Publications by authors named "H V Murugkar"
Article Synopsis
- The Western Ghat region of Kerala has rich biodiversity that supports tick populations, which carry the Kyasanur Forest Disease virus (KFDV), known to cause hemorrhagic fever or "monkey fever."
- Tick infestations are common in local livestock, as these animals often graze in nearby forests, leading to increased risk of farmers contracting tick-borne diseases.
- While KFDV is widespread, data on other related viruses like CCHFV and GANV is limited, though a small percentage of livestock showed CCHFV exposure, indicating the need for further research and surveillance to identify disease hotspots.
Article Synopsis
- The H9N2 avian influenza virus, often overlooked, poses a potential risk of becoming a pandemic virus through genetic changes or interactions with other subtypes.
- A cross-sectional study in Madhya Pradesh collected 500 poultry tissue samples and 700 environmental samples, finding a 9.4% prevalence in tissues and 9.7% in environmental samples, with 10 out of 20 districts testing positive for the virus.
- The study identified two significant risk factors related to H9N2 positivity: the number of birds slaughtered daily and sourcing birds from wholesalers, suggesting a concern for genetic exchange that could enhance zoonotic transmission to humans and other animals.
Diagnostics employing multiple modalities have been essential for controlling and managing COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, scaling up Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection, remains challenging in low and middle-income countries. Cost-effective and high-throughput alternatives like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) could address this issue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study was aimed to investigate the role of cannibalism in transmission of H5N1 avian influenza virus to house crows (Corvus splendens). Four crows were intranasally inoculated with 10 EID (A/crow/India/01CA249/2021) H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and were observed for 14 days for any overt signs of illness. Two of the infected crows showed signs of wing paralysis, incoordination, and torticollis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to investigate the potential of H9N2 avian influenza virus to cause disease and intra-species transmission in house crows (). A group of six crows were intranasally inoculated with 10 EID of H9N2 virus (A/chicken/India/07OR17/2021), and 24 h post-inoculation six naïve crows were co-housed with infected crows. Crows were observed for 14 days for any overt signs of illness.
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