041163   REDDY N K K, KISHORE S, SINHA S, BHADORIA A S, BAHURUPI Y, USHA P, REHAN A, JAIN B (Community and Family Medicine Dep, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, Email: kranthi1237@gmail.com) : Assessment of utilization of integrated child development services scheme in Uttarakhand. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 130-2.

ICDS scheme has been playing its role effectively since 1975 when it was launched, but still there are some short comings which need to be addressed. Uttarakhand being one of the states with poor health indicators with respect to child and mother there is need to increase research on implementation of programs. The present study was conducted to see utilization of services provided under ICDS scheme in Uttarakhand. A cross sectional study was conducted in selected areas of Uttarakhand from October 2018 to June 2019. 505 households from 16 Anganwadi centers, from both urban and rural areas of Dehradun and Haridwar districts were included. Assessment of utilization of services was done by household interviews. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23 software. Availing supplementary nutrition services was the most utilized service (94.5 %) followed by health education services (88.3 %), health and referral services (83.2 %), preschool education services (76.7 %) and least utilized service was immunization service (69.3 %). Various factors independently affecting utilization of services were identified. Overall utilization of services is highest among pregnant women and least among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age group.

2 tables, 10 ref

046392   KURIAKOSE S ,VINAYCHANDRAN S, DAYAL NARAYAN K T P, MINI C H (Psychiatry Dep, Government Medical Coll, Kozhikode- 67301, Email: dayalnarayan@gmail.com) : Postpartum depression and its association with social support: A cross-sectional study at a Maternity Hospital in Kerala. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(2), 10.30834/KJP.33.1.2020.198.

Childbirth is associated with significant physiological changes as well as challenges related to psychiatric disorders. Postpartum depression (PPD) is one such condition associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Screening postpartum women for early identification of depression and its prompt treatment should be a crucial component of postnatal health care. Assessment of prevalence and correlates of postpartum depression hence becomes important. Cross-sectional assessment of mothers (n=250) during postnatal visits to the family planning clinics between four weeks and one year of delivery, using Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Social Support Questionnaire and a structured questionnaire for the assessment of psychosocial risk factors was carried out in a tertiary care postgraduate teaching hospital of north Kerala. Multivariate Regression Analysis was used to identify the risk factors for PPD. 27.6 % had postpartum depression (score of >11 in EPDS), and 18.4 % had suicidal ideation. Factors associated with the presence of PPD included alcohol use of husband, marital discord, lack of family support and lack of physical help during the postnatal period. Difficulties during labour, the gender of the baby or postnatal complications did not have a significant association with PPD. Though there was a negative correlation between Social Support Scale (SSS) total score and EPDS score, it was not statistically significant. (Pearson’s co-relation coefficient= -0.084, p= 0.186). Prevalence of depression in postnatal women is very high. Modifiable psychosocial factors have a close association with PPD, and these are opportunities for intervention as well. Considering the morbidity and mortality linked to untreated PPD, screening of postnatal women and routine provision of therapeutic services to them is suggested.

3 tables, 29 ref

041162   SHALINI, GOEL M K (Community Medicine Dep, Lady Hardinge Medical Coll, New Delhi - 110 001, Email: drmanishgoel2000@yahoo.co.in) : Non-adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 126-9.

In developed countries, adherence among patients suffering from chronic diseases averages only 50 %; in developing countries it is assumed to be much lower. To find out the prevalence of non-adherence to antihypertensive treatment among individuals seeking anti-hypertensive treatment from tertiary care hospital in New Delhi & to find out the factors related to non-adherence to the anti-hypertensive treatment among study subjects. A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted from June to October 2018 among 150 diagnosed cases of hypertension. The drug adherence was assessed by using standard Brief Medication Questionnaire I (BMQ I) and to know the determinants of non-adherence a semi-structured (self-designed and pre tested) questionnaire was used. The association of different factors with adherence was analyzed by applying chi square (χ2) test. Among total of 150 participants 44 % were males and 56 % were females. The magnitude of non-adherence to anti-hypertensive drugs was 35.3 %. Side effects of anti-hypertensive drugs was significant risk factor for non-adherence to anti-hypertensive drugs and common reasons for non-adherence were unwanted side effects (64.2 %) followed by worry about long term side effects (62.3 %). Prevalence of non-adherence to anti-hypertensive drugs was quite high, most common reason for non-adherence to anti-hypertensive medication was unwanted side effects and worry about long term side effects.

4 tables, 22 ref

046391   PARVATHY R S, SMITHA C A (Psychiatry Dep, Government Medical Coll, Kozhikode- 673 00, Email: drsmithaca@gmail.com) : Emotional intelligence, perceived stress, and internet use behavior among undergraduate medical students- A cross-sectional study. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(2), 14-21.

