Epidemiological investigation of a cholera outbreak in Nepal-India border communities: Public health implications.

Objectives: On October 4, 2021, a cholera outbreak was reported in Kapilvastu District, one of Nepal's 26 districts bordering India. This study examined the outbreak's characteristics, response efforts, and the challenges faced.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was applied for the outbreak investigation.

Malaria reporting timeliness analysis and factors associated with delayed notification, 2018-2022, Nepal.

In order to monitor public health trends and identify disease outbreaks early, efficient and reliable notification and surveillance systems are essential. Nepal uses a 1-3-7 malaria surveillance approach. The Short Message System (SMS) -based system for timely notification has been established.

From Rhetoric to Reality: Embracing Evidence-Based Policy for Lasting Impact.

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Visceral leishmaniasis in new foci areas of Nepal: Sources and extent of infection.

Background & Objectives: The successful elimination program of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Nepal decreased the incidence to less than 1 per 10,000 population leading to the consolidation phase. However, new VL cases have been recorded from new districts, threatening the elimination goal. This study monitors the geographical spread of VL and identifies potential risk factors.

Evaluating active leprosy case identification methods in six districts of Nepal.

Background: Nepal has achieved and sustained the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem since 2009, but 17 districts and 3 provinces with 41% (10,907,128) of Nepal's population have yet to eliminate the disease. Pediatric cases and grade-2 disabilities (G2D) indicate recent transmission and late diagnosis, respectively, which necessitate active and early case detection. This operational research was performed to identify approaches best suited for early case detection, determine community-based leprosy epidemiology, and identify hidden leprosy cases early and respond with prompt treatment.

Epidemiological, Serological, and Entomological Investigation of New Visceral Leishmaniasis Foci in Nepal.

The aim of this study was to explore epidemiological, serological, entomological, and social aspects of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in new foci in Nepal. The study was conducted in 11 villages of five districts that had been previously free of VL but that reported new cases between 2019 and 2021. We screened 1,288 inhabitants using rK39 tests and investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 12 recent VL cases.

Follow-up assessment of visceral leishmaniasis treated patients and the impact of COVID-19 on control services in Nepal.

Background: Follow-up assessment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) treated cases is important to monitor the long term effectiveness of treatment regimens. The main objective of this study was to identify the gaps and challenges in the follow-up of treated VL cases, to monitor treatment outcome and to assess the impact of COVID-19 on VL elimination services and activities.

Methods: Clinicians treating VL patients, district focal persons for VL, and patients treated for VL in seven high endemic districts in Nepal during 2019-2022 were interviewed to collect data on challenges in the follow-up of VL treated patients as per national strategy.

Thoraco-lumbar Burst Fractures among Patients Admitted to Spine Unit of the Department of Orthopedics of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Burst fractures are the most common fractures in the thoracolumbar junction. Unstable burst fractures are mostly associated with neural injury. Early neurological and mechanical stabilisation are the goals of treatment.

Bacterial Assessment of Stethoscopes Used by Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Government Hospital in Bharatpur, Nepal.

The transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) in healthcare settings is a serious challenge in the medical fraternity. Medical devices, such as stethoscopes used by healthcare workers (HCWs), are likely to harbor a considerable number of pathogenic microbes, which may result in the transmission of HCAIs. This study sought to investigate bacterial contamination of stethoscopes used by HCWs at Bharatpur Hospital, Nepal.

COVID-19 Amongst Travelers at Points of Entry in Nepal: Screening, Testing, Diagnosis and Isolation Practices.

WHO recommends surveillance for COVID-19 among travelers at Points of Entry (POE) to countries. At 13 selected POE at the Nepal-India border, between March 2021 and July 2021, we describe the screening, testing, diagnosis and isolation practices of COVID-19 amongst travelers. Those who stayed in India or elsewhere for > one day and those who did not have a negative RT-PCR result within the last 72 h of travel were tested for COVID-19 with rapid antigen diagnostic tests.

Operational Gaps in Implementing the COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Madhesh Province of Nepal, May-July 2021.

