Objective:To investigate the prevalence of leptospirosis among patients from within and outside Kolkata.India,attending the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine,for treatment during August 2002 to August 2008.Methods:...Objective:To investigate the prevalence of leptospirosis among patients from within and outside Kolkata.India,attending the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine,for treatment during August 2002 to August 2008.Methods:The leptospirosis cases were determined on the basis of clinical, epidemiological,and biochemical factors,and were tested for leptospiral antibodies using IgM ELISA.Serum samples with absorbance ratio≥1.21 were interpreted as reactive.Results:The commonest presentation involved fever,headache and jaundice.The male-female ratio was 61:46.A total of 65(64.20%) cases had abnormal liver and renal functions respectively,and 57.1% had both the abnormalities.The highest incidence(75.35.04%) was recorded in SeptemberOctober followed by July-August(53.24.77%).The reactive cases had absorbance ratios between 1.21 and 8.21.and 53 showed equivocal result,while IgM non reactivity were seen in 90 patients (absorbance ratios 0.10-0.90).The patients responded to treatment with parenteral antibiotics, penicillin,ceftriaxone and cefotaxime;follow up did not reveal case fatality.Conclusions:The cardinal signs of leptospirosis help in making clinical diagnosis,but in any hyper-endemic situation any patient reporting with acute lever and signs of pulmonary,hepatic or renal involvement should be suspected to have leptospirosis and investigated accordingly.Increased awareness,and early diagnosis and treatment,can reduce mortality due to leptospirosis.展开更多
Introduction: HIV infection represents a major public health problem for both developing and developed countries as it has grown to global pandemic. Spectrum of clinical presentation of HIV can greatly vary with geopo...Introduction: HIV infection represents a major public health problem for both developing and developed countries as it has grown to global pandemic. Spectrum of clinical presentation of HIV can greatly vary with geopolitical, socioeconomic and cultural environment. Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, socio-demographic conditions, clinical presentations, opportunistic infections and the possible associated risk factors for acquiring HIV infection. Materials and Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2014 at our centre situated in north India. As per the strategy and policy prescribed by NACO, tests were performed on the serum samples. Results: Out of the total 35369 clients tested for HIV infection, 292 were found to be HIV-1 seropositive. Two HIV-2 cases were found among the studied population. The seroprevalence of HIV was found to be 0.83% (294/35369). Mean age of the study group was 30 ± 5.65 (range: 02 - 80) years. Overall positivity rates among attendees were found to be 0.97% (138/14098), 0.96% (35/3610), 0.82% (7/850), 0.78% (22/2810) and 0.65% (92/14001) in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Heterosexual route of transmission was the major route of infection in 78.2 % patients. At the time of presentation, it was observed that Tuberculosis (14.9%) was the most common opportunistic infection. Conclusion: The study shows that there is a decreasing trend in the HIV prevalence in North India. However, the number of HIV cases is still significant and suggests the need for focused prevention efforts in high-risk groups.展开更多
文摘Objective:To investigate the prevalence of leptospirosis among patients from within and outside Kolkata.India,attending the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine,for treatment during August 2002 to August 2008.Methods:The leptospirosis cases were determined on the basis of clinical, epidemiological,and biochemical factors,and were tested for leptospiral antibodies using IgM ELISA.Serum samples with absorbance ratio≥1.21 were interpreted as reactive.Results:The commonest presentation involved fever,headache and jaundice.The male-female ratio was 61:46.A total of 65(64.20%) cases had abnormal liver and renal functions respectively,and 57.1% had both the abnormalities.The highest incidence(75.35.04%) was recorded in SeptemberOctober followed by July-August(53.24.77%).The reactive cases had absorbance ratios between 1.21 and 8.21.and 53 showed equivocal result,while IgM non reactivity were seen in 90 patients (absorbance ratios 0.10-0.90).The patients responded to treatment with parenteral antibiotics, penicillin,ceftriaxone and cefotaxime;follow up did not reveal case fatality.Conclusions:The cardinal signs of leptospirosis help in making clinical diagnosis,but in any hyper-endemic situation any patient reporting with acute lever and signs of pulmonary,hepatic or renal involvement should be suspected to have leptospirosis and investigated accordingly.Increased awareness,and early diagnosis and treatment,can reduce mortality due to leptospirosis.
文摘Introduction: HIV infection represents a major public health problem for both developing and developed countries as it has grown to global pandemic. Spectrum of clinical presentation of HIV can greatly vary with geopolitical, socioeconomic and cultural environment. Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, socio-demographic conditions, clinical presentations, opportunistic infections and the possible associated risk factors for acquiring HIV infection. Materials and Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2014 at our centre situated in north India. As per the strategy and policy prescribed by NACO, tests were performed on the serum samples. Results: Out of the total 35369 clients tested for HIV infection, 292 were found to be HIV-1 seropositive. Two HIV-2 cases were found among the studied population. The seroprevalence of HIV was found to be 0.83% (294/35369). Mean age of the study group was 30 ± 5.65 (range: 02 - 80) years. Overall positivity rates among attendees were found to be 0.97% (138/14098), 0.96% (35/3610), 0.82% (7/850), 0.78% (22/2810) and 0.65% (92/14001) in the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Heterosexual route of transmission was the major route of infection in 78.2 % patients. At the time of presentation, it was observed that Tuberculosis (14.9%) was the most common opportunistic infection. Conclusion: The study shows that there is a decreasing trend in the HIV prevalence in North India. However, the number of HIV cases is still significant and suggests the need for focused prevention efforts in high-risk groups.