To find the pattern and characteristics of Problematic internet use and to determine the relationship between Internet Addiction, Perceived stress and Emotional Intelligence among medical students. In this cross-sectional study, using convenience sampling, 368 study participants were selected from the undergraduate medical students of a medical college in North Kerala. After getting written informed consent, socio-demographic data sheet, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were filled up by the participants. Completed responses were scored and analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Problematic internet use among the participants was 65.7 %. In the sample, 42.9 % had mild internet addiction, and 22.8 % had moderate internet addiction. There was a positive correlation between scores of IAT and PSS and a negative correlation between scores of IAT and SSEIT. A pattern of increased levels of perceived stress and decreased levels of emotional intelligence was noticed with increasing levels of internet addiction scores. Young medical students were found to have mild and moderate levels of internet addiction and were high in perceived stress. Those with an addiction pattern of internet use also showed lower levels of emotional intelligence. It is crucial to identify those with lower levels of emotional intelligence and intervene effectively for stress management to reduce the internet overuse and emotional sequelae of it.

2 illus, 5 tables, 37 ref

041160   GARG S, BHARDWAJ A, MITTAL A, BHONSLA S (Community Medicine Dep, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, Email: dranubhardwaj78@gmail.com) : A study of menstrual hygiene management in urban and rural adolescent girls in Ambala (Haryana). Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 120-3.

Adolescent girls often lack knowledge regarding reproductive health including menstruation hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene can be a precursor reproductive tract infections and even cancer cervix. To study the menstrual hygiene management among rural and urban school going adolescent girls A community based cross sectional study was conducted among 420 adolescent girls (10 - 19 years). A self-designed semi- structured questionnaire was used to study the knowledge and practise regarding menstrual hygiene. Knowledge about menstruation before attainment of menarche was 69 % in urban and 58.9 % in rural. Mother was the main source of information. Still 23.6 % girls were using cloth or towels as menstrual absorbent, and 26.6 % girls in rural area were washing their menstrual absorbent to be reused.91.7 % and 81 % girls had some restriction during menstruation  Awareness in urban adolescent girls was more in comparison to rural girls. The usage of sanitary pads was similar in both rural and urban areas. Menstrual hygiene was better in urban than rural areas. It is imperative that adolescent girls be educated about the, significance of menstruation, and proper hygienic practices during menstruation. Sex education in school curriculum can help in resolving misconceptions about menstruation.

1 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

041159   JUYAL R, SEMWAL J, KANDPAL S D, SRIVASTAVA A K, DEEPSHIKHA, VALLABH V (Community Medicine Dep, SRHU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Email: aniruchi08@gmail.com) : Piecing the evidences: Barriers to utilization of antenatal care services by currently married women in rural Uttarakhand- A community-based study. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 114-9.

High maternal mortality has always been an area of concern in developing countries. Availability and availment of adequate antenatal care play a significant role in reduction of maternal deaths. To know the extent of antenatal care (ANC) services utilization by the currently married women of rural Uttarakhand during their last pregnancy, to find the barriers for utilization of ANC services and correlate the socio-demographic variables with the non-utilization of ANC services. This correlational study was conducted in rural areas of 3 randomly selected districts in Uttarakhand. Multistage stratified and simple random samplings were used for area selection and PPS technique was used to recruit the participants. Overall, 637 currently married women (CMW) who delivered in last 5 years prior to survey, were interviewed by trained social workers. Chi-square test was used to ascertain association between variables and regression analysis was done to adjust for confounding associations. Overall 496 (77.9 %) women availed one or more ANC services during their last pregnancy, but the complete package was availed by only 210 (33 %) of the CMW. Majority of the women who did not avail any ANC services were older, illiterate, labourer, spouse of labourer/ unemployed person and belonged to lower socio-economic status. Unawareness was the most commonly cited reason for not availing ANC services followed by financial issues and unfelt need. Women in Uttarakhand are pliant to ANC services, but there is a need to create demand for it by increasing awareness and improving the quality of ANC services.

2 illus, 3 tables, 17 ref

041158   BATHULA A N, SRIPADA L, CHOUDHURY L P (Roda Mistry College of Social Work, Hyderabad - 500 008, Email: bnagraj@worldbank.org) : Social accountability and community participation in village health nutrition and sanitation committees in Uttar Pradesh. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 108-13.

A First step towards community involvement is Participation. The government of India under its flagship program, the National Health Mission, advocates and actively encourages community participation and has setup Village Health Nutrition and Sanitation Committees (VHNSCs) at village level.  The objective of this paper is to examine “The Level of Community Participation in the Village Health Sanitation committees” in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A cross-sectional mix method study was undertaken in 3 districts, covering 15 villages, in Uttar Pradesh between August to October 2019. The quantitative component included a pre-tested semi structured questionnaire. Further, Focused group discussion (FGDs) and key informant in-depth interview were undertaken for more information. Informed consent was collected from all the participants. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS 21.0 while the qualitative data was analyzed manually, based on themes. The average size of the household was 5, 65 % respondents were educated, 88 % were Hindus, 47 % were from other backward class and 50 % had below poverty line cards. In the year 2019, 7 % of the respondents participated in the Gram Sabha and 5 % in village health nutrition and sanitation committee meetings. Statistically significant variations were noticed where less than 20 % of the schedule castes and schedule tribes had lower participation than other castes in any of the village level committees. Lack of time was one the key reasons cited for non-participation. To ensure adequate participation from all castes it is important to schedule meetings at times convenient may encourage more community participation.