In Nepal, case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) was adopted as an important public health measure to reduce COVID-19 transmission. In this study, we assessed the performance of CICT in Madhesh Province of Nepal against national benchmarks, using routine programmatic data reported by district CICT teams. Between May and July 2021, 17,943 COVID-19 cases were declared in the province, among which case investigation was performed for 30% (95% CI: 29.

Determinants of Telehealth Service Use among Mental Health Patients: A Case of Rural Louisiana.

The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the in-person outpatient visits and accelerated the use of telehealth services among mental health patients. Our study investigated the sociodemographic and clinical correlates of the intensity of telehealth use among mental health patients residing in rural Louisiana, United States. The study sample included 7069 telehealth visits by 1115 unique patients encountered from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 at six mental health outpatient clinics managed by the Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (NEDHSA).

Traumatic Spinal Injury among Patients with Spinal Injuries Admitted to the Spine Unit of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Traumatic spinal injury is a major source of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The number of spinal injuries is growing annually but epidemiological and demographic features may be different in different regions. This study aims to find out the prevalence of traumatic spinal injury among patients with spinal injuries admitted to the spine unit of a tertiary care centre.

Prevalence of Nerve Injuries in Supracondylar Fracture of Humerus in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background: Supracondylar fracture is a common childhood injury. These fractures are often associated with neural and vascular injuries. There is discrepancy in literature about the most common nerve injured in such fractures.

Hoffa Osteochondroma - Para-articular Extrasynovial Infrapatellar Fat Pad Osteochondroma: A Case Report.

Osteochondroma usually arises from the metaphyseal region of growing bones. The occurrence of extraskeletal osteochondroma is rare with very few case reports. Para-articular osteochondroma is a type of extraskeletal osteochondroma.

Impact of the Federal Conservation Program Participation on Conservation Practice Adoption Intensity in Louisiana, USA.

Conservation practices focusing on improving the soil and water quality of working lands are implemented across the United States, supported partially through the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service cost-share or incentive payment programs. We assess whether participation in federal conservation support programs induces a change in the number of conservation practices adopted by farmers. We also identify the factors that affect the adoption intensity of different best management practices.

Impact of Work Value Awareness on Self-Rated Physical Health of Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers in China.

We used data based on the China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey 2016 to examine the relationship between the work value awareness and the physical health of rural-to-urban migrant workers. The work value awareness was characterized by five dimensions: awareness of the emotional value, social value, respect value, ability value and interest value. Physical health was measured by a self-rated health assessment.

Kawasaki Disease like Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in a Toddler during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Nepal.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a new childhood inflammatory disorder associated with respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This illness of elevated inflammatory markers and multiple organ involvement similar to Kawasaki disease is not commonly reported from Asia. A 17-month-old boy presented with acute onset fever, rash, non-exudative conjunctivitis and swellings of hands and legs.

Impact of Credit Constraints from Formal Financial Institutions on Rural Residents' Health in China.

This is the first study in China that looks at the impact of credit constraints from formal financial institutions on Chinese rural residents' health. We use the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) data collected by the Annual Household Survey Office of Integration of Urban and Rural in the National Bureau of Statistics in 2014. We measure rural residents' health status with self-rated health assessment and the number of sick days in 2013.

Migration, Remittance, and Adoption of Conservation Practices.

Temporary migration and the resulting flow of fund in terms of remittance has been one of the major sources of financing in developing countries. However, little is known about the role of remittance receipt by households on the adoption of environmental-friendly practices in the agricultural production system. We use the three-stage least squares (3-SLS) regression method to analyze the data obtained from face-to-face interview surveys of 338 Nepali households to understand the impact of migration and remittance on the adoption of conservation practices.

Food Safety Risk Information-Seeking Intention of WeChat Users in China.

Consumers' food safety risk information-seeking behavior plays a vital role in improving their food quality and safety awareness and preventing food safety risks. Based on the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP), this paper empirically analyzes the food safety risk information-seeking intention of consumers in WeChat and influencing factors under the impact of food safety incidents. We use data from 774 WeChat users and apply the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach.

Implications of poultry litter usage for electricity production.

Poultry litter has the potential to cause water quality problems if it is not applied properly to the land as a crop nutrient. Based on the data available from a survey of Louisiana poultry producers, we find that it is not cost effective to transport poultry litter farther than 38.6 km from the production facilities for crop nutrient purposes.