis/ml em suspensão, a partir de leite debúfalas hígidas, sem elicitação, criadas no estado de São Paulo. Para tal, foram colhidas 114 amostras de leite de búfalas,negativas no CMT e ao isolamento bacteriológico, compondo-se três grupos com amostras constituídas de diferentes volumes(100 a 125 ml; 500 ml e com 750 ml) de leite. As amostras foram submetidas à contagem de células somáticas e foramrealizados os cálculos dos números e percentuais de células viáveis. Empregando-se esse procedimento para isolamentodas células viáveis em quantidade e qualidade adequadas, concluiu-se que, em face da pequena concentração de células doleite de búfalas hígidas, foram necessários maiores volumes da amostra, fato que aumentou o tempo de processamento emanipulação das mesmas, comprometendo a viabilidade celular e conseqüentemente as aplicações experimentais futuras.O volume de 500 ml de leite foi considerado o mais eficiente para a recuperação de células em quantidade e qualidadeadequadas para ensaios in vitro.