2 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

041157   SINGH C M, MISHRA A, AGARWAL N, AYUB A, MISHRA S, LOHANI P (Community & Family Medicine Dep, All India Institute of Medical Science, Patna, Bihar - 801 507, Email: drarshadayubcommed@gmail.com) : Gender discrimination and other factors affecting Full Immunization Coverage (FIC) in 59 low performing blocks of Bihar. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 101-7.

Routine childhood immunization has proven to be among the most practical and most cost-effective health interventions. The full immunization coverage (FIC) has increased, still it is less. Especially in  the low performing blocks of Bihar ,it is less than 70 %.There are various factors responsible for less FIC including gender discrimination also which is still hidden in the society. Hence this study was done to find out the FIC in Bihar with associated factors including gender discrimination. To find out the various associated factors affecting FIC and to find out gender discrimination (if any) in FIC in different districts of Bihar. Two stage cluster sampling with Probability Proportional to size Sampling (PPS) was used as per Study protocol. The study was conducted in 59 low- performing blocks of Bihar where the full immunization coverage was less than 70 %. The survey was conducted in 59 blocks. From each block, 30 clusters (Villages) were selected. As a convention, 7 children of age group 12- 23 months were selected from each cluster. Thus, data collection was done for a total of 12,390 children.A structured questionnaire was formulated on the basis of WHO coverage evaluation format. Web based Application SDRC kit was used for data collection while SPSS v. 20 was used for analysis. FIC was found to be 60.81 % , it was higher for the rural clusters, general caste, Hindus when compared to urban clusters , SC and other castes, and Muslim religion respectively. For 1st child FIC was highest (66.8 %) and was lesser for females. A coverage ratio (female to male) was found to be less than 1 for most of the districts. There are considerable inequities in full immunization by various individual (birth order, gender, birth weight), social (religion, caste), and societal (health care facility and cluster type) characteristics. In general, the ratio (female/male) remains less than 1 for most of the districts.

3 illus, 2 tables, 28 ref

042950   KAUSHIK S, JANGRA G, KUNDU V, YADAV J P, KAUSHIK S (Maharshi Dayanand Univ, Rohtak, Haryana, Email: samanderkaushik@gmail.com) : Anti-viral activity of Zingiber officinale (ginger) ingredients against the Chikungunya virus. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(3), 270–6.

Chikungunya is one of the highly infectious viral disease without vaccine and anti-viral. Aim of present study is to check the anti-chikungunya activities of Zingiber officinale (Ginger) in the animal cell culture model. The medicinal plant extract was prepared from Z. officinale rhizome. Median tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Maximum non-toxic dose (MNTD) of Z. officinale extract was determined in Vero cell-line on the basis of cell viability followed by MTT assay. In vitro anti-chikungunya activity was performed in Vero cell-line with MNTD and half of MNTD of Z. officinale medicinal plant extract. The anti-viral effect of Z. officinale was studied by observing the cytopathic effects and cell viability measured by MTT assay. Maximum non-toxic dose of Z. officinale plant extract was found 62.5 μg/ml. During anti-chikungunya experimentation, cell viability increased to 51.05 % and 35.10 %, when Vero cells were pre-treated with MNTD and half of MNTD of Z. officinale extract respectively. Similarly, in co-treatment, when MNTD, half of MNTD of Z. officinale and Median tissue culture infective dose CHIKV were inoculated simultaneously, then the viability of Vero cell-line was increases by 52.90 % and 49.02 % respectively. The rhizome extracts of Z. officinale have high potential to treat CHIKV. Medicinal plants and their metabolites are most important sources of antimicrobial and can be utilized for the development of new drugs. In view of the rapid expansion of CHIKV at the global level, there is an urgent need to develop newer anti-chikungunya drugs.

3 illus, 1 table, 45 ref

042949   SOLIMAN M S, KAMEL M M, ALORABI J A, MOHAMED N M, EL-KHOLY A A, ABDEL-MONEIM A S (Clinical Pathology Dep, Cairo Univ, Giza, Egypt, Email: asa@bsu.edu.eg) : Characterization and mutational analysis of haemagglutinin and neuraminidase of H3N2 and H1N1pdm09 human influenza a viruses in Egypt. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(3), 262–9.

Seasonal influenza viruses constitute a major global concern. Currently, H3N2 and H1N1pdm09 are the commonly circulating influenza A viruses. The haemagglutin and neuraminidase genes of influenza A(H3N2) and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses from Egyptian paediatric patients with respiratory distress were sequenced. Mutational analysis of all published sequences from Egypt was evolutionary tracked for both HA and NA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of H3N2 HA showed that the Egyptian strains belong to 3C2 subclade while Egyptian A(H1N1)pdm09 strains belong to 6B1 subclade. Some Egyptian A(H1N1)pdm09, 2013–2014, strains form a new subclade; 6B3. High score of mutations were recorded in HA of H1N1pdm09 but higher was recorded in H3N2 strains. These findings confirmed a high mutation rate of influenza A subtypes specially H3N2 strains.

