Operational Challenges in Conducting a Subnational TB Prevalence Survey in India: Lessons Learned for Resource-Limited, High-Burden Settings.

Estimating the burden of TB at the subnational level is critical to planning and prioritizing resources for TB control activities according to the local epidemiological situation. We report the experiences and operational challenges of implementing a TB prevalence survey at the subnational level in India. Information was collected from research reports that gathered data from periodic meetings, informal discussions with study teams, letters of communication, and various site visit reports.

The Predicted Potential Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tuberculosis Epidemic in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of TB before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu, south India.

Methods: In the present study, the effect of COVID-19 epidemiology on the TB epidemic was assessed by the SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered), a compartmental epidemiological model. The model input parameters on compartments of TB and incidence of COVID-19 were collected from the published literature.

Recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis in India: Findings from the 2019-2021 nationwide community-based TB prevalence survey.

Recurrent Tuberculosis patients contribute to a significant proportion of TB burden in India. A nationwide survey was conducted during 2019-2021 across India among adults to estimate the prevalence of TB. A total of 322480 individuals were screened and 1402 were having TB.

The Prevalence of Self-Reported Tuberculosis in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: Evidence from the NFHS-IV and V.

Introduction: Since 1992, many rounds of the National Family Health Surveys have produced a significant quantity of data in India. The magnitude of the tuberculosis (TB) burden in Andaman and Nicobar Island can be better understood with this data. The household-level information on self-reported TB may provide useful information on the prevalence and distribution of TB as well as care-seeking behaviour.

Holistic Approach to Enhance Airborne Infection Control Practices in Health Care Facilities Involved in the Management of Tuberculosis in a Metropolitan City in India - An Implementation Research.

Background: Airborne infection control (AIC) is a less focused aspect of tuberculosis (TB) prevention. We describe AIC practices in primary health care centres, awareness and practices of AIC among health care providers (HCPs) and TB patients. We implemented a package of interventions to improve awareness and practices among them and assessed its impact.

A study on tuberculosis disease disclosure patterns and its associated factors: Findings from a prospective observational study in Chennai.

Background: Disclosure of tuberculosis (TB) status by patients is a critical step in their treatment cascade of care. There is a lack of systematic assessment of TB disclosure patterns and its positive outcomes which happens dynamically over the disease period of individual patients with their family and wider social network relations.

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in Chennai Corporation treatment units during 2019-2021.

Revisiting the Chingleput BCG vaccination trial for the impact of BCG revaccination on the incidence of tuberculosis disease.

Background & Objectives: Vaccines play a crucial role in the prevention of tuberculosis (TB). Revaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for the prevention of TB is an important strategy that is currently gaining interest. The objective of this study was to reanalyze the community-based Chingleput BCG vaccination trial for protective efficacy of BCG revaccination against incident TB disease.

An influence of dew point temperature on the occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease in Chennai, India.

Climate factors such as dew point temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric temperature may be crucial for the spread of tuberculosis. This study was conducted for the first time to investigate the relationship of climatic factors with TB occurrence in an Indian setting. Daily tuberculosis notification data during 2008-2015 were generated from the National Treatment Elimination Program, and analogous daily climatic data were obtained from the Regional Meteorological Centre at Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India.

Economic Evaluation of Implementing a Rapid Point-of-Care Screening Test for the Identification of Hepatitis C Virus under National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Introduction: Viral hepatitis is a crucial public health problem in India. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination is a national priority and a key strategy has been adopted to strengthen the HCV diagnostics services to ensure early and accurate diagnosis.

Methods: To conduct an economic evaluation of implementing a rapid point-of-care screening test for the identification of HCV among the selected key population under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis and associated risk factors: A community survey in Thirvallur District, south India.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys add to the active case detection in the community level burden of TB both national and regional levels. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in the community.

Methods: Household community-based tuberculosis disease survey was conducted targeting 69054 population from 43 villages of 5 blocks in Tiruvallure district adopting cluster sampling methodology of ≥15 years old adult rural population of South India during 2015-2018.

An economic evaluation of implementing a decentralized dengue screening intervention under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Background: Lack of effective early screening is a major obstacle for reducing the fatality rate and disease burden of dengue. In light of this, the government of Tamil Nadu has adopted a decentralized dengue screening strategy at the primary healthcare (PHC) facilities using blood platelet count. Our objective was to determine the cost-effectiveness of a decentralized screening strategy for dengue at PHC facilities compared with the current strategy at the tertiary health facility (THC) level.

