Background: Urban slums are hotspots of infectious diseases like COVID-19 as was seen in the waves of 2020 and 2021. One of the primary reasons why slums are disproportionately affected is their location in inaccessible and uninhabitable zones, crowded and poorly ventilated living spaces, unsanitary conditions and common facilities (water taps, common toilets, etc.). Staying at home during pandemics is hardly an option for slum dwellers as it often means giving up work and even basic necessities.
Methodology: This paper aims to understand the habitat vulnerabilities of slums in the two Indian megacities of Pune and Surat which were the worst hit during both waves. The study is done at the level of wards, which is the smallest administrative boundary, taking the habitat vulnerability (congestion and access to basic services). To identify the explanatory variables which increase the vulnerability of slums to infectious diseases, literature study is done on the triggering factors which affect habitat vulnerability derived from common characteristics and definitions of slum.
Results: The aim of the research is to categorize the slums into 3 levels of risk zones and map them subsequently.
Conclusion: This study will help in formulating a model to prioritize the allocation of sparse resources in developing countries to tackle the habitat vulnerabilities of the slum dwellers especially during health emergencies of contagious diseases like COVID-19.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11514380 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.153809.1 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, CEI·MAR-International Campus of Excellence in Marine Science, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain.
The inclusion of microalgae in functional fish diets has a notable impact on the welfare, metabolism and physiology of the organism. The microbial communities associated with the fish are directly influenced by the host's diet, and further understanding the impact on mucosal microbiota is needed. This study aimed to analyze the microbiota associated with the skin and gills of Sparus aurata fed a diet containing 10% microalgae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Environ Res
December 2024
Reef Life Survey Foundation, Hobart, 7000, Australia; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7000, Australia.
Following a recent dramatic increase in illegal fishing by Indonesian fishing vessels in Australian waters in 2022, we conducted an extensive survey of coral reef communities covering 33,000 m at Mermaid Reef Marine Park in the Rowley Shoals off north-western Australia in July 2022. Species richness of sea cucumbers was 13 species (three CITES listed) and 6 species of giant clams (all CITES listed). The most abundant sea cucumber species were the low or intermediate value, asexually reproducing species Holothuria atra and H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
December 2024
Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological research center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging environmental problem worldwide and has caused widespread concern both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to their potential impacts on the human health, and health of aquatic organisms and the environment. Little is known about the exposure of top marine predators to MP contamination (debris 0.1μm - <5mm, also called MPs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America.
The capacity for a non-native species to become invasive largely hinges on existing dispersal capacity or adaptation of dispersal in new environments. Here we provide early evidence that invasive Northern Pike (Esox lucius), a Holarctic freshwater top predator, illegally introduced in the late 1950s into Southcentral Alaska, are now dispersing through estuarine corridors. This finding represents the first known documentation of estuary use and dispersal by Northern Pike in North America, exacerbating conservation concerns for already depressed populations of culturally and economically important species such as salmonids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
The Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Background: Exposure of critically ill patients to antibiotics lead to intestinal dysbiosis, which often manifests as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Faecal microbiota transplantation restores gut microbiota and may lead to faster resolution of diarrhoea.
Methods: Into this prospective, multi-centre, randomized controlled trial we will enrol 36 critically ill patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
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