ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of supplementing newborn infants with vitamin A on mortality at age 6 months. DESIGN: Community based, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. SETTING: Two rural districts of Tamil Nadu, southern India. PARTICIPANTS: 11 619 newborn infants allocated 24 000 IU oral vitamin A or placebo on days 1 and 2 after delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Primary outcome measure was mortality at age 6 months. RESULTS: Infants in the vitamin A group had a 22% reduction in total mortality (95% confidence interval 4% to 37%) compared with those in the placebo group. Vitamin A had an impact on mortality between two weeks and three months after treatment, with no additional impact after three months. CONCLUSION: Supplementing newborn infants with vitamin A can significantly reduce early infant mortality.
Subject(s)
Dietary Supplements , Vitamin A Deficiency/diet therapy , Vitamin A/administration & dosage , Community Health Services , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , India/epidemiology , Infant , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Male , Risk Factors , Rural Health , Treatment Outcome , Vitamin A Deficiency/mortalityABSTRACT
Fortnightly application of Bacillus sphaericus (strain B101, serotype H5a5b) and B. thuringiensis var. israelensis (strain 164, serotype H-14) in two different waterways of Chennai @ 1 g/sq m surface area has resulted in significant reduction in both immature and adult densities of Culex quinquefasciatus Say. The use of these biolarvicides as biocontrol agents is suggested in the urban areas to control mosquitoes in general.
Subject(s)
Bacillus thuringiensis/physiology , Bacillus/physiology , Culex , Filariasis/transmission , Insect Vectors , Pest Control, Biological , Wuchereria bancrofti , AnimalsABSTRACT
The impact of spraying Deltamethrin 2.5% w.d.p. @ 20 mg/m2 and its comparison with Malathion 25% w.d.p. @ 2 gr./m2 was assessed in Rameshwaram Island, Tamil Nadu. Monitoring of entomological and parasitological indices revealed that due to deltamethrin spray malaria transmission could be effectively interrupted and a significant reduction in malaria cases was achieved. P. falciparum cases also showed a significant reduction whereas in the comparison malathion areas reduction in malaria cases or in pf cases was not recorded.
Subject(s)
Anopheles , Insecticides , Malaria/transmission , Mosquito Control/methods , Pyrethrins , Animals , Humans , India/epidemiology , Malaria/epidemiology , Malathion , NitrilesABSTRACT
The Phlebotomine sandfly fauna of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry in South India is described. Two morphologically different forms of Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of Indian visceral leishmaniasis, are reported from Madras, a known focus of visceral leishmaniasis. A new species, Sergentomyia shettyi sp. nov., is described and Sergentomyia babu and Sergentomyia insularis stat. nov. are considered distinct species on the basis of their parapatric distribution. Phlebotomus papatasi and P. argentipes were the most abundant species around houses (37% and 29% of the catch, respectively), based on 1 year's sampling in villages near Pondicherry. The incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in Tamil Nadu since 1903 is summarized.
Subject(s)
Leishmaniasis, Visceral/transmission , Phlebotomus/anatomy & histology , Phlebotomus/classification , Animals , India/epidemiology , Insect Vectors , Leishmaniasis, Visceral/epidemiology , Male , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Villages in South Arcot and Tirunelveli districts with high incidence of Japanese Encephalitis were selected for the study of insecticidal resistance to vectors. Culex vishnui and Anopheles hyrcanus group were found to be resistant to DDT (4 per cent for 60 min. exposure) and dieldrin (0.4 per cent for 60 min. exposure) but susceptible to Malathion (5 per cent for 60 min. exposure). So far, this is perhaps the first report of Anopheles hyrcanus group resistant to DDT and dieldrin to be reported from this area. The resistance may be due to extensive use of DDT and HCH for agricultural purposes.