Economic evaluation of implementing a decentralised Hepatitis B virus diagnostic intervention under National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of decentralised diagnostic programme for hepatitis B virus (HBV) implemented in Tamil Nadu, South India with specific focus on a selected key population at increased risk of HBV.

Methods: A combination of decision tree and Markov model was developed to compare cost-effectiveness of the new and standard strategy. Cost and health outcomes were calculated based on the proportion of cohort in each respective health state.

Association of Tuberculosis With Household Catastrophic Expenditure in South India.

Importance: The high household costs associated with tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment can create barriers to access and adherence, highlighting the urgency of achieving the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy target that no TB-affected households should face catastrophic costs by 2020.

Objective: To estimate the occurrence of catastrophic costs associated with TB diagnosis and treatment and to identify socioeconomic indicators associated with catastrophic costs in a setting where TB control strategies have been implemented effectively.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this cross-sectional study, 455 patients with TB in the Chennai metropolitan area of South India who were treated under the TB control program between February 2017 and March 2018 were interviewed.

Catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in South India: comparison between active and passive case finding.

Background: To measure and compare economic burden at the household level for tuberculosis (TB) patients who were detected through active case finding (ACF) and passive case finding (PCF) in rural areas.

Methods: This study was conducted in the Thiruvallur district from October 2016 to March 2018. TB patients diagnosed through ACF were included in this study.

Burden of pulmonary tuberculosis in modern prison: A cross sectional prevalence survey from south India.

Background: The risk of spread of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) disease depends on several factors. One important factor is the situational and environmental vulnerabilities of the prison setting. Study was conducted in central prison in Chennai, south state, India to estimate the prevalence of PTB disease in 2013.

Identifying costs contributing to catastrophic expenditure among TB patients registered under RNTCP in Delhi metro city in India.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) patients often incur large costs related to illness, as well as for seeking and receiving health care. Despite TB treatment being free under RNCTP, out of pocket expenditure incurred (OOP) by patients for TB diagnosis and treatment impoverishes the households. This expenditure may turn catastrophic (more than 20% of their family income) impacting adherence and leading to poor treatment outcomes.

Detection of Uncommon Enteric Bacterial Pathogens from Acute Diarrheal Specimens Using SYBR-Green Real Time PCR.

Acute diarrheal disease is a major health problem, and the second most common cause of death in children under 5 years of age. Conventional diagnostic methods are laborious, time consuming, and occasionally inaccurate. We used SYBR-Green real-time PCR for the detection of 10 uncommon bacterial pathogens using fecal specimens from acute diarrheal patients.

Carbapenem Resistance in Clonally Distinct Clinical Strains of Vibrio fluvialis Isolated from Diarrheal Samples.

Carbapenems have been used for many years to treat severe nosocomial Enterobacteriaceae infections. The spread of resistance to these drugs among other bacterial families is an emerging problem worldwide, mostly caused by New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1). We screened for the prevalence of NDM-1-expressing enteric pathogens from hospitalized patients with acute diarrhea in Kolkata, India, and identified 27 Vibrio fluvialis-harboring blaNDM-1 (NDM-VF) strains.

Association between Giardia duodenalis and coinfection with other diarrhea-causing pathogens in India.

Giardia duodenalis, is often seen as an opportunistic pathogen and one of the major food and waterborne parasites. Some insights of Giardia infestation in a diarrhoea-prone population were investigated in the present study. Our primary goal was to understand the interaction of this parasite with other pathogens during infection and to determine some important factors regulating the diarrhoeal disease spectrum of a population.

Trends in the epidemiology of pandemic and non-pandemic strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrheal patients in Kolkata, India.

A total of 178 strains of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from 13,607 acute diarrheal patients admitted in the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kolkata has been examined for serovar prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic traits with reference to virulence, and clonal lineages. Clinical symptoms and stool characteristics of V.

Inflammatory diarrhea due to enteroaggregative Escherichia coli: evidence from clinical and mice model studies.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the role of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in inflammatory diarrhea among hospitalized patients in Kolkata. The inflammatory pathogenesis of EAEC was established in mice model and histopathological studies. Presence of fecal leucocytes (FLCs) can be suspected for EAEC infection solely or as a mixed with other enteric pathogens.

Composition of Escherichia coli population in the neonatal gut: phylogroups and virulence determinants.

The composition of Escherichia coli in the neonatal gut has rarely been studied in developing countries. To gain insight into the composition of E. coli in the neonatal gut and to assess factors that could influence colonization by E.