Srikanth Srirama

Ticks transmit pathogens across wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, and are therefore considered important vectors under the One Health framework. In India, the burden of tick-borne diseases, such as Kyasanur Forest Disease and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, remains poorly quantified due to fragmented surveillance and limited spatial data. Here, we present TickMapKB, a curated spatial knowledgebase documenting 72 tick species across more than 600 georeferenced locations in India. The majority of the species belonged to the genera Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma. Additionally, the resource integrates host associations, pathogen and disease information, morphological identification keys, acaricide resistance profiles, and protein annotations into a single, interactive platform accessible at https://cb.imsc.res.in/tickmapkb/. Specifically, the resource captures 53 pathogens, over 3000 protein annotations, and morphological keys from 26 published resources. TickMapKB thus provides researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders with integrated spatial, biological, and resistance information to support surveillance planning, resistance management, and tick-borne disease risk assessment.

Background: Scrub typhus (ST), is a vector borne zoonotic disease, transmitted by the larva of the trombiculid mites. The enzootic cycle of the pathogen involves rodents/shrews as the animal reservoirs and humans are the accidental dead-end host. A transposon-like activity in its major antigen 56 kDa, has led to the evolution of several serotypes/strains, and more than 40 serotypes are reported globally. Puducherry, India, is endemic to scrub, but limited data exist on local serotype distribution across hosts and vectors.Methodology: A longitudinal molecular surveillance was conducted in Puducherry to investigate the genetic diversity of Orientia tsutsugamushi among humans, animal reservoirs, and vectors. Samples from febrile patients, trapped rodents/shrews, and their infesting mites were screened using real-time and nested PCR. Serotype analysis was performed by partial amplification and sequencing of the 56 kDa gene, followed by phylogenetic, pairwise genetic distance and amino acid analysis.Result: ST infection was detected in 4.37% (95% CI: 3.05–5.71%) of human, 11.52% (95% CI: 8.6–14.4%) of rodent/shrew, and 2.36% (95% CI: 0.95–4.87%) of mite samples. Karp-like (51.72%) and Gilliam-like (41.38%) strains were predominant in both humans and animal hosts, with pairwise genetic distance (85%) analysis revealing a close relationship between the strains identified across the region. Notably, the only mite pool that tested positive for the 56 kDa gene, along with a shrew, was identified to belong to the TA678-like serotype (6.90%), which has not been previously reported from Puducherry.Conclusion: This study provides molecular evidence of the enzootic maintenance and active human transmission of O. tsutsugamushi in Puducherry, with multiple co-circulating serotypes. The first detection of the TA678-like strain in the region suggests the possible introduction of new strains and underscores the need to monitor for strain-specific clinical manifestations in future studies.

Background: Imported malaria remains a significant diagnostic challenge, particularly in regions approaching elimination. This case report is novel in its exploration of the complexities involved in diagnosing malaria imported from a high-endemic area to a low-endemic region, emphasizing the critical role of detailed travel history and molecular diagnostics in identifying the disease. The case underscores the potential public health implications of missing such diagnoses in regions where routine malaria testing is not performed due to low endemicity. Case presentation: A 25-year-old male presented to a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, India, with symptoms of intermittent fever, headache, loss of appetite, and vomiting, which persisted over a week. Initial laboratory findings showed thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, with negative tests for dengue, chikungunya, and scrub typhus. Further investigation using molecular diagnostic techniques identified Plasmodium falciparum. The patient had recently returned from Burkina Faso, West Africa, where he had experienced similar episodes of fever, establishing the diagnosis of imported malaria. Conclusions: This case highlights the necessity of considering imported malaria in the differential diagnosis of febrile illnesses in India, a country nearing malaria elimination. It illustrates the importance of incorporating travel history into clinical evaluations and supports the use of molecular diagnostics to effectively diagnose malaria in settings where traditional diagnostic methods may overlook imported cases. The findings advocate for enhanced surveillance and diagnostic preparedness to manage imported cases of malaria, thereby supporting ongoing elimination efforts and preventing the re-establishment of local transmission. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Objectives: Industrial zones are large, unsupervised areas with a high risk of Aedes vector infestation because of the presence of diverse artificial breeding habitats. Unlike community‐based Aedes surveys, research on vector breeding in industrial settings is limited. Therefore, this research aimed to explore Aedes vector infestation levels in industrial regions, their breeding places and the presence of dengue virus transmission.Methods: An Aedes immature survey was conducted in 70 industrial units of an urban industrial estate of Puducherry, following standard protocols by the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control. The collected immatures were reared for adult emergence and species identification. Larval indices and breeding habitat contribution for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were carried out. Furthermore, adult traps were set up to detect the presence of Dengue viral RNA in adult mosquitoes. Chi‐square statistics were performed to find the association of breeding positivity with industry types and container types.Results: Aedes breeding was noted in 48 units (68.6%). All industrial types had remarkably high Aedes indices. In industrial areas, Ae aegypti was the most common dengue vector species, followed by Ae. albopictus. Out of the nine major container types, discarded types had a 90% positivity rate. Significant associations were also noted between container positivity and industry type (Χ² 15.7, p < 0.001), mosquito species and industry type (Χ² 16, p = 0.0143) and container type on mosquito breeding (Χ² 48.9, p < 0.001). Molecular analysis showed no detectable levels of dengue virus in the mosquito samples.Conclusion: Surveillance on Aedes density is important in determining factors related to dengue transmission, in order to prioritise areas and seasons for vector control. Aedes mosquito populations in industrial settings pose a serious threat to public health. Appropriate surveillance and control strategies need to be framed for such large non‐residential areas at a policy level. Combining environmental management techniques, innovative vector control methods and community engagement may help reduce the health concerns associated with Aedes in these complex industrial settings.

