No abstract

Background: Dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) have been mostly circulating silently with dominant serotypes DENV-2 and DENV-3 in India. However recent times have marked an increase in DENV-1 circulation in yearly outbreaks. Many studies have not been carried out on this virus type, leaving a lacunae pertaining to the circulating genotypes, since its earliest report in India. In the present study, we sequenced CprM gene junction of 13 DENV-1 isolated from Delhi and Gwalior (North India) between 2001-2007 and one 1956 Vellore isolate as reference. For comparison, we retrieved 11 other Indian and 70 global reference sequences from NCBI database, making sure that Indian and global isolates from all decades are available for comparative analysis.

To identify risk factors for scrub typhus in Darjeeling, India, we compared 62 scrub typhus cases (acute fever with eschar and specific IgM) with 62 neighbourhood controls. Cases were more likely to live close to bushes [matched odds ratio (MOR) 10; 95% CI 2.3-63] and wood piles (MOR 3.5; 95% CI 1.5-9.5), to work on farms (MOR 10; 95% CI 2.7-63), to observe rodents at home (MOR 3.6; 95% CI 1.4-11) and at work (MOR 9; 95% CI 2.4-57), and to rear domestic animals (MOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1-5.7). Cases were less likely to wash after work (MOR 0.4; 95% CI 0.1-0.9) and change clothes to sleep (MOR 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.5). A cleaner, rodent-controlled environment may prevent exposure to scrub typhus. Personal protection measures and better hygiene could further reduce individual risk.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.