infection among married women of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Background: Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted infection among both men and women, worldwide. The prevalence of trichomoniasis among married women in the remote Indian population is more important, yet they rarely sought treatment. This was the first-ever study conducted on the prevalence of (TV) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

What causes concordance of hypertension between spouses in India? Identifying a critical knowledge gap from a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 63,020 couples aged 15 + years.

Background: Hypertension, a critical risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, is found to cluster between spouses due to within-couple aggregation of antecedent environmental risk factors, either through assortative mating or cohabitation. However, majority of the evidence of spousal concordance of hypertension is from Caucasoid couples from western societies, whereas marriage, partner selection, and post-marital roles of husband and wives are very different in Indian society. Therefore, we aimed to comprehensively examine the phenomenon of spousal concordance of hypertension in Indian couples.

Knowledge and perception related to sickle cell disease among tribal community, India: A mixed-method study.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a public health problem. In absence of a pan-country intervention program in India, SCD prevalence is ascending without control. Since knowledge and perception of a community is a prerequisite for developing an intervention strategy, the current study was designed to assess it in a high SCD burden tribal-dominated district of Odisha.

Indian sickle cell disease registry for surveillance and patient management: Development and implementation.

In India, sickle cell disease (SCD) predominantly occurs in indigenous (tribal) people, who are about 104 million. However, screening and diagnosis seldom happen. This situation necessitates developing a comprehensive SCD care model, including a registry.

Vaccination and associated factors among tribal children of 1 year age in nine Indian districts: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To report on vaccination status by 12 months of age among tribal children from nine districts of India.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 2631 tribal women having a child aged 12 months or below from nine Indian districts with a considerable proportion of the tribal population. Socio-demographic details, reception of various vaccines by 12 months of age, mother's antenatal care utilisation and health system-related details were collected through a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire from mothers.

Pharmacological treatment and vaccines in monkeypox virus: a narrative review and bibliometric analysis.

Mpox (earlier known as monkeypox) virus infection is a recognized public health emergency. There has been little research on the treatment options. This article reviews the specific drugs used to treat mpox virus infection and the vaccines used here.

Multisite surveillance for influenza and other respiratory viruses in India: 2016-2018.

There is limited surveillance and laboratory capacity for non-influenza respiratory viruses in India. We leveraged the influenza sentinel surveillance of India to detect other respiratory viruses among patients with acute respiratory infection. Six centers representing different geographic areas of India weekly enrolled a convenience sample of 5-10 patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) between September 2016-December 2018.

Impact of Sub-patent Malaria During Pregnancy on Birth-Weight in Odisha, India: Time-to-Event Analysis of Prospective Longitudinal Follow-Up of a Survey.

Objective: The current study aimed to estimate prevalence of malaria infection, especially sub-patent infection, in pregnant women residing in high malaria-endemic, hard-to-reach pockets of the Indian state of Odisha; and also measure its impact on birth-weight of their new-borns.

Method: A time-to-event analysis of prospective longitudinal follow-up study nested within a cross-sectional survey of people residing in high malaria-endemic six districts of Odisha was conducted during July-November 2019. Malaria status in pregnant mothers was categorized as malaria free; sub-patent, and patent.

Health status of tribes of Uttar Pradesh with special reference to health-seeking behaviour of uncharted tribe: A mapping review.

Background & Objectives: The tribal population in India is considered as one of the vulnerable groups with respect to their achievements in health and other developmental issues. In this context, this mapping review attempted to understand the health profile of the Tharu tribal community residing in the northern State of Uttar Pradesh, India through literature mining. Tharu tribe is one of the indigenous groups living in the Terai plain on the Indo-Nepal border.

The use of antivirals in the treatment of human monkeypox outbreaks: a systematic review.

Objectives: Human monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection is a recently declared public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. Besides, there is scant literature available on the use of antivirals in MPXV infection. This systematic review compiles all evidence of various antivirals used on their efficacy and safety and summarizes their mechanisms of action.

Omicron BA.2 lineage predominance in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive cases during the third wave in North India.

Background: Recent studies on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reveal that Omicron variant BA.1 and sub-lineages have revived the concern over resistance to antiviral drugs and vaccine-induced immunity. The present study aims to analyze the clinical profile and genome characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), North India.

Willingness to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for oneself and one's child among individuals attending a tertiary care centre in West Bengal, India.

Background: The free-of-cost supply could not meet the demand for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in India, so the government approved an injection option with a price. We aimed to determine how much money an individual would be willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children and assess the factors determining it.

