Ritwik Dahake

Prevalence of leptospirosis among dogs and rodents and their possible role in human leptospirosis from Mumbai, India

A total of 100 blood and 18 urine samples of rodents and suspected dogs were collected from Mumbai, India during 2006-2008. In order to determine the role of animals in transmission of the disease to humans, all the samples were screened retrospectively by real-time polymerase chain reaction for leptospiral DNA and antibodies were detected using microscopic agglutination test. Leptopsiral DNA was detected from two blood and five urine samples from rodents. Of a total of 71 rodent and dog samples investigated for anti-Leptospira antibodies, 14 (19.7%) were positive. Pyrogenes was the predominant serovar found in 100.0% (7/7) and 85.7% (6/7) from suspected canine cases and rodents, respectively; followed by Icterohemorrhagiae, which was found in one rodent sample 14.28% (1/7). The study proves that there is high prevalence of leptospirosis in rodents and dogs in this region, which proves possible role of these animals in transmission of leptospires to humans. Hence it is imperative to necessary control measures to prevent human leptospirosis.

Evaluation of anti-viral activity of Jatropha curcas leaf extracts against potentially drug-resistant HIV isolates

Methods In vitro micro-co-culture was employed for virus isolation followed by drug susceptibility assays to determine resistance to Azidothymidine (AZT) and Lamivudine (3TC). Jatropha curcasleaves were extracted using Soxhlet apparatus. Methanolic (ME) and aqueous (AE) extracts were chosen for further study. Secondary metabolites were detected by High-Performance Thin Laye rChromatography and in vitro cytotoxicity established by MTT assay. Anti-viral activity was evaluated by p24 inhibitionin postand pre-infection interaction studies.

Prevalence of influenza virus among the paediatric population in Mumbai during 2007-2009

PURPOSE Influenza has a major impact on public heath, annually affecting 15-20% of the global population. Information on the activity of influenza virus in Mumbai is limited. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of influenza viruses causing acute respiratory infections in children by molecular methods. OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of influenza viruses among the paediatric population in Mumbai by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS From July 2007 to July 2009, 100 respiratory samples (nasal and throat swabs) were collected from paediatric patients with acute respiratory symptoms. attending out patients department, and admitted to the paediatric wards of B. J. Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai. The samples were collected and processed as per World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Viral RNA was extracted and one-step rRT-PCR was performed to detect influenza type A (H1 and H3) and influenza type B virus. RESULTS Out of 100 samples processed by rRT-PCR, a total of 11 samples (11%) were positive for influenza virus. The typing for influenza A subtypes showed 1% (1) positivity for H1 and 5% (5) positivity for H3 subtypes and 5% (5) samples tested positive for influenza type B virus. CONCLUSION It was observed that both influenza type A and B viruses were prevalent in Mumbai during the study period. Such surveillance data are important in the early detection of any antigenic variants that may be helpful in global influenza vaccine preparation and for any pandemic preparedness activity.

Clinico-epidemiological observations of human leptospirosis from Mumbai, India.

In this Journal, Allwood and his colleagues (2014) ad described environmental risk factors associted with leptospirosis cases from Jamaica [1]. ere, we describe multi-year retrospective study f suspected cases of leptospirosis along with the linical characteristics, environmental factors and ocio-economic behavior associated with this disase from Mumbai, India. Leptospirosis has been recognized as an imporant emerging global public health problem because f its epidemic proportions and increasing incience in both developing and developed countries. ince the original identification of leptospirois by Dr. Weil, outbreaks of leptospirosis have ccurred sporadically throughout world [2,3]. Sevral epidemics of leptospirosis have been reported orldwide during the past century, whereas in ndia, leptospirosis is endemic in most of the rban areas in Southern and Western India, where utbreaks usually occur after flooding caused by eavy seasonal rainfall [4—6]. Epidemiological studes indicate that infection is commonly associated ith certain occupational workers such as farmers, ewage workers, veterinarians, and animal hanlers. Leptospirosis can also be transmitted during

Molecular characterization of nucleoprotein gene of rabies virus from Maharashtra, India

