Nipah virus survey in of eastern and northeastern region of India, 2022-2023.

Introduction: India has experienced seven outbreaks of the Nipah virus (NiV) since 2001, primarily occurring in the southern and eastern regions of the country. The southern region has been the main site for these outbreaks. In contrast, the eastern region, which borders Bangladesh, has not reported any outbreaks since 2007.

Novel α-mangostin derivatives as promising antiviral agents: Isolation, synthesis, and evaluation against chikungunya virus.

Investigations into fruit and vegetable processing residues (FVPRs) offer huge opportunities to discover novel therapeutics against many diseases. In this study, detailed investigation of Garcinia mangostana fruit peel extract led to the isolation and identification of ten known compounds (1-10). Further, a new series of α-mangostin derived sulphonyl piperzines, aryl alkynes and 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were synthesized using Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cyclo-addition reaction ("click" chemistry).

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreaks associated with Coxsackievirus A-24 in India, 2023.

Objective: Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC), commonly called pink eye, saw an alarming increase in incidence from July to September 2023 in different parts of India. Pink eye occurrences had reportedly increased three to four times more than in prior years, raising concerns among the community and healthcare professionals. This study aimed to identify the aetiological agent associated with AHC in 2023, genetically characterize the agent and describe the clinical presentation.

A vicious cycle of frailty and acute lower respiratory infection among community-dwelling adults (≥ 60 years): Findings from a multi-site INSPIRE cohort study, India.

We studied the relationship of frailty and acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) among a multi-site cohort of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years in India. During January 2019‒January 2020, participants completed the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) at baseline and every 3 months at four sites in India, with each participant completing a maximum of four surveys. Participants were categorized as non-frail (0-5 points), vulnerable (6-7 points), and frail (≥8 points) based on EFS score.

Clinical characteristics of dengue virus infections in Karachi from 2019 to 2023: a cross-sectional study.

Dengue fever is a vector-borne, acute, febrile, and self-limiting systemic viral infection that affects tropical and subtropical regions, including Pakistan. Karachi has a significant burden of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus due to suitable breeding sites, weather, and rapid and unplanned urbanization of squatter areas. The country has limited surveillance studies on circulating serotypes of the dengue virus and the patient's clinical features evolving over temporal changes.

Molecular analysis of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in a tertiary care hospital, Kalburgi district, Karnataka 2023.

Introduction: Viral infections are the predominant cause of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) across the globe. From July to August of 2023, a large-scale conjunctivitis outbreak was witnessed in India, affecting a large number of individuals. The present study was initiated to identify the causative agent responsible for the AHC outbreak in Kalburgi district of Karnataka state.

Short Communication: Coinfection of Japanese Encephalitis and Scrub Typhus in Acute Encephalitis Patients in North India.

Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is a significant public health issue in India, attributed to various etiologies. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, Japanese encephalitis (JE) was the leading cause of AES (10-14% of total AES) until scrub typhus (ST), caused by , was identified in cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples of AES patients contributing more than 60% of AES cases. This study investigates the prevalence of JE-ST coinfection and compares clinical outcomes among JE mono-infection, ST mono-infection, and JE-ST coinfection.

Pandemic potential of the Nipah virus and public health strategies adopted during outbreaks: Lessons from Kerala, India.

Kerala, a south Indian state witnessed several outbreaks of Nipah encephalitis since 2018, a zoonotic viral disease with significant pandemic potential. This review highlights the relevance of surveillance and health system preparedness, infection control, early diagnosis and treatment with broad-spectrum antivirals, environmental conservation, and community engagement in mitigating Nipah outbreaks. Additionally, it emphasises the importance of developing new biologicals and anti-viral drugs to combat the disease.

Use of Synthetic Membranes and Bovine Blood in Artificial Feeding Systems of Mosquitoes Improves Feeding Rates: Results from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Artificial blood feeding of mosquitoes is essential for their rearing in insectaries as well as for mosquito-borne pathogen transmission experiments. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the different artificial feeding systems available for mosquitoes to synthesize evidence regarding their efficacy in terms of feeding rates and fecundity. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to retrieve 1,822 experimental studies assessing the efficacy of artificial feeding systems.

Measles and rubella seroprevalence in adults using residual blood samples from health facilities and household serosurveys in Palghar District, Maharashtra, India, 2018 - 2019.

Residual blood specimens collected at health facilities may be a source of samples for serosurveys of adults, a population often neglected in community-based serosurveys. Anonymized residual blood specimens were collected from individuals 15 - 49 years of age attending two sub-district hospitals in Palghar District, Maharashtra, from November 2018 to March 2019. Specimens also were collected from women 15 - 49 years of age enrolled in a cross-sectional, community-based serosurvey representative at the district level that was conducted 2 - 7 months after the residual specimen collection.

Association of IL1RN VNTR and NKG2A polymorphisms with hepatitis E infection, a case study from western India.

Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) is a competitive inhibitor of interleukin 1 (IL-1). Natural killer cells (NK cells) contribute to the elimination of viruses by their antiviral effector function, which depends on a balance between inhibitory and activating receptor genes such as NKG2D and NKG2A. Using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assays, the association of intronic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes with viral infection were assessed in 111 patients with hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and 222 HEV-naive healthy controls.

Norovirus outbreaks due to contaminated drinking water and probable person-to-person transmission, Kerala, India, 2021.

Background: In July 2021, the Alappuzha district in Kerala, India, reported an unexpected number of acute gastroenteritis (772) cases (Outbreak A). On October 10, 2021, a university in Wayanad, Kerala, reported 25 acute gastroenteritis cases (Outbreak B). We described both the outbreaks and determined the agent, source and risk factors.

In-silico evaluation of the T-cell based immune response against SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants.

During of COVID-19 pandemic, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has continuously evolved, resulting in the emergence of several new variants of concerns (VOCs) with numerous mutations. These VOCs dominate in various regions due to increased transmissibility and antibody evasion, potentially reducing vaccine effectiveness. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether the recent SARS-CoV-2 VOCs have the ability to circumvent the T cell immunity elicited by either COVID-19 vaccination or natural infection.

An Outbreak of Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis Caused by Coxsackievirus A24 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India 2023.

Introduction: Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) outbreaks are caused mostly by viruses. During July-August 2023, there was a sudden spike in acute hemorrhage conjunctivitis cases in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. To identify the etiological and gain molecular epidemiology of the agent, the study was conducted.

Humoral and cellular immune response to AZD1222 /Covishield and BV152/Covaxin COVID-19 vaccines among adults in India.

Several COVID-19 vaccines were developed using different approaches to prevent both symptomatic COVID-19 cases and fatalities. The adults were vaccinated with two doses of AZD1222/Covishield ( = 77) [manufactured by Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd] vaccine and BV152/Covaxin ( = 99) [manufactured by Bharat Biotech] vaccine. They were assessed for immune response at pre-vaccination, 1 month post first and 6 months post second dose for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody, surrogate neutralizing antibody (NAbs), immune phenotypes, antigen specific NK, B and T cell response, their effector functionality by ELISPOT and plasma cytokine profile.

Phylo-geo haplotype network-based characterization of SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating in India (2020-2022).

Background & objectives Genetic analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains circulating in India during 2020-2022 was carried out to understand the evolution of potentially expanding and divergent clades. Methods SARS-CoV-2 sequences (n=612) randomly selected from among the sequences of samples collected through a nationwide network of Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratories during 2020 (n=1532) and Indian sequences available in Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data during March 2020-March 2022 (n=53077), were analyzed using the phylo-geo haplotype network approach with reference to the Wuhan prototype sequence. Results On haplotype analysis, 420 haplotypes were revealed from 643 segregating sites among the sequences.

Exploring Niclosamide as a Multi-target Drug Against SARS-CoV-2: Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies on Host and Viral Proteins.

Niclosamide has emerged as a promising repurposed drug against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In vitro studies suggested that niclosamide inhibits the host transmembrane protein 16F (hTMEM16F), crucial for lipid scramblase activity, which consequently reduces syncytia formation that aids viral spread. Based on other in vitro reports, niclosamide may also target viral proteases such as papain-like protease (PLpro) and main protease (Mpro), essential for viral replication and maturation.

Canine parvovirus in North-East India: a phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) infection in dogs is considered as one of the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in young dogs and continues to occur with high incidence worldwide. Despite a single-stranded DNA virus, CPV-2 possesses a high mutation rate which has led to the development of new variants from time to time. These variants are classically classified based on the amino acid markers present in the VP2 gene.

RNAi-Induced Gene Silencing against Chikungunya and COVID-19: What Have We Learned So Far, and What Is the Way Forward?

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which small RNA molecules (such as small interfering RNAs or siRNAs) bind to specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to its degradation and inhibition of protein synthesis. Our studies have shown that RNAi can effectively silence genes involved in the replication of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in cells. However, these investigations were performed only in laboratory settings and have yet to be tested in human clinical trials.

Comparative immune profiling in survivors of the 2023 Nipah outbreak in Kerala state, India.

Immune profiling of Nipah virus (NiV) infection survivors is essential for advancing our understanding of NiV pathogenesis, improving diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and guiding public health efforts to prevent future outbreaks. There is currently limited data available on the immune response to NiV infection. We aimed to elucidate the specific immune mechanisms involved in protection against NiV infection by analyzing the immune profiles of survivors of the Nipah outbreak in Kerala, India 2023.

Evolution of drug resistance against antiviral agents that target cellular factors.

Antiviral drugs have classically been developed by directly disrupting the functions of viral proteins. However, this strategy has been largely unsuccessful due to the rapid generation of viral escape mutants. It has been well established that as compared to the virus-centric approach, the strategy of developing antiviral drugs by targeting host-dependency factors (HDFs) minimizes drug resistance.