The study reports the trend of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection observed from 2020 to 2022 in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, across each week in relation to the corresponding ...severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sewage positivity data and other non-COVID-19 respiratory viral infections such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The data on COVID-19 cases were procured from public domains, whereas the molecular testing of sewage samples and clinical samples for influenza and RSV was performed at our unit. The pattern of sewage positivity matched the waves of COVID-19, and few sewage samples in 2021 and 2022 tested positive before the onset of clinical cases. Influenza and RSV cases were reported during the periods of low COVID-19 cases. Thus, sewage surveillance is effective in monitoring the circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus, while laboratory surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV cases is pertinent to identify the common viral etiology of respiratory infections in the community.
In this study, we carried out an investigation of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) suspected human cases reported in Karnataka state, India from December 2018 to June 2019.
The clinical samples of KFD ...suspected cases (
= 1955) from 14 districts of Karnataka were tested for KFD using real-time RT-PCR and IgM ELISA. Further, the KFD-negative samples were tested for IgM antibodies against dengue and chikungunya viruses. Monkey samples (
= 276) and tick pools (
= 11582) were also screened using real-time RT-PCR. KFD-positive samples were further analysed using next-generation sequencing along with clinico-epidemiological analysis.
Of all, 173 (8.8%) cases tested positive for KFD either by real-time RT-PCR (
= 124), IgM ELISA (
= 53) or both tests (
= 4) from seven districts. Among KFD-negative cases, IgM antibody positivity was observed for dengue (2.6%), chikungunya (5.8%), dengue and chikungunya coinfection (3.7%). KFD cases peaked in January 2019 with fever, conjunctivitis, and myalgia as the predominant symptoms and a mortality of 4.6%. Among confirmed cases, 41% received a single dose and 20% received two doses of the KFD vaccine. Of the seven districts with KFDV positivity, Shivamogga and Hassan districts reported KFD viral RNA positivity in humans, monkeys, and ticks. Sequencing analysis of 2019 cases demonstrated a difference of less than 1.5% amino acid compared to prototype KFDV.
Although the KFD has been endemic in many districts of Karnataka state, our study confirms the presence of KFDV for the first time in two new districts, i.e. Hassan and Mysore. A comparative analysis of KFDV infection among the KFD-vaccinated and non-vaccinated populations demonstrated an insignificant difference.
Background & objectives: An outbreak of respiratory illness of unknown aetiology was reported from Hubei province of Wuhan, People's Republic of China, in December 2019. The outbreak was attributed ...to a novel coronavirus (CoV), named as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 and the disease as COVID-19. Within one month, cases were reported from 25 countries. In view of the novel viral strain with reported high morbidity, establishing early countrywide diagnosis to detect imported cases became critical. Here we describe the role of a countrywide network of VRDLs in early diagnosis of COVID-19.
Methods: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, established screening as well as confirmatory assays for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 13 VRDLs were provided with the E gene screening real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. VRDLs were selected on the basis of their presence near an international airport/seaport and their past performance. The case definition for testing included all individuals with travel history to Wuhan and symptomatic individuals with travel history to other parts of China. This was later expanded to include symptomatic individuals returning from Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea.
Results: Within a week of standardization of the test at NIV, all VRDLs could initiate testing for SARS-CoV-2. Till February 29, 2020, a total of 2,913 samples were tested. This included both 654 individuals quarantined in the two camps and others fitting within the case definition. The quarantined individuals were tested twice - at days 0 and 14. All tested negative on both occasions. Only three individuals belonging to different districts in Kerala were found to be positive.
Interpretation & conclusions: Sudden emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its potential to cause a pandemic posed an unsurmountable challenge to the public health system of India. However, concerted efforts of various arms of the Government of India resulted in a well-coordinated action at each level. India has successfully demonstrated its ability to establish quick diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 at NIV, Pune, and the testing VRDLs.
Rubella, is a contagious disease caused by Rubella virus (RuV) that manifests as fever with skin-rashes in children and adults along with complications in pregnant women. WHO-SEAR has set a target ...for Rubella elimination by 2023. This is the first report of antigenic characterization and genome sequencing of nine RuVs sampled during 1992, 2007–9, and 2015–17 from four Indian states. Comparative analysis of Indian RuVs (2B) with that of global isolates and vaccine strain RA 27/3 (1a) revealed that the observed mutations in structural proteins have no major impact on the 3D structure, function and antigenicity. Indian RuVs formed three major clusters (Pune-1992, Kannur-2009 and Chitradurg-2007) in genome-based phylogeny of global isolates. Neutralizing antibody titers in a panel of serum samples from measles negative cases were significantly higher to the vaccine strain compared to a wild-type 2B isolate (Kannur) with concordance of 91.9%, thereby substantiating the use of current vaccines.
Authors' response Gupta, Nivedita; Potdar, Varsha; Praharaj, Ira ...
Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994),
05/2020, Letnik:
151, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Authors' response Gupta, Nivedita; Potdar, Varsha; Praharaj, Ira ...
Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994),
05/2020, Letnik:
151, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Authors' response Gupta, Nivedita; Potdar, Varsha; Praharaj, Ira ...
Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994),
05/2020, Letnik:
151, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Authors' response Gupta, Nivedita; Potdar, Varsha; Praharaj, Ira ...
Indian journal of medical research (New Delhi, India : 1994),
05/2020, Letnik:
151, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Authors’ response Gupta, Nivedita; Potdar, Varsha; Praharaj, Ira ...
The Indian Journal of Medical Research,
05/2020, Letnik:
151, Številka:
5
Journal Article
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