Improved kala-azar case management through implementation of health facility-based sentinel sites surveillance system in Bihar, India.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar (KA), is a neglected vector-borne disease, targeted for elimination, but several affected blocks of Bihar are posing challenges with the high incidence of cases, and moreover, the disease is spreading in newer areas. High-quality kala-azar surveillance in India, always pose great concern. The complete and accurate patient level data is critical for the current kala-azar management information system (KMIS).

Evaluation of wetland ecosystem health using geospatial technology: evidence from the lower Gangetic flood plain in India.

The floodplain wetland habitat in the lower Gangetic plains of West Bengal played a significant role in protecting from environmental degradation like pollution, lowering groundwater table, natural hazards, and others as well as supports for human wellbeing. Thus, it is needed to investigate the health status of wetlands and suggest restoration strategies to protect the livelihood patterns dependent on wetlands. This paper presents the health of the wetland ecosystem by comprising the wetland ecosystem health index (WHI) in 2011 and 2018 at the block level of Malda district, as a part of the lower Gangetic flood plain using the pressure-state-response model (PSR model) and AHP method.

Eco-restoration of river water quality during COVID-19 lockdown in the industrial belt of eastern India.

The sudden lockdown recovers the health of the total environment particularly air and water while the country's economic growth and socio-cultural tempo of people have been completely hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the industries within the catchment area of river Damodar have been closed; as a result, significant changes have been reflected throughout the stretch of river Damodar. The main objective of the study is to analyze the impact of lockdown on the water quality of river Damodar.

Cleaning the river Damodar (India): impact of COVID-19 lockdown on water quality and future rejuvenation strategies.

Globally, it is established that the partial lockdown system assists to improve the health of the total environment due to inadequate anthropogenic actions in different economic sectors. The ample research on fitness of environment has been proved that the strict imposition of lockdown was the blessings of environment. The river Damodar has historical significance and lifeline for huge population of Jharkhand and West Bengal state of India but in the recent years the water quality has been deteriorated due to untreated industrial effluents and urban sewage.

Spatial prediction of COVID-19 epidemic using ARIMA techniques in India.

The latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become an infectious disease that causes millions of people to infect. Effective short-term prediction models are designed to estimate the number of possible events. The data obtained from 30th January to 26 April, 2020 and from 27th April 2020 to 11th May 2020 as modelling and forecasting samples, respectively.

Temporal and spatial statistical analysis of ambient air quality of Assam (India).

Unlabelled: Present paper represents the spatio-temporal variation of air quality and performances of geostatistical tools for the identification of pollutants zone in various districts of Assam (India). Geographic Information System (GIS) and geostatistical analysis were utilized to estimate the spatio-temporal variations (2015-2017) of gaseous and particulate air pollutants. Data of 23 fixed monitoring stations were collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Asymptomatic Leishmania infections in northern India: a threat for the elimination programme?

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) continues to embody as a mammoth public health problem and hurdle to the socioeconomic development of Bihar, India. Interestingly, all leishmanial infections do not lead to overt clinical disease and may stay asymptomatic for a period of time. Asymptomatic cases of VL are considered as probable potential reservoirs of VL, and thus can play a major role in transmission of the disease in highly endemic areas of Bihar, India.

Spatial distribution of P. argentipes in association with agricultural surrounding environment in North Bihar, India.

Introduction: Phlebotomus argentipes is considered to be one of the major control measure targets in eradicating visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This study demonstrates the spatial association of P. argentipes abundance in relation to agricultural environment in the endemic area of north Bihar.

Oviposition behaviour of Phlebotomus argentipes--a laboratory-based study.

The breeding habitat of sandflies is a little studied and poorly understood phenomenon. More importantly, oviposition behaviour is a largely neglected aspect of sandfly biology and this knowledge gap further undermines our understanding of the biology of sandflies. Pheromones released by the eggs play an important role in identifying good sites for oviposition by female insects.

