Contribution of Travelers to Malaria in South West Delhi, India: Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: India is committed to malaria elimination by the year 2030. According to the classification of malaria endemicity, the National Capital Territory of Delhi falls under category 1, with an annual parasite incidence of <1, and was targeted for elimination by 2022. Among others, population movement across states is one of the key challenges for malaria control, as it can result in imported malaria, thus introducing local transmission in an area nearing elimination.

Epidemiology of malaria and anemia in high and low malaria-endemic North-Eastern districts of India.

Anemia and malaria are the two major public health problems that lead to substantial morbidity and mortality. Malaria infection destroys erythrocytes, resulting in low hemoglobin (Hb) levels known as anemia. Here we report the determinants of anemia in high and low malaria-endemic areas that would help understand which parasite densities, age, and gender-associated low Hb levels.

Unreported mixed Plasmodium species infection may increase vivax malaria in India: a challenge for malaria elimination.

Background: In India, there are several malaria-endemic regions where non-falciparum species coexist with Plasmodium falciparum. Traditionally, microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests are used for the diagnosis of malaria. Nevertheless, microscopy often misses the secondary malaria parasite in mixed-infection cases due to various constraints.

Diagnostic performance of rapid diagnostic test, light microscopy and polymerase chain reaction during mass survey conducted in low and high malaria-endemic areas from two North-Eastern states of India.

An early and accurate diagnosis followed by prompt treatment is pre-requisite for the management of any disease. Malaria diagnosis is routinely performed by microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in the field settings; however, their performance may vary across regions, age and asymptomatic status. Owing to this, we assessed the diagnostic performance of conventional and advanced molecular tools for malaria detection in low and high malaria-endemic settings.

Asymptomatic low-density Plasmodium infection during non-transmission season: a community-based cross-sectional study in two districts of North Eastern Region, India.

Background: Malaria elimination requires targeting asymptomatic and low-density Plasmodium infections that largely remain undetected. Therefore we conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the burden of asymptomatic and low-density Plasmodium infection using conventional and molecular diagnostics.

Methods: A total of 9118 participants, irrespective of age and sex, were screened for malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), microscopy and polymerase chain reaction.

Unlicensed medical practitioners in tribal dominated rural areas of central India: bottleneck in malaria elimination.

Background: In India, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) deliver services for diagnosis and treatment of malaria, although unlicensed medical practitioners (UMPs) (informal health providers) are most preferred in communities. A cross sectional survey was conducted to: (i) assess knowledge and treatment-seeking practices in the community, and (ii) explore the diagnosis and treatment practices related to malaria of UMPs working in rural and tribal-dominated high malaria endemic areas of central India, and whether they adhere to the national guidelines.

Methods: A multi-stage sampling method and survey technique was adopted.

Novel molecular diagnostic technique for detecting the different species of Plasmodium.

Background: Sensitive diagnostic techniques are needed for timely detection of malaria parasite and disease control. Molecular diagnostic techniques involving Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 18 s rRNA as a known diagnostic target with an overall sensitivity of 10 parasites per microliter is used as a gold standard. Till date, no attempt has been undertaken to develop a technique for the identification of four Plasmodium species in a single step PCR combined with restriction digestion with enzymes.

Association of dietary intake below recommendations and micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy and low birthweight.

Background Pregnancy is associated with biochemical changes leading to increased nutritional demands for the developing fetus that result in altered micronutrient status. The Indian dietary pattern is highly diversified and the data about dietary intake patterns, blood micronutrient profiles and their relation to low birthweight (LBW) is scarce. Methods Healthy pregnant women (HPW) were enrolled and followed-up to their assess dietary intake of nutrients, micronutrient profiles and birthweight using a dietary recall method, serum analysis and infant weight measurements, respectively.

Socioeconomic determinants of community knowledge and practice in relation to malaria in high- and low-transmission areas of central India.

This study was undertaken with an aim of exploring community knowledge and treatment practices related to malaria and their determinants in high- and low-transmission areas of central India. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out between August 2015 and January 2016 in two high- and two low-malaria-endemic districts of central India. A total of 1470 respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested structured interview schedule.

The economic cost of malaria at the household level in high and low transmission areas of central India.

The cost burden of malaria at the household level, resulting from complex social, economic, and epidemiological factors, is enormous. This study was carried out to estimate the economic burden of malaria at the household level in low and high malaria transmission areas of central India. We conducted surveys with households in which at least one member had suffered from malaria in the three months preceding the survey.

The changing dynamics of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum in central India: trends over a 27-year period (1975--2002).

The changing epidemiology of malaria since 1975 was studied in a tribal forested belt of central India, Chhattisgarh state, which is the second most highly malarious state in India. Chhattisgarh, which accounts for 2% of the total population of the country, contributed >16% of the total malaria cases, 23% of Plasmodium falciparum, and 7% of deaths due to malaria in the country. Retrospective analysis further revealed that, in 1975--76, P.