2 illus, 2 tables, 32 ref

041156   SINGH M, KISHORE S, JAIN B, KISHORE S, AGGARWAL P, VERMA S K (Community and Family Medicine Dep, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, Email: drbhavnajain@yahoo.co.in) : Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its associated risk factors. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 97-100.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic, debilitating non communicable diseases (NCDs) which has emerged as a leading global health problem. To find out the prevalence of known cases of diabetes mellitus and associated risk factors in the study area. Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among people living in Barrage colony of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand for a period of 3 months from December 2018 to February 2019. House to house survey was done in all the four blocks (A, B, C, D) of Barrage colony. Total of 815 study participants (both male and female) ≥ 20 years of age were surveyed. Data collected was entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using epi info software version 7. The prevalence of DM was found to be high i.e 5.6% among the study participants. Prevalence was significantly more among females as compared to males and significantly increased by aging in both genders. It seems that the prevalence of diabetes is increasing in our region as well as our country and the world. To control DM public health education regarding consumption of balanced diet, increasing physical activity and leading a stress-free life is needed.

2 tables, 12 ref

041155   KUMAR P, RANJAN A, KUMAR D, PANDEY S, SINGH C M, AGARWAL N (Palamu Medical Coll, Daltonganj, Jharkhand - 822 101, Email: djkum2k4@gmail.com) : Factors associated with immunisation coverage in children of migrant brick kiln workers in selected districts of Bihar, India. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 91-6.

Brick kiln workers are unskilled labourers and keep migrating from one place to another leading to non/partial immunization of their children. The study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of full immunisation among the children of mother living in brick kiln and to assess the factors associated with incomplete or non-immunisation. The study was conducted using stratified cluster sampling technique in different brick kilns of four districts of Bihar. Out of 332 children the prevalence of full immunization was 55.43 % and partial immunization was 37.65 % while 6.92 % children were not immunized at all. The most common reason for non/partial immunization was lack of awareness about importance of immunization (37.2 %) followed by no information of nearest place of vaccination (33.1 %). The routine immunization coverage has increased but it is still low among migrant brick kiln workers.

5 tables, 23 ref

041154   MEHNAZ S, SIDDIQUI Z, ABEDI A J, ANSARI M A (Community Medicine and Institute of Ophthalmology Dep, Aligarh Muslim Univ, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh - 202 001, Email: alijafarabedi@gmail.com) : Spectacle wear and factors associated with non-compliance among children of 5-15 years. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 87-90.

Refractive errors are the commonest cause of visual impairment in school children worldwide. They are correctible and after screening, spectacles can easily enhance vision. This can be achieved only when spectacles are used regularly.  This study was conducted to study the compliance of spectacles wear among children and to determine the reasons associated with non-compliance. 400 children in the age group of 5-15 years with refractive errors attending the eye OPD, using spectacles for more than three months were included. Spectacle wear and reasons of noncompliance were enquired. Data was analyzed to determine the factors associated with spectacle wear compliance.  Among 232 boys and 168 girls 142 were from rural and 258 from urban areas. 244(61 %) children were compliant. Compliance was better in older children and those from urban areas. Children of educated parents and with power more than -1.0 D were more likely to be compliant. Main reason for not wearing spectacles was ‘lost or broken spectacles’ and dislike for spectacle. Counselling of parents, teachers and peers will be an effective step towards improvement of compliance of spectacles use.

1 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

041153   SINGH V, BARANWAL H, SRIVASTAVA D K, JAIN P K, MATHEW D J, SAXENA S (Community Medicine Dep, Uttar Pradesh Univ of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dhirajk78sri@yahoo.co.in) : Utilization of reproductive and child health services and client satisfaction under different level of health facilities. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 82-6.

The utilization of any social services, including health services, has never been equitably distributed throughout society. People with access to the facilities are generally found to make greater use of them than people who have neither knowledge nor access to the facilities. To study the utilization pattern of RCH services, to identify factors influencing the utilization of RCH services in district Etawah and to describe level of client satisfaction about the various RCH services provided by Health Facility. This was a cross sectional study conducted in two blocks of Etawah i.e., Basrehar and Jaswant Nagar. Purposive sampling method was used and 260 participants were interviewed during the study period i.e., from May 2018 to April 2019.All the antenatal mothers and mothers with child up to 24 months attending OPD of selected health facility were included in the study. Mean age of participants was found to be 24.9 ± 3.6 years. The proportion of previous delivery that was institutional was found to be 71.7 % where as 28.3 % had previous home delivery. Most common place for institutional delivery was found to be CHC. Utilization of RCH services were found to be not adequate in the study.

3 illus, 7 tables, 13 ref

041152   TIRUKKOVALLURI S S, MALARVANNAN K, KARTHIK R C, MAHENDIRAN B S, ARUMUGAM B (Community Medicine Dep, Madras Medical Coll and Hospital, Chennai – 600 003, Email: drbalajism@gmail.com) : An observational exploration of factors affecting perceived social isolation among social media using medical professional course students in South Indian state of India. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 76-81.

