An outbreak investigation was initiated following an unusual occurrence of hepatitis A reported among people residing in the coastal belt of Vadi to Vedikunnu area, Kollam district, Kerala, southern India. The time frame of disease occurrence, pattern of its distribution, and the incubation period of hepatitis A infection indicated the probability of occurrence of the outbreak as a result of pipe line water contamination due to mixing of sewage from a canal. The results add evidence to the epidemiology of hepatitis A in the state and warrant the establishment of an efficient water quality surveillance system.

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Avicennia marina (Tamil: Alai-atti): Avicennia marina is the dominant mangrove species inMuthupet and accounts for about 95% of the vegetation cover. Endophytic fungus is an endosymbiont which colonize healthy plant without causing any harm. These are relatively unexplored producers of metabolites useful to pharmaceutical industries (Petrini et al., 1992). Endophytic fungi are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plant (Arnold et al., 2000

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