Journal of Vector Borne Diseases最新文献

Background objectives: The breeding potential of vector mosquitoes of dengue and chikungunya viruses in and around airport and seaport of Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), Andaman & Nicobar Islands was explored.

Methods: The survey was carried out for two years during the months of March and April. All the water holding containers in the residential and non-residential areas of the airport and seaport were surveyed for Aedes immatures.

Results: The Stegomyia indices were higher in 2023 compared to 2024. The indices in 2023; the HI, CI, BI and PI were 20.1, 5.6, 32.4 and 86.0, respectively, whereas in 2024, these values declined to 6.8, 1.9, 9.6 and 17.4. Two Aedes species; Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were found in the surveyed containers, with the former in higher proportion. In 2023, larger drum/tanks had higher CI values, while in 2024 smaller containers had more positivity. Ovitrap index showed significant difference (P<0.05) between the two years in both airport and seaport. The percentage positivity for Aedes eggs was 41.2% (n=97) and 36.7% (n=79) in airport and seaport respectively.

Interpretation conclusion: This study is the first comprehensive entomological survey conducted at the Sri Vijaya Puram International Airport and seaport. It offers data on Aedes mosquitoes, especially Ae. aegypti , principal vector of arboviruses, at critical entry points, which are the key vulnerable zones of Andaman & Nicobar archipelago. This study highlights the urgent need for systematic vector surveillance and effective control measures.

Background objectives: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease that can lead to chronic ulcerative wounds. The low efficacy and high cytotoxicity of current treatments for leishmaniasis is an important health issue. This study assessed the anti-leishmanial effects of stem bark extract of Rhamnus cathartica and nano-emodin (NE) against Leishmania major (L. major) in vitro and in vivo .

Methods: Emodin was prepared chemically and physically, and was formulated into nanoliposomes at concentrations of 25-400 μg/ml. The activity of nanoliposomes were evaluated in vitro and in vivo on cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Results were analyzed using Prism and SPSS software. Statistical significance was determined using t-test and ANOVA.

Results: The results showed that the anti-parasitic effect of nano-emodin increased time and dose-dependently both in vivo and in vitro . 400 μg/ml of NE showed the highest inhibitory effects on L. major promastigotes. Also, this concentration could reduce the number of L. major amastigotes. Furthermore, the results of histopathological investigation indicated that all concentrations of nano-emodin had no nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity.

Interpretation conclusion: Considering the excellent anti-leishmanial effect of emodin nanoliposomes in addition to the non-toxicity, it can be concluded that this natural compound can be a suitable candidate for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background objectives: Dengue fever is the most common arboviral disease and a serious public health problem, transmitted by Aedes mosquito. Entomological investigations were carried out in dengue affected villages and urban areas of Haridwar district, Uttarakhand, India to investigate the prevalence, distribution of Aedes mosquitoes and identify high risk areas in Haridwar for proposing control.

Methods: The entomological survey was carried out in all selected localities in different breeding habitats like domestic and peridomestic containers to detect Ae. aegypti breeding with the help of standard entomological techniques. About 777 houses were screened from 12 dengue affected villages and municipal areas of Haridwar district during the month of November 2021.

Results: Out of 777 surveyed houses, 119 (15.3%) houses have Aedes breeding while out of 4360 water containers only 158 (3.6 %) were found positive for Aedes breeding. During survey HI (15.32), CI (3.62), BI (20.33) and PI (35.78) were also calculated. The distribution of Aedes larvae and Breeding Preference Ratio in different type of breeding habitats were also estimated, the highest positivity of Ae. aegypti larvae was observed in underground/ ground level cemented tanks (7.94) followed by tray of domestic refrigerator (4.55), discarded tyres (3.72), desert coolers (1.70), plastic containers (1.47), junk materials (1.28), mud-pots (0.58) and flowerpots (0.42), respectively.

Interpretation conclusion: Aedes aegypti mosquito was found to be the dominant species in domestic and peri-domestic breeding habitats, while Aedes albopictus and Aedes vittatus mosquito were also observed in outdoor breeding habitats of the houses. Breeding of Aedes mosquito was found in water storage containers from the same areas where dengue cases were also reported.

Background objectives: Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans. It is considered as the deadliest species of Plasmodium that infects humans. Research continues to focus on understanding the biology and genetics of P. falciparum to develop new tools, vaccines, and treatments aimed at reducing the global burden of malaria caused by this parasite.

Methods: In this study, three active compounds chrysin, indole-3-carbinol, and curcumin, were optimized using Gaussian16, and a molecular docking study was conducted against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7, along with an evaluation of pharmacokinetic properties.

Results: Molecular docking studies indicated that the chrysin compound exhibits a stronger binding affinity to selected receptors of P. falciparum compared to the other compounds. Additionally, in silico ADME screening was used to predict the pharmacological characteristics of potential drugs and their metabolites.

Interpretation conclusion: The findings predict that the chrysin compound exhibits better affinity with P. falciparum proteins, suggesting that this compound can effectively interact with specific targets within the parasite. It also highlights the favorable electrostatic interactions that contribute to its pharmacological effectiveness as an acetyl-CoA reductase inhibitor.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) which is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a significant public health concern in Asia. The JEV is mainly transmitted by Culex mosquitoes breeding in flooded rice fields. The disease can range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe encephalitis and long-term neurological effects with potentially fatal outcomes with a 30% mortality rate. This review aims to gather information on JE's public health importance, JE epidemiology, history, vaccination strategies, and public health interventions in Asian countries. A systematic literature search was conducted across various databases, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, including publications up till 2024. Search terms included "Japanese encephalitis", "epidemiology", "outbreaks", "prevalence" and "prevention & control". This review highlights the importance of comprehensive vaccination strategies and integrated vector management. Continued efforts are essential to enhance vaccination coverage and strengthen public health infrastructure to mitigate the burden of JE in Asia.

