Background In the past decade, scrub typhus cases have been reported across India, even in region... more Background In the past decade, scrub typhus cases have been reported across India, even in regions that had no previous history of the disease. In the North-East Indian state of Mizoram, scrub typhus cases were first recorded only in 2012. However, in the last five years, the state has seen a substantial increase in the scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections. As part of the public health response, the Mizoram Government has integrated screening and line listing of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections across all its health settings, a first in India. Here we detail the epidemiology of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections from 2018–2022, systematically recorded across the state of Mizoram. Methodology/principal findings The line-listed data positive for scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections identified by rapid immunochromatographic test and/or Weil-Felix test from 2018–22 was used for the analysis. During this period, 22,914 cases of rickettsial infect...
In the last decade, there has been an emergence of scrub typhus in many parts of India. In Mizora... more In the last decade, there has been an emergence of scrub typhus in many parts of India. In Mizoram, North-East India, there has been a steep increase in scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections in the last 5 years. As part of the public health response, the Mizoram Government has integrated screening (by rapid immunochromatographic test and/or Weil-Felix test) and line listing of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections across all its health settings, a first in India. From 2018-22 (study period), 22914 cases were reported; of these, 19651 were positive for scrub typhus. Aizawl district is the worst affected, with 10580 cases (46.17%). The average incidence rate of rickettsial infections is 3.54 cases per 1000 persons-year, and the case fatality rate is 0.35. Patients with eschar (aOR=2.5, p<0.05), construction workers (aOR=17.9, p<0.05), and children aged 10 and below (aOR=5.4, p<0.05) have higher odds of death due to rickettsial infections.
India has made tremendous progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in the last decade... more India has made tremendous progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in the last decade. Mizoram State in North-East India is one of the few malaria-endemic regions where malaria transmission has continued to remain high. As Mizoram shares international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar, malaria control in this region is critical for malaria elimination efforts in all the three countries. For identifying hotspots for targeted intervention, malaria data from 385 public health sub-centers across Mizoram were analyzed in the Geographic Information System. Almost all the sub-centers reporting high Annual Parasite Index (> 10) are located in Mizoram’s districts that border Bangladesh. Getis-Ord Gi* statistic shows most of the sub-centers located along the Bangladesh border in the Lawngtlai and Lunglei districts to be the malaria hotspots. The hotspots also extended into the Mamit and Siaha districts, especially along the borders of Lawngtlai and Lunglei. Analysis of terrai...
Scrub typhus, which is one of the rickettsial diseases, is an acute, febrile illness in men cause... more Scrub typhus, which is one of the rickettsial diseases, is an acute, febrile illness in men caused by the pathogen, 18 a gram-negative bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi from the bite of infected mite. Outbreaks of scrub typhus have been reported from various parts of North, South, and Eastern India. There was a report of two unfortunate death cases from Cheural village due to scrub typhus at Lawngtlai district hospital. While, multiple cases, having symptoms like scrub typhus illness were also reported by health officials of the residents of Cheural village, Lawngtlai District, Mizoram. Among the 242 person tested, 80 (33.05%) person were found reactive with Weil felix PROGEN OXK at 1:160 titre value. Maximum numbers of cases were observed among the working age group 20-60 years. Among the different occupational groups, farmers were the most affected as more than 90% of the villagers were involved in forest farming. The five captured rodents’ sera were also tested with Weil felix. Al...
Outbreaks of dengue disease have been reported from many parts of India including northeastern St... more Outbreaks of dengue disease have been reported from many parts of India including northeastern States. There were reports of dengue disease outbreaks from Moreh town in Manipur during 2007-2008 and from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh during 2012 from northeast India. The first outbreak of dengue-like fever in Mizoram was reported on 30th August from Tuikual North ‘C’ Mual, Aizawl, followed by consecutive outbreaks at 10 localities between August and December 2016 within Aizawl city. In these localities, epidemiological and entomological studies were conducted to identify the disease and its vector. Blood serums were collected from the patients for the serological confirmation and Aedes mosquitoes (adults and larvae) were collected for vector identification and confirmation. There were 580 (NS1=384, IgM=196) patients confirmed with the disease from 11 localities in Aizawl and Ae. aegypti were identified as a potential vector species. There was no predilection towards sexes and all age...
