An epidemiological investigation of mumps outbreak in a slum of Kolkata.

An unexpected clustering of mumps cases were reported in a slum of Kolkata during early part of 2009. An epidemiological investigation was initiated with a view to assess the characteristics and determinants of the disease, and implications of such clustering of cases in a slum of Kolkata. Data were collected through house to house visit using predesigned schedule and epidemiological case sheet. The propagated outbreak existed for fifteen weeks yielding 104 clinical cases. On the whole, attack rate was 4.7%, the highest and lowest being in 6-10 years (11.68%) and above 15 years (0.94%), respectively. The parotid swelling was bilateral in 92.3% of cases; fever was the most common general symptom, reportedly present in 92.3% of study subjects. The overall mean duration of parotid swelling was 6.85 +/- 1.89 days. Morbidity from mumps far exceeds the mortality rate. Improved ventilation of living rooms, personal & oral hygiene; isolation of cases, upgradation of routine immunization, better nutrition etc. were recommended at family & community level and introduction of MMR vaccine in National Immunization Schedule was suggested.

Profile of postmortem cases conducted at a morgue of a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata.

A record based cross-sectional study of postmortems performed at the mortuary attached to the forensic medicine and toxicology department of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from March 2008 to February 2009 comprising 1900 cases was conducted to determine the sociodemographic profile and to assess the nature and cause of such deaths. Bodies of 5 foetuses were decomposed which were excluded from the study. Out of a total of 1895 postmortems analysed, 23 autopsies were performed of limbs where the subjects were alive. Out of 1872 cases in 325 (17.4%) the manner of death was natural, whereas in 1547 cases (82.6%) it was unnatural. Accidents, suicides, homicides and undetermined deaths were 63.1%, 29.8%, 2.8% and 4.3% respectively. Among the natural deaths, evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis and coronary heart disease was found in 141 (43.4%) and 124 (38.2%) cases respectively. Burn injuries (22.6%) were the most common cause of unnatural deaths and occurred in 77.4% females. Rail track injuries and road traffic injuries were responsible for 21.9% and 14% of unnatural deaths. Hanging, poisoning and self-immolation were responsible for 48.4%, 28.9% and 19.7% of suicidal deaths respectively.

Iodine deficiency disorders among school children of Malda, West Bengal, India.

A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,392 school children, aged 8-10 years, in Malda district of West Bengal, India, in January 2001 to assess their iodine status. The children were selected through a multistage 30 cluster-sampling technique to determine the status of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) using recommended quantifiable indicators. The prevalence of goitre was assessed clinically using the standard palpation method by the teachers of Community Medicine, and a total goitre rate of 11.3% was found with no significant gender difference (p>0.05). Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) levels of 341 study subjects, selected through systematic random sampling, were analyzed by the wet digestion method to determine biochemical iodine deficiency by the teachers of Biochemistry Department. The median UIE was 15 mcg/dL, and no child had UIE value less than 5 mcg/dL. Iodine content of 1,060 salt samples tested with spot-testing kit revealed 85.1% with adequate iodine content of > or = 15 ppm. The finding of 11.3% of total goitre rate but with no evidence of current iodine deficiency (median UIE 15 mcg/dL) indicates that the Malda district is in the transition phase from iodine-deficient to iodine-sufficient.