Social isolation is identified as a state in which individuals lack a sense of belonging, true engagement with immediate family, friends, peers in the form of fulfilling relationships. The subjective form ‘perceived social isolation’(PSI) arises from a feeling of lack of engagement with above is linked to adverse physical and mental conditions. To assess the factors associated with social medial use and levels of perceived social isolation among study subjects. PSI was assessed by using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) which was adapted in this study and the scores and grades from PROMIS-4 were classified as: low PSI: 4-6, medium PSI: 7-10, high PSI: 11 and above. Results: PSI was significantly higher among the subjects using social media for than two hours per day. In our study the association between gender, time spent on social media on daily basis, year of studying and PSI scores was found to be statistically significant. (P-value>0.05). People with high social media usage were found to perceive being socially isolated than their counterparts with lower use.

6 tables, 32 ref

041151   DOKE P P, GOTHANKAR J S, DHUMALE G B, PORE P D, LALWANI S K, QURAISHI S R, MURARKAR S K, PATIL R S, WAGHACHAVARE V B, DHOBALE R V ET AL (Community Medicine Dep, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed Univ Medical Coll, Pune, Maharashtra - 411 043, Email: jayashreesg@rediffmail.com) : Model package of behavioral change communication regarding childhood pneumonia and its risk factors: A pre-post assessment. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 67-75.

Many risk factors contribute to high morbidity and mortality due to childhood pneumonia. Mostly the risk factors are modifiable and related to behavior. Imparting knowledge to mothers about risk factors, early recognition of danger signs and importance of timely seeking health care is an accepted strategy for control. To assess improvement in knowledge and perceptions about childhood pneumonia, risk factors and hand washing skills among mothers after sequential use of different media. This community based, pre and post assessment study was conducted in eight randomly clusters from two districts. Specially field supervisors assessed mothers for their ‘knowledge’, ‘perceptions’ and ‘skills’ about nutrition including breast feeding and malnutrition, indoor pollution, pneumonia and hand washing. Knowledge was assessed pertaining to all four aspects, perception was assessed for first three and skills were assessed only for hand washing. Three rounds of BCC using pictorial booklet, audio-visual film and flash cards consequently were completed, spread over about one year. Marks pertaining knowledge, perceptions about risk factors of childhood pneumonia and hand washing skills etc. were separately measured. A total of 1,321 mothers participated. The mean pre-test marks were 22.31 out of 38 marks which significantly improved and retained to 35.24 after undergoing three BCC rounds. Highly significant improvements, 2.27 times in hand washing skills to 1.15 times for knowledge about indoor air pollution was observed. Consecutive use of different media at appropriate interval spread over a long period certainly yields desired results at diverse places.

1 illus, 5 tables, 56 ref

041150   GARG M, BANSAL R, GUPTA M (Community Medicine Dep, Subharti Medical Coll, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dr_monikagupta81@yahoo.co.in) : Prevalence of hypertension and its association with stress, Indian diabetes risk score and obesity in rural population of Meerut. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 62-6.

The prevalence pattern of hypertension in developing countries is different from that in the developed countries. In India, community surveys have documented that between three and six decades, prevalence of hypertension has increased by about 30 times among urban dwellers and by about 10 times among the rural inhabitants. Many studies on hypertension are available from urban areas but there are less studies among the rural population. To determine the prevalence & corelates of hypertension among the adults in rural population of Meerut. community based cross-sectional study conducted in rural Meerut. 150 participants were selected by systematic random sampling. Data was collected using a pre designed, structured schedule, including blood pressure and anthropometric measurement of participants. The prevalence of hypertension came out to be 33.3 %.  In rural population high Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS), higher Body Mass Index (BMI), increased Waist Hip Ratio (WHR), Truncal obesity and disturbed sleep were significantly associated with hypertension, a high prevalence of hypertension was seen in this rural area which requires intervention at primary health care level for its prevention.

3 tables, 14 ref

041149   PRABHAKAR V, VIRK A, SAINI P (Community Medicine Dep, Adesh Medical Coll, Kurukshetra, Haryana, Email: sainiparmal@gmail.com) : Anxiety and depression among new entrants in a medical college. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 57-61.

Depression is commonly reported by university students due to change in environment, academic demands, developing new relations and more financial freedom. If that professional course happens to be medical education, the transition is even more drastic. Studies have also shown that Quality of Life (QOL) is negatively affected by the presence of anxiety and depression. Present study aims to find the prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress among students who have recently joined medical college. This cross-sectional study was undertaken at Private medical college in north India. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) was used for the data collection. MBBS students who have joined the institution in August 2019 were included in the study. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was entered in excel and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 21. We found that almost half of the students who participated in the study had scores above 10 (meaning thereby depressed) on the depression scale, with 23.5 % of respondents showing moderate or severe depression. Two-third students experienced anxiety, with 20 % students having severe to very severe anxiety. Stress levels amongst the students were also high, with 47 % of the students reporting stress. 3.4 % students experienced severe or very severe stress. Medical students have high prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression. It is recommended that medical colleges should implement appropriate and timely measures to address students’ well-being and offer comprehensive intervention and preventive programs to help students cope with this transition phase.

5 tables, 36 ref

041148   RASTOGI N K, GOEL K, JAIN T, SODHA S V, YADAV R, AGGARWAL C S, DHARIWAL A (Community Medicine & School of Public Health Dep, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh - 160 012, Email: drkapil123@gmail.com) : Evaluation of national injury surveillance centre, India, 2015-16. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 51-6.