Context: Rabies poses a serious public health concern in developing countries such as India. Aims: The study focuses on molecular diagnosis of street rabies virus (RABV) from human clinical specimens received from Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: Nucleoprotein gene from eight (of total 20 suspected samples) rabies cases that tested positive for rabies antigen using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were sequenced. Results: Sequence analysis using basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) and multiple sequence alignment (MSA) and phylogenetic analysis showed similarity to previously reported sequences from India and those of Arctic lineages. Conclusions: The circulating RABV strains in Maharashtra, India show genetic relatedness to RABV strains reported from Indo-Arctic lineages and India-South and Japan.

Characterization of influenza virus among influenza like illness cases in Mumbai, India

The present study was carried out to monitor influenza viruses by identifying the virus and studying the seasonal variation during 2007–2009 in Mumbai. A total of 193 clinical respiratory samples (nasal and throat swab) were collected from patients having influenza like illness in Mumbai region. One-step real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR (rRTPCR) was used to detect Influenza type A (H1 and H3) and Influenza type B virus. Isolation of the virus was carried out using in vitro system which was further confirmed and typed by hemagglutination assay and hemagglutination inhibition assay. Out of 193 samples 24 (12.4 3%) samples tested positive for influenza virus, of which 13 (6.73 %) were influenza type A virus and 10 (5.18 %) were influenza type B virus, while 1 sample (0.51 %) was positive for both. By culture methods, 3 (1.55 %) viral isolates were obtained. All the three isolates were found to be Influenza type B/Malaysia (Victoria lineage) by Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay. The data generated from the present study reveals that both Influenza type A and B are prevalent in Mumbai with considerable activity. The peak activity was observed during monsoon season.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Confers Neuroprotection in a Murine Model of Japanese Encephalitis

Objective: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a debilitating disease caused by infection with the JE virus (JEV; family: Flaviviridae), which leaves neurological sequelae in survivors but more often leads to mortality. Neurodegeneration caused by inflammation is the primary pathology behind the clinical manifestation of encephalitis caused by JEV. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been used in immunoprophylaxis for tuberculosis and in the adjuvant therapy of many malignancies, and has exhibited neuroprotective activities in experimental models of Parkinson and Alzheimer disease. This study aimed at assessing the neuroprotective role of BCG in a murine model of JE. Methods: Suckling mice were inoculated with 106 CFU of BCG and at 18 days postinoculation were challenged with 100 LD50 of JEV. PBS-inoculated mice were used as controls. Mice were sacrificed on days 2, 4, 6, and 8. Brain tissue was homogenized for RNA extraction. One-step real-time RT-PCR was performed to assess the relative gene expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS. Results: The BCG-inoculated (BCG+JEV) group exhibited a significant delay in the presentation of neuropathological symptoms, longer survival, and a downregulation in the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS on days 2, 4, and 6 post-JEV challenge compared to the JEV group. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the administration of BCG offers neuroprotection in the murine model of JE. BCG should therefore be further investigated as an adjuvant in the management of JE. BCG is an accepted vaccine for tuberculosis in many countries that are endemic for JEV. This approach may have a significant impact on the public health burden in these countries.

Polymorphisms in reverse transcriptase and protease genes of HIV-1 subtype C from Mumbai

Background Primary or transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance has caused an alarm in developed countries. While certain HIV-1 subtype C polymorphisms in relation to consensus subtype B sequences are known, there still exists a debate on the validity of these mutations being associated with/mistaken as, primary resistance. In this preliminary study, we have determined polymorphisms in reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR) genes of HIV-1 subtype C from Mumbai, India.

Prevalence of HPV in the oral cavity of HIV seropositive Indian women undergoing HAART

Background Oral manifestations (such as warts) of HIV infection are evident of disease progression, occurring in 30–80% of affected population. Recent evidence indicates that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) related diseases are increased in the oral cavity of HIV seropositive individuals irrespective of HAART. This study was undertaken to evaluate prevalence of oral HPV infection in Indian HIV seropositive women with/without oral warts.