An Investigation into the High Prevalence of Hepatitis B in a Rural Area of Kerala State, India: Hypothesis on sp. (Diptera: Tabanidae) Transmission.

Objective: Since 2005 there have been several reports of hepatitis B outbreak in the state of Kerala in southern India. Objective of this study was to analyze such outbreaks and to explore hypothesis pertaining the transmission mode.

Methods: Retrospective observational study involving cases of acute hepatitis B acquired between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015 and their family members residing in Mazhuvanoor village in Ernakulam district of Kerala State in southern India.

Leptospirosis in a midland rural area of Kerala State.

Background & Objective: Leptospirosis has been repeatedly reported from the State of Kerala since 1989 and is one of the commonest diseases among the 14 notifiable diseases in the district level communicable disease surveillance system. As there are no field studies on human leptospirosis in Kerala, we undertook this seroepidemiological study of leptospirosis in the two hamlets of Ernakulam district in Kerala to identify locally prevalent serogroups, and to understand local epidemiological features of the disease.

Methods: Blood samples were collected for five consecutive years from persons willing to subject themselves for the study from the selected areas (Kunnackal and Kunnakkurudy hamlets).

Evaluation of the clinical utility of a rapid blood test for human leptospirosis.

A rapid assay device for the detection of Leptospira-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies was applied on whole blood samples collected from a group of consecutive patients admitted with clinical suspicion of leptospirosis to a district hospital in Kerala, India. The hospital is located in an area that is endemic for leptospirosis. The results of the rapid assay showed an agreement of 94.