Globally, injuries accounts for 9 % of all deaths, but India account for 11 %. Due to limited data on injury characteristics, National Injury Surveillance Centre (NISC) was established in 2014 in New Delhi. To evaluate attributes of NISC and make evidence-based recommendations. We conducted cross-sectional study and used US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to assess simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, stability, timeliness, representativeness, usefulness, and data quality. We reviewed 2015 records and interviewed 20 key-informants. We used Epi-Info7 for analysis. NISC captured 4043 injuries in 2015 from one hospital. Among five data entry operators, four reported lengthy format, but all reported it easy. Among ten relevant key-informants, all reported data-management software easy. System demonstrated flexibility in three variables. All 20 staff reported willingness to participate, and 90 % felt quarterly reporting acceptable. Regarding stability, data was collected for 361/365 days. Quarterly reports were available but only submitted annually. Regarding usefulness, all WHO-recommended variables included. Regarding data quality, 17 % data-fields were missing. NISC is simple, flexible, stable, acceptable and potentially useful based on data captured. Timeliness based on annual reporting is high, can be improved to quarterly. We recommend training to improve data quality and integration of additional hospitals to improve representativeness.

1 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

041147   KAR S, ESTHER A (Community Medicine Dep, KIIT Univ, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Email: sonsam72@yahooco.uk) : Complacent child feeding practices versus infant feeding practices affecting the nutritional status of under two children situational analysis. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 43-50.

To enhance child health, Indian Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and National Health Mission (NHM) strategized that reinforcement of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices would be a good take off. Anganwadis, where 78% of mothers of children below 6 receive services, can serve as an effective platform for mothers to receive counseling on appropriate breast feeding and complementary foods, in a priority state like Odisha. As a prelude to a detailed intervention, a rapid baseline situational analysis was planned in 4 intervention districts to know about the district specific variations and also the overall IYCF practices in the area. ssess the IYCF indicators in the districts with focus on feeding practices above 6 months of age. Assess the factors responsible for breast feeding and complementary feeding in the sample Final sample of 600 was chosen using 30 cluster sampling based on proportions of less than 2 years children in the study districts (districts named A-D, as the interventions are in progress and state refrains the identity of districts), 30 clusters to be divided in the ratio of 10:8:5:7. From each cluster-mothers of 20 children, nearly equal proportions of children in 0-6months and 7-23 months, were interviewed for sociodemographic, health seeking and prevailing IYCF practices. BMI (Body Mass Index) and MUAC (Mid Upper arm Circumference) were used to corroborate the nutritional status of child. 606 interviews were conducted. Age groups ratio was 2:1.5. Exclusive breast feeding was noted at 68% and under nutrition was 59.2%. Advanced maternal age  were positively associated with declining breast-feeding practice; however good spacing and male child was protective for good IYCF practices. The complementary feeding practices, measured with 2 major indicators i.e. Minimum Food Diversity and Minimum Meal Frequency, were calculated as 40.7% and 20.6% respectively. Gender representation for both indicators was positively skewed for females, which was reasoned in FGDs as purely by chance and did not mean a preference for boys. Both service provider and the mothers’ knowledge was compromised regarding complementary feeding indicators, in spite of the fact that former had been trained on this aspect. Targeted interventions are envisaged as scope for improvement in the IYCF indicators in the mixed mileu of a state, wherein some districts indicators markedly affect the overall state indicators. In Odisha, this study may give guidelines to the intervening districts to overhaul the load of under nutrition which is now more district and select population specific.

1 illus, 6 tables, 9 ref

046390   VALSAN N, THOMAS R, KUTTICHIRA P, VALSAN C, JAMES A (Psychiatry Dep, Jubilee Mission Medical Coll and Research Institute, Thrissur- 68005, Email: neethivalsan@yahoo.co.in) : Willingness and psychological preparedness among healthcare workers to attend to Covid-19 patients in a tertiary care private hospital in Kerala - A mixed method study. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(2), 96-104.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made an unprecedented psychological impact on healthcare workers. The objective of this study was to appraise the willingness, attitudes and psychological preparedness of the frontline healthcare workers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This was a mixed-method study combining a web-based cross-sectional survey, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The cross-sectional survey covered 202 healthcare workers, and the qualitative assessment was done on 16 frontline healthcare workers. The willingness to respond to the pandemic was found to be significantly higher among doctors and nurses compared to medical interns.  Among demographic factors increasing age and female gender were the key factors in determining willingness and positive emotional response. While anxiety was the most common emotional response, the fear of infecting family members was found to be the most common risk perceived in qualitative analysis. The study highlights the altruistic attitude of frontline health workers to be the most important contributing factor for psychological preparedness. This study outlines the fact that willingness to respond in a pandemic is an innate response in healthcare workers. Considering the risks, workload and socioeconomic stressors, proactive psychosocial support should be given to frontline healthcare workers by the institutions, governments,and society.

