Ritesh Singh

Dengue serotype-specific seroprevalence among 5- to 10-year-old children in India: a community-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Dengue surveillance data in India are limited and probably substantially underestimate the burden of disease. A community-based study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of dengue-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in children across India and to examine historical dengue exposure rates. Potential associations between socio-economic factors and dengue seroprevalence were also assessed (registered at ctri.nic.in: CTRI/2011/12/002243). METHODS A convenience sample of 2609 healthy children aged 5-10 years was enrolled; these children were registered at or were living in the vicinity of eight centres located at six geographically distinct sites across India. Blood samples were drawn to test for the presence of dengue IgG antibodies using ELISA. Serotype-specific neutralizing antibody titres were measured in dengue IgG-positive children using dengue plaque reduction neutralization tests. Socio-demographic and household information was collected using a questionnaire. RESULTS Overall, 2558/2609 children had viable samples with laboratory results for dengue IgG. Dengue IgG seroprevalence across all sites was 59.6% (95% confidence interval 57.7-61.5%): the lowest (23.2%) was in Kalyani, West Bengal, and the highest (80.1%) was in Mumbai. Seroprevalence increased with age. Multivariate analysis suggested associations with household water storage/supply and type of housing. Half of the subjects with positive IgG results presented a multitypic profile, indicating previous exposure to more than one serotype. CONCLUSIONS The overall dengue seroprevalence suggests that dengue endemicity in India is comparable to that in highly endemic countries of Southeast Asia. Additional prospective studies are required to fully quantify the disease burden, in order to support evidence-based policies for dengue prevention and control in India.

Public health impact of plastics: An overview

Plastic, one of the most preferred materials in todays industrial world is posing serious threat to environment and consumers health in many direct and indirect ways. Exposure to harmful chemicals during manufacturing, leaching in the stored food items while using plastic packages or chewing of plastic teethers and toys by children are linked with severe adverse health outcomes such as cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive effects etc. Promotion of plastics substitutes and safe disposal of plastic waste requires urgent and definitive action to take care of this potential health hazard in future.

Mercury and health care

Mercury is toxic heavy metal. It has many characteristic features. Health care organizations have used mercury in many forms since time immemorial. The main uses of mercury are in dental amalgam, sphygmomanometers, and thermometers. The mercury once released into the environment can remain for a longer period. Both acute and chronic poisoning can be caused by it. Half of the mercury found in the atmosphere is human generated and health care contributes the substantial part to it. The world has awakened to the harmful effects of mercury. The World Health Organization and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) have issued guidelines for the countries’ health care sector to become mercury free. UNEP has formed mercury partnerships between governments and other stakeholders as one approach to reducing risks to human health and the environment from the release of mercury and its compounds to the environment. Many hospitals are mercury free now.

Infant Hearing Screening in India: Current Status and Way Forward

Loss or impairment of auditory sense is the most prevalent deficit of all the sensory organs. With virtually no mortality, hearing impairment causes huge impact on ones social, educational and economic well-being. There are 5-6 infants who are hard of hearing out of 1000 neonates. They will not be identified till they attain 2 or more years of age, by then irreversible damage would have been done. Universal screening for hearing of new-borns is the only way to decrease the burden of deafness in our society. There are tools available which can be administered by health workers after initial training for screening the infants for hearing impairment. Under the aegis of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness (NPPCD) of India universal screening can and should be applied. The programme would entail additional financial burden for the initial purchase of screening machines and rehabilitating the identified children.

Electronic medical record: Time to migrate?

Gone are the days when records of patients were kept in paper format. Majority of things going digital, it is inevitable that hospitals will adopt electronic medical record in near future. It is simple, reliable and cost effective in long term.

Gender-violence and health care: How health system can step in.

Gender-violence also known as domestic violence, domestic abuse, spousal abuse or intimate partner violence, can be broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation. It can manifest as physical aggression, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, stalking and economic and food deprivation. In most countries gender violence is a crime; though scope of the domestic or gender violence act and severity of punishment varies considerably between the countries.