Appraisal of Phlebotomus argentipes habitat suitability using a remotely sensed index in the kala-azar endemic focus of Bihar, India.

Visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, is recognised as a serious emerging public health problem in India. In this study, environmental parameters, such as land surface temperature (LST) and renormalised difference vegetation indices (RDVI), were used to delineate the association between environmental variables and Phlebotomus argentipes abundance in a representative endemic region of Bihar, India. The adult P.

Spatial and temporal variation and hotspot detection of kala-azar disease in Vaishali district (Bihar), India.

Background: An improved understanding in transmission variation of kala-azar is fundamental to conduct surveillance and implementing disease prevention strategies. This study investigated the spatio-temporal patterns and hotspot detection for reporting kala-azar cases in Vaishali district based on spatial statistical analysis.

Methods: Epidemiological data from the study area during 2007-2011 was used to examine the dynamic space-time pattern of kala-azar outbreaks, and all cases were geocoded at a village level.

Telehealth: a perspective approach for visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) control in India.

Visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar, is a vector borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite, L. donovani. Poor and neglected populations in Indian sub-continent are particularly affected by this disease.

Delimitation of kala-azar risk areas in the district of Vaishali in Bihar (India) using a geo-environmental approach.

Remote sensing and geographical information technologies were used to discriminate areas of high and low risk for contracting kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis. Satellite data were digitally processed to generate maps of land cover and spectral indices, such as the normalised difference vegetation index and wetness index. To map estimated vector abundance and indoor climate data, local polynomial interpolations were used based on the weightage values.

Localization of kala-azar in the endemic region of Bihar, India based on land use/land cover assessment at different scales.

Land cover, a critical variable in the epidemiology of kala-azar, can be remotely characterized by customizing and integrating "state-of-the-art" imagery at different spatial scales from different sensors onboard satellites. A study was conducted at four levels (national, state, district and village) investigating the role of land use/land cover (LULC) for leishmaniasis transmission resulting in a framework highlighting the links between LULC and areas endemic for the disease. Distribution maps were analysed by a probabilistic approach (Bayesian classifier) which produced a set of "suitability estimates" based on the probability of sand fly presence.

Role of remote sensing, geographical information system (GIS) and bioinformatics in kala-azar epidemiology.

Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is a potent parasitic infection causing death of thousands of people each year. Medicinal compounds currently available for the treatment of kala-azar have serious side effects and decreased efficacy owing to the emergence of resistant strains. The type of immune reaction is also to be considered in patients infected with Leishmania donovani (L.

A comparative evaluation of end-emic and non-endemic region of visceral leishmaniasis (Kala-azar) in India with ground survey and space technology.

In visceral leishmaniasis, phlebotomine vectors are targets for control measures. Understanding the ecosystem of the vectors is a prerequisite for creating these control measures. This study endeavours to delineate the suitable locations of Phlebotomus argentipes with relation to environmental characteristics between endemic and non-endemic districts in India.

Incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in the Vaishali district of Bihar, India: spatial patterns and role of inland water bodies.

The role of the distribution of inland water bodies with respect to the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and its dominant vector, Phlebotomous argentipes, has been studied at the regional scale in Bihar, eastern India. The Landsat TM sensor multispectral scanning radiometer, with a spatial resolution of 30 m in the visible, reflective-infrared and shortwave-infrared (SWIR) bands, was used to identify water bodies using the normalized differential pond index (NDPI) calculated as follows: (Green - SWIR I)/(Green + SWIR I). Nearest neighbour and grid square statistics were used to delineate spatial patterns and distribution of the sandfly vector and the disease it transmits.

Study of house-level risk factors associated in the transmission of Indian Kala-azar.

Background: In visceral leishmaniasis (VL), phlebotomine vectors are the main target to reduce for control measures. An attempt has been taken to delineate the association between Phlebotomous argentipes and housing characteristics between two districts e.g.