Dengue: A clinicohaematological profile

Background: Fifty cases of fever, clinically suspected to be dengue were studied.     

Plasmodium falciparum Containment Strategy

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 1.7–2.5 million deaths and 300–500 million cases of malaria each year globally. As an initiative WHO has announced Roll Back Malaria (RBM) programme aimed at 50% reduction in deaths due to malaria by 2010. The RBM strategy recommends combination approach with prevention, care, creating sustainable demand for insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and efficacious antimalarials in order to achieve sustainable malaria control. Malaria control in India has travelled a long way from National Malaria Control Programme launched in 1953 to National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme in 2003. In India, the malaria eradication concept was based on indoor residual spraying to interrupt transmission and mop up cases by vigilance. This programme was successful in reducing the malaria cases from 75 million in 1953 to 2 million but subsequently resulted in vector and parasite resistance as well as increase in P falciparum from 30–48%. In view of rapidly growing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to conventional monotherapies and its spread in newer areas, the programme was modified with inclusion of RBM interventions and revision of treatment guidelines for malaria. Early case detection and prompt treatment, selective vector control, promotion of personal protective measures including ITNs and information, education, communication to achieve wider community participation will be the key interventions in the revised programme.     

Malaria on the Move : Ecological Considerations for the Armed Forces

Background

Armed forces personnel deployed in the North Eastern states of India are vulnerable to falciparum malaria. This vulnerability increases during mobilization of troops.

Methods

Epidemiological case sheet was used for recording individual movement, clinical features and laboratory investigations of each case of malaria. Immunochromotography test (ICT) or Paracheck Pf was used as a rapid test for falciparum malaria at the regimental aid post (RAP). Subsequently, a case control approach was used to ascertain whether the cases of malaria differed significantly from healthy controls in observing antimalaria measures such as the use of mosquito nets, repellants and chemoprophylaxis.

Result

Nineteen out of 623 soldiers suffered from falciparum malaria during a short period of ten days during operational mobilization. Use of mosquito nets and repellants was significantly less among the cases as compared to healthy controls. There was no significant difference among the two groups regarding compliance with chemoprophylaxis.

Conclusion

A paradigm of “malaria on the move” or “operational malaria” has been proposed.Key Words: Malaria, Armed Forces, Mobilization     

Effect of Biophytum sensitivum on streptozotocin and nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats

Objective

To investigate the effect of aqueous solution of Biophytum sensitivum leaf extract (BSEt) on normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats.

Methods

Diabetes was induced in adult male Wistar rats by the administration of STZ-nicotinamide (40, 110 mg/kg b.w., respectively) intraperitoneally. BSEt (200 mg/kg) was administered to diabetic rats for 28 days. The effect of extract on blood glucose, plasma insulin, total haemoglobin, glycosylated haemoglobin, liver glycogen and carbohydrate metabolism regulating enzymes of liver was studied in diabetic rats.

Results

BSEt significantly reduced the blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin levels and significantly increased the total haemoglobin, plasma insulin and liver glycogen levels in diabetic rats. It also increased the hexokinase activity and decreased glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase activities in diabetic rats.

Conclusions

The results of our study suggest that BSEt possesses a promising effect on STZ-nicotinamide-induced diabetes.