The Molecular Detection of Bacterial Infections of Public Health Importance in Hard Tick () Nymphs Collected from the Forest Fringes of Western Ghats in the Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra States of India.

A survey was conducted to determine the human tick-borne bacterial infections in the nymphs which were collected from Western Ghats' fringe forest areas. Tick nymphs were collected using the flagging method from the villages where cases Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) were previously reported in the states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. A total of 200 tick pools consisting of 4587 nymphs were tested by PCR for the detection of bacteria of public health importance, such as and spp.

Ectoparasites Diversity on Rodents and Shrews at Scrub Typhus Endemic Vellore District of Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: Rodents and shrew living in the vicinity of human beings perform significant role to harbor different species of ectoparasites and thus act as the reservoir host for the spread of diseases to human and animals.

Methods: This study was undertaken to determine the species composition of the medically important ectoparasites present in the scrub typhus affected places of Vellore District using wonder and Sherman traps for trapping of live Rodent/Shrew during September 2017 to August 2018.

Results: Rodent/shrew hosts belonged to two Families, three sub families and five genera and five different species.

A comparative study to evaluate wonder and Sherman traps for the surveillance of ectoparasitic chigger vector mites of the scrub typhus.

Background & Objectives: Scrub typhus is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi and transmitted by larval trombiculid chigger mites. Rodents and shrews are hosts for chigger mites in the transmission to humans. Wonder and Sherman traps are widely used for trapping rodents and shrews for the collection of ectoparasitic chigger mites.

First seroprevalence report of scrub typhus from the tribal belts of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Background & Objectives: Scrub typhus, an acute febrile Rickettsial disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi which is spread by the bite of infected chigger mite vectors belonging to the family Trombiculidae. A study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of scrub typhus among the indigenous population from Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.

Methods: This study was conducted among 214 patients with fever of unknown aetiology and a recent history of febrile illness attending the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association medical facilities available at Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu.

Chikungunya virus isolated in Lakshadweep islands in the Indian Ocean: evidence of the Central/East African genotype.

Virological investigation was carried out to determine the etiology of suspected Chikungunya fever among humans reported in the Lakshadweep islands in the Indian Ocean. Three out of 23 acute sera samples showed cytopathological changes in Vero cell lines. Further, indirect immunofluorescence antibody test and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated the Chikungunya virus etiology during the episode.