Geo-environmental factors and the effectiveness of mulberry leaf extract in managing malaria.

Malaria prevalence has become medically important and a socioeconomic impediment for the endemic regions, including Purulia, West Bengal. Geo-environmental variables, humidity, altitude, and land use patterns are responsible for malaria. For surveillance of the endemic nature of Purulia's blocks, statistical and spatiotemporal factors analysis have been done here.

Comprehensive investigation of fever cases enrolled during 2019 dengue outbreaks from three hyperendemic regions of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India.

For the past several decades, dengue fever has been emerging in epidemic proportions in several regions of the world. During August-September 2019, an increasing number of fever cases were being reported from some areas of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Accordingly, outbreak investigation of fever cases from these affected areas of Bongoan, Barasat, and Habra was carried out.

A report on incidence of COVID-19 among febrile patients attending a malaria clinic.

Context: Screening for malaria and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in all patients with acute febrile illness is necessary in malaria-endemic areas to reduce malaria-related mortality and to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 by isolation.

Aims: A pilot study was undertaken to determine the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among febrile patients attending a malaria clinic.

Subjects And Methods: All patients were tested for malaria parasite by examining thick and thin blood smears as well as by rapid malaria antigen tests.

Coexistent malaria and filaria among the febrile patients attending for malaria diagnosis: A clinic-based study.

Context: Both malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are mosquito-borne diseases caused by protozoal and nematode parasites, respectively, and are serious public health problem in India. Although the vectors of the diseases are different, they can coexist in favorable conditions. Fever is the common symptom for both the diseases, but the emphasis is given for diagnosis and treatment of malaria due to its life-threatening severity, LF remained neglected.

Seasonal variation of sand fly populations in Kala-azar endemic areas of the Malda district, West Bengal, India.

Vector control is one of the main aspects to reach the target of eliminating visceral leishmaniasis from Indian sub-continent as set by the World Health Organisation. Data on different aspects of vector like ecology, behaviour, population dynamics and their association with environmental factors are very important for formulating an effective vector control strategy. The present work was designed to study the species abundance and impact of environmental factors on population dynamics of vector P.

Asymptomatic leishmaniasis in kala-azar endemic areas of Malda district, West Bengal, India.

Asymptomatic leishmaniasis may drive the epidemic and an important challenge to reach the goal of joint Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) elimination initiative taken by three Asian countries. The role of these asymptomatic carriers in disease transmission, prognosis at individual level and rate of transformation to symptomatic VL/Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) needs to be evaluated. Asymptomatic cases were diagnosed by active mass survey in eight tribal villages by detecting antileishmanial antibody using rK39 based rapid diagnostic kits and followed up for three years to observe the pattern of sero-conversion and disease transformation.

Association between high risk human papillomavirus infection and co-infection with Candida spp. and Trichomonas vaginalis in women with cervical premalignant and malignant lesions.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the necessary cause of cervical cancer. Cervico-vaginal infection with pathogens like Chlamydia is a likely cofactor. The interactions between HPV, Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and Candida spp.

Association of Genital Infections Other Than Human Papillomavirus with Pre-Invasive and Invasive Cervical Neoplasia.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-established causative agent of malignancy of the female genital tract and a common Sexually Transmitted Infection. The probable co-factors that prevent spontaneous clearance of HPV and progression to neoplasia are genital tract infections from organisms like Chlamydia, Trichomonas vaginalis etc, smoking, nutritional deficiencies and multiparity. Inflammatory conditions can lead to pre-neoplastic manifestations in the cervical epithelium; however their specific role in cervical carcinogenesis is not yet established.

PKDL--A Silent Parasite Pool for Transmission of Leishmaniasis in Kala-azar Endemic Areas of Malda District, West Bengal, India.

Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a chronic but not life-threatening disease; patients generally do not demand treatment, deserve much more attention because PKDL is highly relevant in the context of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) elimination. There is no standard guideline for diagnosis and treatment for PKDL. A species-specific PCR on slit skin smear demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.

Impact of Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy on Falciparum Malaria in Urban Kolkata: A Clinic-Based Report.

In India, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT; specifically artesunate + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) has been implemented for uncomplicated falciparum malaria since 2010. But for vivax malaria drug policy remained unchanged i.e.

Therapeutic efficacy of artemisinin combination therapies and prevalence of S769N mutation in PfATPase6 gene of Plasmodium falciparum in Kolkata, India.

Objective: To study the in vivo efficacy of these two ACTs in the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum malaria) in Kolkata and to determine the prevalence of mutant S769N codon of the PfATPase6 gene among field isolates of P. falciparum collected from the study area.

High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in a tribal population in eastern India.

Asymptomatic infection by Plasmodium falciparum is an important obstacle to eliminating malaria. Asymptomatic carriers do not seek treatment for infection, and therefore they become a reservoir for the parasite. For this reason, these carriers pose a real public health risk.

In vivo therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine alone or in combination with primaquine against vivax malaria in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and polymorphism in pvmdr1 and pvcrt-o genes.

Plasmodium vivax malaria, though benign, has now become a matter of concern due to recent reports of life-threatening severity and development of parasite resistance to different antimalarial drugs. The magnitude of the problem is still undetermined. The present study was undertaken to determine the in vivo efficacy of chloroquine (CQ) and chloroquine plus primaquine in P.

Efficacy of oral miltefosine in visceral leishmaniasis in rural West Bengal, India.

Context: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as Kala-azar (KA) is a public health problem of tropical and subtropical countries, which infects about 12 million people annually, out of which about 1.5 million are new cases. India contributes a major share of the global burden of VL.

Comparative efficacies of artemisinin combination therapies in Plasmodium falciparum malaria and polymorphism of pfATPase6, pfcrt, pfdhfr, and pfdhps genes in tea gardens of Jalpaiguri District, India.

In India, chloroquine has been replaced by a combination of artesunate and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS-SP) for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Other available combinations, artemether-lumefantrine (AM-LF) and artesunate-mefloquine (AS-MQ), not included in the national program, are widely used by private practitioners.

Prevalence of HIV seropositivity among surgical patients in a tertiary care hospital.

The incidence of HIV infection has increased tremendously over the last few years. The new 2006 estimates released by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), supported by UNAIDS and WHO, indicate that national adult HIV prevalence in India is approximately 0.36%, which corresponds to an estimated 2 million to 3.

Efficacy of chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine either alone or in combination before introduction of ACT as first-line therapy in uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India.

Objective: In India, till recently, Chloroquine was used as first-line therapy in areas with Chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases. The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) has introduced artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) as first-line option to treat all P. falciparum cases in the country.

Age associated oxidative damage in lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes are an important immunological cell and have been played a significant role in acquired immune system; hence, may play in pivotal role in immunosenescence. Oxidative stress has been reported to increase in elderly subjects, possibly arising from an uncontrolled production of free radicals with aging and decreased antioxidant defenses. This study was aimed to evaluate the level of lipid-protein damage and antioxidant status in lymphocytes of healthy individuals to correlate between oxidative damage with the aging process.

Clinicobacteriological study of chronic dacryocystitis in adults.

Chronic dacryocystitis is the inflammation of lacrimal sac, frequently caused by bacteria. Obstruction of nasolacrimal duct converts the lacrimal sac a reservoir of infection. It is a constant threat to cornea and orbital soft tissue.

Bacteriological profile in chronic dacryocystitis.

A study was conducted to see the bacteriological profile in 172 cases of chronic dacryocystitis attending eye outpatients department of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The patients underwent clinical examination of the eyes and lacrimal system, with particular attention to drainage system. The culture and sensitivity test was done from the material, which regurgitated through the punctum following pressure on sac.