Indian Journal of Communicable Diseases

Molluscum Contagiosum (MC) is a very common viral infection of skin caused by a double stranded DNA Pox virus affecting both children’s and adults. MC is primarily affects children’s of 15 years, occasionally it affects adults and immunocompromised individuals. Transmission of virus occurs by direct contact with infected person or contaminated objects. Most common sites are skin of face, trunk and extremities in children, genitals in adults and rarely palms, soles and mucous membranes. Here we are reporting a case of Molluscum Contagiosum in a 3 years old male patient over a skin of face.

Keywords: HendersonPaterson Bodies; Papules; Nodules. 

Pneumococcal diseases in ‘under 5 populations’ are responsible for millions of deaths annually in the developing world. Effective vaccination against pneumococcal diseases is available using vaccines but their high cost has inhibited their adoption by governments in low and middleincome countries. Resistance to adoption of these vaccines also stems from the lack of population based data pertaining to disease burden and serotype prevalence which preclude the possibility of accurate costeffective analysis and longterm impact of the vaccines in improving the health of susceptible populations. In India, the pneumococcal vaccine is set to be introduced in a phased manner in its Universal Immunization Program. The Indian experience shows that the vaccine can be adopted using justifications based upon disease burden estimates through mathematical modeling and serotype prevalence from hospital based studies especially when keeping the overarching ethical principle of protecting the lives of thousands of children in mind who cannot wait for theavailability of high quality evidence proving cost effectiveness of the vaccine. However, the replicability of such behaviour by comparatively poorer nations may be difficult which renders it necessary to correctly monitor and evaluate the impact of pneumococcal vaccine introduction in Indian populations in order to provide a roadmap for expansion of pneumococcal vaccines in other resource constrained settings of the developing world.

Keywords: Pneumococcus; Vaccines; India. 

Immunomodulation is the process of modulating the induction, expression, amplification, or inhibition of the immune system in a positive or negative manner. Both immunosuppressants and immunostimulators act by either suppressing or stimulating the immune system against a pathogen or tumour. Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid (AMCA) is a wellknown antimicrobial agent which has a broad spectrum of activity. Although it was originally developed to reduce bacterial resistance through its antimicrobial activity, this combination also possesses immunomodulatory action. The immunomodulatory effect of AMCA has further broadened the activity of amoxicillin against lactamaseproducing strains such as S. aureus, E coli, H. influenza, and K. pneumonia, and the anaerobic Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis). This combination inhibits lactam inhibitor and protects amoxicillin from being degraded by a lactamase enzyme. The immunomodulatory effect of AMCA is elicited through various mechanisms such as interaction with the host system, phagocytosis, interaction with host defense cells, and transmigration of PMNs at the inflammatory site. The present review article focusses on immunomodulatory effect of AMCA in bacterial infections. The review further discusses the effect of AMCA in respiratory tract infections (both upper and lower), otitis media, and Skin and Soft Tissue Infection (SSTI). In addition, the article discusses the mechanisms through which AMCA has shown established effect against various resistant bacteria which has made this combination the drug of choice for treating infections as listed above.

Keywords: Amoxicillin; Clavulanic Acid; ImmunoModulation; Broad Spectrum; Infections. 

Malaria has been a menace worldwide, existing endemically in some countries one of those being India. A national programme for control of this disease had been launched in India in 1953, which evolved as the present composite programme against several endemic vector borne diseases, as the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. The disease is being treated in the country according to the National Drug Policy for Malaria 2013. Presently the National Strategic Plan 20172022 has been formulated for achieving malaria elimination by 2030. Preventive measures include integrated vector control, personal protection and chemoprophylaxis. Several candidate vaccines have been under research of which the most promising one i.e. RTS,s is due to be piloted by the World Health Organization in selected areas of 3 African countries, through WHO’s Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) that will begin in 2018.

Keywords: malaria; National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme; malaria treatment; malaria vaccine 

In the present study A Quasi Experimental Study a research design was used to achieve the objectives of the study. The study was conducted in selected slums of Rajkot city. In the present study the sample comprised of 60 people. A structured questionnaire knowledge regarding swine flu was prepared to study the sample. Descriptive and inferential statistics had been used to analyze the data obtained through interviews. This study indicates that the planned teaching is effective in increasing the knowledge of people regarding swine flu.

Keywords: Swine Flu; Influenza A. 

Background: Objectives of this study were 1. To review the impact of the Institutional Chickenpox Prevention Program (ICPP) at National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore from Jan 2010 – Jun 2014; 2. To compare the costs of different chickenpox vaccination strategies using a deterministic model; in a 1000 bedded tertiary care university hospital with total staff strength of approximately 7300 in Singapore, a country with a diverse population and a high incidence of adult chickenpox. Methods: Retrospective audit of incidence, contact tracing data, deterministic modelling to predict number and cost of future varicella infections. Results: There were a total of 51 cases of chickenpox, 15 among staff and 36 among inpatients from Jan 2010 to Jun 2014, (average 3.3 staff per year) with two secondary nosocomial transmissions. The median number of staff contacts per patient index case was 4 (IQR 213). Total direct cost incurred for diagnosing and treating the Chickenpox cases was 70,001.7 USD (IQR 248.51961.8 per index); while the total personhours lost were 7,573 (IQR 28229 per index). Cost of chickenpox infection in high risk wards was four times higher with twice as many manhours lost as compared with general wards. Maximizing staff immunity to VZV helped minimize outbreaks in deterministic model. Conclusions: Nosocomial Chickenpox continues to add significant burden to NUH in terms of costs and man hours lost. Deterministic model shows that maximizing staff immunity to VZV would minimize outbreaks. Locally, additional strategies targeting healthcare worker cohorts in high risk areas and from countries with low VZV seroprevalence, may be most cost effective.

Keywords: Varicella; Chickenpox; Singapore; Hospital Vaccination Policy; Vaccination of Healthcare Workers; Health Policy; Infectious Diseases; Hospital Infection Control.