Background Dengue, a neglected tropical disease, is becoming a more significant global health concern due to factors such as unplanned urbanization, poor sanitation, and improper protective measures. Dengue transmission is intricately linked to the knowledge, perspectives, and practices, and sustainable vector control activities in preventing dengue transmission. We aimed to develop a training plan and implementation strategy for Dengue Source Reduction (DSR) activities for building capacity in medical colleges in Puducherry, India, to control vectors and prevent dengue. Methods This quasi-experimental study involved two medical colleges. Key stakeholders were identified, and resources available for the training program were mapped. The training sessions were interactive, incorporating lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on training on identifying and removing vector breeding habitats. Sixty multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of 5-6 members were created, each assigned a zone within the college campus. Each team had a leader responsible for coordinating activities, communication, and reporting. Monitoring and evaluation included pre- and post-training surveys, assessments of capacity before and after the training, and identification of collected mosquito larvae. Results The training program, with a focus on interactive learning and robust monitoring, led to significant improvements in knowledge, perception, and capacity. Stakeholder engagement led to the development of the "Detect, Destroy, and Document (3D)" approach for monitoring and evaluation. Participants showed increased knowledge scores (6.79±1.16 to 8.07±0.89 out of 9, paired t-test p<0.001), heightened risk perception (16.7% to 55%, McNemar's test p<0.001), and a stronger understanding (63.3% to 86.7%, McNemar's test p=0.0005) of the importance of weekly DSR activities. The knowledge scores of breeding sites, symptoms, and preventive measures improved significantly after the intervention. Furthermore, participants demonstrated the ability to identify common Aedes breeding sites and mosquito larvae and even conducted a follow-up DSR activity independently. The number of containers identified improved during the follow-up. On emergence in the laboratory, all the larvae collected during the independent follow-up belonged to Aedes mosquitoes. Conclusions Interactive hands-on capacity-building programs in medical colleges can be a promising approach to reducing dengue transmission risks. Integrating vector control training into the medical curriculum and sustaining motivated and trained MDTs within medical colleges can have a broader impact on community health.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens and their spillover into the environment have become a global public health menace. Insects can acquire these pathogens from the environment and would serve as mechanical and biological vectors. The current study assessed the ability of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes to acquire methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through the exposure of the mosquitoes to the pathogen via rearing water, blood feed, or a feeding membrane under laboratory conditions. In addition, mosquito immatures collected from their habitat in the vicinity of hospitals, veterinary dispensaries, and butcher shops at 15 study sites in Puducherry were screened for MRSA infection. All samples were subjected to the culture-based isolation of S. aureus from the surface and homogenate. The presence of the S. aureus-specific nuc gene and the genes that confer resistance to methicillin (mecA and mecC) were screened using PCR tests. MRSA was not evident either on the external surface or in the homogenate of the mosquitoes emerging from the larvae reared in the MRSA-spiked water or those fed with MRSA through blood or smeared membranes. Furthermore, the presence of MRSA was not evident in any of the field-caught mosquitoes. Hence, we conclude that C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are impervious to MRSA colonization.

This poem describes the ugly face of misinformation and lies-spewing bile as COVID shook us and humanity came undone. Vaccines were rejected and lockdowns were broken. We barely withstood. Who won? No one. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).