7 tables, 26 ref

046389   JALAL A, PREMNATH A, SUNI M S, VELAYUDHAN R, MANOJ KUMAR G, RAGHURAM T M (Psychiatry Dep, MES Medical Coll, Perinthalmanna, Kerala, Email: premnathajith@gmail.com) : Delay and treatment factors of psychiatric treatment among patients seeking faith healers. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(1), 42-51.

Belief in faith healers, lack of awareness and stigma of mental illness have placed obstacles in timely identification and treatment of mental illness. This study assessed the factors influencing individuals with mental illness to seek faith healers. It was also planned to study the delay caused due to faith healers in starting psychiatric treatment. Cross-sectional study of 100 consecutive patients who had visited a faith healer at least once and attending the outpatient clinic of the department of psychiatry was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. Fear of psychiatric medication (46 %), stigma of psychiatric illness (44 %) and beliefs in myths (43 %) were the main reasons for avoiding psychiatric treatment. There was a significant delay in psychiatric treatment initiation when comparing people who first visit faith healers to those who first visited psychiatrists (28.2 months vs 14.5 months, p=0.002). Post-visit to psychiatrist, 57 % prefer to continue with the psychiatrist,and 34 % would visit both,and only 5 % would prefer faith healer. Myths and stigma regarding psychiatric illness are prevalent,and mental health education can improve the scenario.

5 tables, 17 ref

046388   ARUMUGANATHAN S, SUMITHRA DEVI S, USAID S, EZHILARASI P, BABY E, SIVA ILANGO T (Psychiatry Dep, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Maduranthagam, Tamil Nadu, Email: siva.ilango@gmail.com) : A cross-sectional study on personality dimensions, coping strategies and quality of life among nursing students. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(1), 34-41.

With the increase in students pursuing nursing education in India, studies report one in four students suffer from stress-related disorders like anxiety and depression. While many studies focus on the stressors and associated external factors, this study was designed to determine the personality dimensions, coping strategies and their potential impact on the quality of life. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a universal sampling of 161 consenting nursing students. Semi-structured proforma, Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), Coping Strategies Inventory-short form (CSI-SF) and WHOQOL –BREF were used for data collection. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics of the mean (sd) and percentages and inferential statistics of Independent t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation analysis were used. 161 out of 184 study participants were included in the analysis. 93.2 % of participants were females,and more than 60 % were from a rural background. Neuroticism scores were significantly higher among first and second year student. Problem-focused disengagement and emotion-focused disengagement scores were significantly higher among first and fourth year students respectively. Third year students scored high across psychological, social and environmental domains of quality of life. Neuroticism, as a trait,negatively impacts the student's coping strategies and quality of life. Early understanding of an individual's personality will help to implement measures to strengthen their coping strategies in dealing with stressors and improve quality of life.

4 tables, 17 ref

041146   SARKAR P, BAGCHI A, SARKAR D, RAJESH K DALAL, CHAKRABARTY S, BASU R (Community Medicine Dep, Radha Gobinda Kar Medical Coll, Kolkata 700 004, West Bengal, Email: rivubasu83@gmail.com) : Attitude towards adherence to long term therapy. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 39-42.

Chronic disease is a common public health problem worldwide. Adherence to long-term treatment is a key determinant of therapeutic success in patients with chronic diseases. he purpose of the study was to know the people’s attitude towards intake of drug, medication adherence and their relationship with socio demographic profile. Data were collected from 729 individuals chronic disease sufferers chosen randomly from all 81 villages of Amdanga Block West Bengal through a household-based survey in a cross- sectional design.  A pre designed, pre tested, semi structured schedule containing socio-demographic profile and attitude among the respondents regarding adherence to long-term treatment. To compare Attitude scores among different groups, median (IQR) attitude score was calculated and compared with Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test to know the level of significance of variables. p–value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Attitude towards long-term adherence to treatment to chronic diseases were significantly associated to caste (p=0.043), education (p=0.001) and occupation (p=0.001) of the study subject. Attitude towards long-term adherence to treatment to chronic diseases were significantly associated to caste, education and occupation.

2 tables, 19 ref

041145   CHOUDHARY I, CHAKRAPANI V, KAUR M, MITTAL S, KUMAR R (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Email: dr.rajeshkumar@gmail.com) : Factors influencing HIV testing uptake among priority populations in a resettlement colony of a North Indian city. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 31-8.

The recent adoption of HIV ‘test and treat’ strategy by India’s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) necessitates an urgent need to improve HIV testing among priority populations at risk for HIV. To identify barriers to and facilitators of HIV testing among priority populations such as pregnant women, tuberculosis patients, sexual partners of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and key populations; and to examine the role of new HIV testing modalities (e.g., non-invasive HIV testing) in improving HIV testing.  A cross sectional survey was conducted among priority populations in a resettlement colony of Chandigarh, North India. A total of 160 participants were recruited using non-probability-based sampling. Chi-square test was used to assess differences between priority populations who had been tested or not tested for HIV. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify significant predictors of HIV testing status. Participants with higher HIV knowledge (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] =1.7, 95 % CI 1.2 to 2.5) and family support (aOR=8.2, 95 % CI 1.9 to 35.3) had higher odds of getting tested for HIV. Major barriers identified were fear of anticipated discrimination and previous bad experiences in government HIV testing centres, and key facilitators were empathetic attitude of the staff and government initiatives (e.g., free-of-cost tests, reimbursements of travel costs). For periodic testing, priority populations preferred non-invasive (non-blood-based) HIV tests. Interventions to promote HIV testing among priority populations need to reduce HIV-related stigma, and offer non-invasive HIV testing in public hospitals.

