Clinico-demographic profile of COVID-19 positive patients - first wave versus second wave - an experience in north-east India.

Introduction: India witnessed two distinct COVID-19 waves. We evaluated the clinico-demographic profile of patients infected during first wave (FW) and second wave (SW) in a hospital in north-east India.

Methodology: Patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 specific gene by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction across FW and SW were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive.

Identification of Taenia solium DNA by PCR in blood and urine samples from a tertiary care center in North India.

Background: NCC is a neglected zoonotic disease with high endemicity and disease burden. Neurocysticercosis is a frequent cause of seizures in endemic countries. Early diagnosis and therapy helps in reducing morbidity and DALYs (daily adjusted life years) lost.

Sorting out difficulties in immunological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis: Development and assessment of real time loop mediated isothermal amplification of cysticercal DNA in blood.

Purpose Of The Study: Among various immunological tests available for diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NCC), only EITB (Electroimmunotransfer blot for detection of anticysticercal antibodies) had gained widespread acceptance. However EITB is not available widely and is costly (Indian rupees 15,000/- approximately). We evaluated utility of Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detection of Taenia solium cox1 gene in blood of patients with NCC.