Background In the past decade, scrub typhus cases have been reported across India, even in region... more Background In the past decade, scrub typhus cases have been reported across India, even in regions that had no previous history of the disease. In the North-East Indian state of Mizoram, scrub typhus cases were first recorded only in 2012. However, in the last five years, the state has seen a substantial increase in the scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections. As part of the public health response, the Mizoram Government has integrated screening and line listing of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections across all its health settings, a first in India. Here we detail the epidemiology of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections from 2018–2022, systematically recorded across the state of Mizoram. Methodology/principal findings The line-listed data positive for scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections identified by rapid immunochromatographic test and/or Weil-Felix test from 2018–22 was used for the analysis. During this period, 22,914 cases of rickettsial infect...
In the last decade, there has been an emergence of scrub typhus in many parts of India. In Mizora... more In the last decade, there has been an emergence of scrub typhus in many parts of India. In Mizoram, North-East India, there has been a steep increase in scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections in the last 5 years. As part of the public health response, the Mizoram Government has integrated screening (by rapid immunochromatographic test and/or Weil-Felix test) and line listing of scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections across all its health settings, a first in India. From 2018-22 (study period), 22914 cases were reported; of these, 19651 were positive for scrub typhus. Aizawl district is the worst affected, with 10580 cases (46.17%). The average incidence rate of rickettsial infections is 3.54 cases per 1000 persons-year, and the case fatality rate is 0.35. Patients with eschar (aOR=2.5, p<0.05), construction workers (aOR=17.9, p<0.05), and children aged 10 and below (aOR=5.4, p<0.05) have higher odds of death due to rickettsial infections.
India has made tremendous progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in the last decade... more India has made tremendous progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in the last decade. Mizoram State in North-East India is one of the few malaria-endemic regions where malaria transmission has continued to remain high. As Mizoram shares international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar, malaria control in this region is critical for malaria elimination efforts in all the three countries. For identifying hotspots for targeted intervention, malaria data from 385 public health sub-centers across Mizoram were analyzed in the Geographic Information System. Almost all the sub-centers reporting high Annual Parasite Index (> 10) are located in Mizoram’s districts that border Bangladesh. Getis-Ord Gi* statistic shows most of the sub-centers located along the Bangladesh border in the Lawngtlai and Lunglei districts to be the malaria hotspots. The hotspots also extended into the Mamit and Siaha districts, especially along the borders of Lawngtlai and Lunglei. Analysis of terrai...
Scrub typhus, which is one of the rickettsial diseases, is an acute, febrile illness in men cause... more Scrub typhus, which is one of the rickettsial diseases, is an acute, febrile illness in men caused by the pathogen, 18 a gram-negative bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi from the bite of infected mite. Outbreaks of scrub typhus have been reported from various parts of North, South, and Eastern India. There was a report of two unfortunate death cases from Cheural village due to scrub typhus at Lawngtlai district hospital. While, multiple cases, having symptoms like scrub typhus illness were also reported by health officials of the residents of Cheural village, Lawngtlai District, Mizoram. Among the 242 person tested, 80 (33.05%) person were found reactive with Weil felix PROGEN OXK at 1:160 titre value. Maximum numbers of cases were observed among the working age group 20-60 years. Among the different occupational groups, farmers were the most affected as more than 90% of the villagers were involved in forest farming. The five captured rodents’ sera were also tested with Weil felix. Al...
Outbreaks of dengue disease have been reported from many parts of India including northeastern St... more Outbreaks of dengue disease have been reported from many parts of India including northeastern States. There were reports of dengue disease outbreaks from Moreh town in Manipur during 2007-2008 and from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh during 2012 from northeast India. The first outbreak of dengue-like fever in Mizoram was reported on 30th August from Tuikual North ‘C’ Mual, Aizawl, followed by consecutive outbreaks at 10 localities between August and December 2016 within Aizawl city. In these localities, epidemiological and entomological studies were conducted to identify the disease and its vector. Blood serums were collected from the patients for the serological confirmation and Aedes mosquitoes (adults and larvae) were collected for vector identification and confirmation. There were 580 (NS1=384, IgM=196) patients confirmed with the disease from 11 localities in Aizawl and Ae. aegypti were identified as a potential vector species. There was no predilection towards sexes and all age...
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