Tropical infections continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality in India. While mixed tropical infections are relatively common in the general population, they are rare during pregnancy. We report a 24-year-old pregnant woman with a history of previous lower segment caesarean section and preeclampsia, who developed dengue and scrub typhus infection near-term. The illness was complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, yet with timely multidisciplinary management, both maternal and neonatal outcomes were favourable. Literature on such mixed tropical infections in pregnancy remains scarce.

Vector-borne diseases remain a pressing global health challenge exacerbated by climate change, urbanization, and insecticide resistance. This review evaluates how artificial intelligence can strengthen vector surveillance, forecast outbreaks, and optimize interventions in public-health programs. Traditional control strategies rely on reactive. AI-driven systems, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs, a form of image-recognition AI) and advanced machine learning models, achieve over 90% accuracy in real-time mosquito species identification, enabling targeted responses to invasive vectors such as Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. The integration of satellite imagery, climate data, and citizen science inputs into machine learning models improves outbreak prediction, with Bayesian networks forecasting dengue incidence 30 d in advance with 81% accuracy. AI also streamlines resource allocation and reduces insecticide use by 20-40% through reinforcement learning and drone-based habitat mapping. However, barriers to implementation persist, including data inequities, algorithmic biases, and infrastructure gaps in low-income regions. Ethical considerations such as privacy in data-sharing systems and community engagement in surveillance necessitate collaborative frameworks that bridge technologists, public health experts, and local stakeholders. Although AI cannot replace traditional methods, its capacity to augment decision-making in real time and data-driven insights offer a pathway for resilient, equitable vector control systems. Success depends on context-specific adaptation, investment in digital infrastructure, and sustained cross-sector partnerships to mitigate the disproportionate burden of vector-borne diseases on vulnerable populations.

Background objectives: Dengue, caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family of Arboviruses, remains a severe public health threat, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, seasonal trends, and secondary dengue infection cases in the western area of Uttar Pradesh.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at VRDL, Department of Microbiology, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, analyzed 11,618 serum samples over the last three years, from January 2022-December 2024. Serum samples from suspected cases were subjected to NS1 antigen, IgM, and IgG antibodies enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: 11618 samples were tested with 2158 (18.57%) positive samples in the last 3 years. A total of 9571 samples were tested for NS1 Ag, of which 1459 (15.24%) were positive. There were 11454 samples tested for IgM, of which 789 (6.87%) were positive. Out of 9215 samples tested for IgG, 1068 were positive (11.58%). A higher percentage of positivity was observed in the age group 11-20 years, and males (18.68%) were more affected than females (16.41%). Peak cases showed during September-November, which correlates with the monsoon season, while transmission declined in winter.

Interpretation conclusion: The study found that young adults, particularly males, were most affected. An understanding of seasonal patterns and the need for early diagnosis and vector-control measures are crucial to managing effective dengue outbreaks.

Localized adverse events following mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination are often self-limiting. However, they are of significant concern to the participants and may affect community drug compliance if not managed appropriately. Here, we report a rather uncommon adverse event, the 'string sign' in a south Indian woman with bancroftian filarial infection treated with triple drug regimen (IDA-Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine and Albendazole). String sign is the manifestation of acute lymphangitis as a cordlike subcutaneous swelling due to the swollen and inflamed lymphatic vessel, which is believed to occur due to the death of the adult filarial worms subsequent to chemotherapy. Health care workers need to be aware of such unusual localized adverse events that may occur following MDA for LF elimination. Prompt medical management of adverse events and health education are important to ensure adherence to drug consumption during mass drug administration program.

Background objectives: Japanese encephalitis (JE) remains a significant public health concern in India. IgM capture ELISA is widely used for laboratory confirmation, but cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses like Dengue virus (DEN) can lead to false positives in endemic countries like India. To overcome this problem, WHO recommends an IgM capture ELISA-based differential testing algorithm which includes JE IgM testing followed by DEN IgM testing. This study evaluates the performance of JE and DEN IgM capture ELISA kits from NIV, Pune in differentiating JE and DENV infections using ELISA-based differential testing algorithm in comparison with Inbios JE and DEN detect IgM capture ELISA kits.

Methods: A total of 131 serum samples from patients with suspected AES were tested initially using both NIV JE IgM ELISA kit and Inbios JE detect followed by NIV Dengue IgM and Inbios DEN detect kits, and results were compared.

Results: The NIV kit showed a higher JE IgM positivity rate (77.9%) than the Inbios kit (69.5%). Differential testing reclassified 21.5% (22/102) of NIV JE IgM positive cases and 16.4% (15/91) of Inbios JE IgM positive cases as DEN positive.

Interpretation conclusion: The results emphasise the presence of cross reactivity between the JE and DEN viruses. Despite limitations such as the absence of PRNT, the findings support differential testing as a cost-effective strategy to enhance JE diagnostic accuracy in resource limited settings and reinforce the need for improved diagnostic algorithms to prevent misclassification of flavivirus infections especially in endemic countries.