Methods: We conducted a study among all adults visiting the outpatient department of a government tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India, in August 2021.

'Perceptions' and 'practices' to antibiotic usage among diabetic patients receiving care from a rural tertiary care center: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Contribution to antibiotic resistance can happen at two interfaces - doctor prescribing antibiotics inadvertently or patient's usage of antibiotics inadvertently. This study was conducted among diabetic inpatients in a rural tertiary health center in Kolar, South India, to assess the various practices related to antibiotic use and to explore the possible reasons for these practices with regard to antibiotic use.

Materials And Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted with an initial cross-sectional quantitative study followed by qualitative in-depth interviews during August-September 2019.

Scrub typhus seroprevalence from an eastern state of India: findings from the state-wide serosurvey.

Background: Scrub typhus is a mite-borne infectious disease caused primarily by the obligate intracellular bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is transmitted by chigger mites. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of scrub typhus among adults in Odisha, an eastern state of India.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to analyse 1840 serum samples from five districts (Khordha, Cuttack, Ganjam, Malkangiri and Sundargarh) of Odisha collected during 2020-2021.

Health Seeking Behaviour and Healthcare Utilization in a Rural Cohort of North India.

Background: The healthcare infrastructure of a country determines the health-seeking behaviour of the population. In developing countries such as India, there is a great disparity in the distribution of healthcare institutions across urban and rural areas with disadvantages for people living in rural areas.

Objectives: Our objectives were to study the health-seeking behavior and factors associated with the use of formal healthcare among the Gorakhpur Health and Demographic Surveillance System (GHDSS) cohort of North India.

Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Health Expenditures of Noncommunicable Disease Multimorbidity-Findings From Gorakhpur Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

Background: Noncommunicable disease (NCD) multimorbidity throws a unique challenge to healthcare systems globally in terms of not only management of disease, but also familial, social, and economic implications associated with it.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of NCD multimorbidity and its associated risk factors along with health expenditures among adults (≥18 years) living in a rural area.

Methods: A secondary data analysis of the first-round survey done as part of the Gorakhpur Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (GHDSS) was done.

Awareness, practices, and myths related to coronavirus disease-19 among rural people in Kolar District, South India: A community-based mixed-methods study.

Background: Capturing the baseline information on awareness, practices, and prevailing myths related to the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in rural India will help in planning interventions to improve the health literacy on COVID-19. The aim of the study was to assess the level of awareness, practices, and myths regarding COVID-19 among rural population of Kolar district in South India.

Materials And Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods study with a quantitative community-based cross-sectional analytical design and a qualitative phenomenological design was conducted in five randomly selected villages during June 2020.

Perspectives and early experience on endoscopic stapedotomy from a group of "traditional school" otologists.

This paper evaluates endoscopic stapedotomy from the perspectives of a group of 3 surgeons, each of whose experience in endoscopic and microscopic stapedotomy is 3 years and more than 12 years, respectively. Thirty-four patients clinically diagnosed with stapedial otosclerosis were alternately assigned for unilateral, microscope- and endoscope-assisted stapedotomy following the selection criteria given. Results were evaluated with predetermined epidemiologic, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative outcome parameters.

Immune responses against different variants of SARS-CoV-2 including Omicron following 6 months of administration of heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine.

Comparative analysis at one- and six-months post-vaccination showed modest reduction in S1-RBD IgG antibody and NAb titers against B.1, Alpha, Beta and Delta variants in heterologous and homologous vaccine recipients groups. However, significant reduction in NAb titers against Omicron in vaccinees’ sera post-six months underlines need for cautious prospective follow-up.

Salmonella Typhi Shedding and Household Transmission by Children With Blood Culture-Confirmed Typhoid Fever in Vellore, South India.

Background: Children suffer the highest burden of the typhoid fever, with a considerable proportion shedding Salmonella Typhi in stool, potentially resulting in transmission of S Typhi.

Methods: We enrolled 70 children with blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever (index cases), from 63 households, during community-based fever surveillance in India. The index cases and their household contacts were followed up with stool samples at multiple time points over 3 weeks and 1 week, respectively.

Peripheral health workers' knowledge and experience related to sickle cell disease: an in-depth interview study in six tribal-dominated districts of India.

This study reports the extent of sickle cell disease (SCD)-related knowledge and management practices of peripheral health workers located in tribal areas of India. This formative qualitative study used a grounded theory approach and collected data through in-depth interviews. It was implemented in six districts endemic to SCD.