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National Institute of Communicable Diseases |
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ANNUAL REPORT 1997 |
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Division of Training
& Malariology The
Division of Training & Malariology with its trained manpower and well
established infrastructure provides training facilities to the institute for
various training courses. Two important training courses (i) Malariology & (ii) Prevention & Control of Communicable
Diseases are being conducted by this division. The supporting technical
staff is adequately trained in maintaining the non-human species of malaria
parasites in different animals like fowls and moneys. One species of avian
parasite viz. Plasmodium gallinaceum
is being maintained by the division and these are supplied on demand, to
medical colleges and research institutions. The division is also fully equipped
to undertake vector borne disease outbreak investigations, especially malaria.
The Serology Laboratory of the division provides support to NMEP (since 1977)
at national level by routinely carrying out mosquito blood meal analysis, for
which antihuman & antibuffalo sera are being raised by the division
regularly. The malaria clinic of the division examines & cross examines
blood slides for the presence of malaria parasites from patients referred by
hospitals & also slides collected during out break investigations. The
highlights of division’s activities are: §
To
provide trained personnel for successful implementation of various health
programmes by in-service training through regular and adhoc courses. §
Maintenance
of strains of Plasmodium species. §
Supply
of teaching materials and charts. §
Supply
of blood smears of malaria parasites to various institutions. §
Cross
checking of blood slides. §
Supply
of animal blood to other divisions of NICD for experimental work. §
Supply
of infected animals to medical research institutions. §
Perform
serological tests to determine the source of mosquito blood meals and raising
antisera for the test. §
Facilitate
the conduct of practical classes during various courses. §
Provide
audio visual facilities for various courses to NICD and also to DGHS. §
Draughtsman
and artist services to various divisions in this institute and on demand to
DGHS. Supply of live material For
molecular genetic studies 1 ml of human blood, containing Plasmodium vivax, was supplied to the Biochemistry Division of
NICD. The division supplied 45 real of monkey blood to the Microbiology
Division o NICD for culture/research purposes. Storage and Supply of reagents and materials The
J.S.B. strain prepared by the division was supplied (1,00 ml) to the divisions
of Helminthology and Medical Entomology, of NICD. Diagnostic services During
the year 1997 a total of 1575 blood slides were examined for the presence of
malarial parasite, of which 108 (6.8%) were found to be positive for malaria.
These blood slides comprised of 1008 slides referred by various hospitals which
revealed 92 (9.1%) slides positive for malaria, and 567 slides collected during
out break investigations, by the divisions of Epidemiology, Medical Entomology
& Vector Control and Training & Malariology, revealed 16 (2.8%) slides
positive for malaria. Serological tests A total
of 1066 mosquito blood meals received from different states were tested
serologically for plresence of human/bovine blood. The tests employed included
the standard precipitin test. Mosquito species tested included An. culicifacies and An.annularis and C.
quinquefascinatus. A total of 19 (1.2%) blood meals were found to be
positive for human blood and the rest for bovine. Research Projects 1. Transmission dynamics and
molecular genetic characterisation of Plasmodium faciparum in the Nuh block of
Gurgaon district Objectives
of the project are to understand the dynamics of P.falciparum transmission using linkages between
parasito-epidemiological, environmental and entomological indicators and to
identify level of variation & stability of the 3 functionally important
genes KAHRP, TRAP and 18 s r RNA, among
the temporal & spatial isolates of P.faclciparum.
A total
of 4470 (22%) population living in 7 villages of CHC Nuh (Mewat region), in
Gurgaon district was surveyed between August and Dec. 1997. The mean fever rate
of the community was 7.8% (4.7 – 10%) and the prevalence of malaria was 25%
(range 19-28%). The age group worst affected was 5-15 years, which contributed
to over 60% of the Plasmodium reservoir in the community, and about 30% of the
diseased persons were gametocytes carriers. The gametocyte load of the
community was quite high, to aid malaria transmission. In contrast to 1996, in
the year 1997 threre was a predominance of P.vivax
in the area. Efforts are in progress and more data are expected to be generated
in 1998 with respect to the vectorial capacity of An. stephensi to establish spatial & temporal linkages of
malarial parasites & the vectors. |