3 illus, 5 tables, 17 ref

046387   PREMNATH A, SIVAN S, VELAYUDHAN R, SUNI M S, RAGHURAM T M (Psychiatry Dep, Medical Coll, Perinthalmanna, Kerala, Email: rajmohan.velayudhan@gmail.com) : Effect of a stress reduction programme on academic stress and coping skills of first year medical students. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(1), 27-33.

Medical students, especially in the first year of their college life, are under stress. Study was conducted on 100 first year medical students. The students were given a semi-structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data; they were subsequently administered the Academic Stress Scale and the Adjustment Style Inventory. Then a Structured Stress management session was conducted for them, and they were made to practice many stress coping skills for three weeks, following which the questionnaires were re-administered and data collected. The data were analysed with the chi-square test, independent-sample t-test, paired t-testand Pearson’s correlation. The academic stress and coping scores showed no difference among both sexes. The academic stress score showed a negative correlation with coping scale (p= 0.019).There was a significant reduction inthe academic stress score post-intervention (p<0.001).The scores of adjustment styles also showed a significant improvement, and there was a significant improvement in the total adjustment style score and negative coping score post-intervention (p<0.001). The positive coping score, however, did not show a significant change. Stress management programmes are effective in reducing academic stress and adjustment styles. The students tend to reduce negative coping skills and better manage stress, post-intervention.

3 tables, 15 ref

041143   SINGH S, SINGH A K, JAIN P K, SINGH N P, BAJPAI P K, KHARYA P (Community Medicine Dep, Uttar Pradesh Univ of Medical Sciences, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, Email: dr.a.singh84@gmail.com) : Coronavirus: A threat to global public health. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 19 -24.

Previously considered of meagre significance to the human race, coronaviruses have effectively evolved to jump the species barrier and cause widespread contagion in mankind. The SARS pandemic, the MERS situation in the middle-east and the ongoing COVID 2019 epidemic are all attributed to this evolving virus. COVID 2019 is the seventh coronavirus isolated successfully and the third beta-coronavirus that causes a fatal illness in humans; the other two beta-coronaviruses being severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) CoV. Having a natural reservoir in bats these viruses infect humans through an intermediate host and then rapidly adapt and mutate for human to human transmissions. Four other known alpha coronaviruses cause only common cold in humans. Although mortality rate of COVID 2019 epidemic is lower at 2.5 % than the previous two CoV outbreaks, that is, 9.6 % in SARS and 34.4 % in MERS, but rapid transmissibility points towards a sustained epidemic of epic proportions. In the absence of any specific treatment protocols and experimental vaccines still under research, management largely depends upon symptomatic therapy, strict infection control and quarantine measures. Restriction of human interactions with known animal sources of the virus as a measure of prevention is essentially required. Owing to huge genetic diversity and frequent genomic recombination, novel coronaviruses might emerge periodically, warranting the need for extensive research and development of effective treatments and vaccines.

3 illus, 48 ref

046386   REJI K, SAM S P, THOMAS S P, VARUGHESE S, GEO J, VIJAYAN V, KALLIVAYALIL R A (Psychiatry Dep, Pushpagiri Medical Coll, Thiruvalla - 689 101, Email: roykalli@gmail.com) : Consultation liaison psychiatry –diagnostic concordance between referring physician and psychiatrist. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(1), 16-26.

Consultation –liaison psychiatry (CLP) provides expert adviceand act as a liaison. There is a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities among patients of other specialities. Yet, the referral rates are low, probably due to inadequate psychiatric awareness which can be assessed from the diagnostic concordance. To assess diagnostic concordance between the psychiatrist and referring doctor. This is a cross-sectional record-based study of all in patients referred to CLP. Data was collected from CLP registry. Most of the referrals were from General Medicine. The most common reason for referral was alcohol use disorders and common diagnoses made by referring physicians were alcohol use disorders, delirium and mood disorders, similar to the psychiatrist’s diagnoses; however, deliberate self harm (DSH), a common diagnosis made by the referring doctor, constituted only 4. 2 % of psychiatrist’s diagnoses. There was complete diagnostic concordance for 40.9 %; perfect agreement was found for DSH and alcohol use disorders, substantial agreement for delirium and moderate agreement for mood disorders. The agreement was low for DSH with comorbid depression, other substance use disorders and organic mental disorders. The diagnostic concordance for common mental health problems islow,according to the present study. CLP needs to extend its educational function towards other specialities, and it should be an active component of undergraduate psychiatric training.

4 tables, 23 ref

041142   RANGANATHAN R, KHAN A M, CHHABRA P (Community Medicine Dep, Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital Univ Coll, Delhi, Email: khanamirmaroof@yahoo.com) : Antenatal care, care at birth, and breastfeeding during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Indian J Comm Health 2020, 32(1), 15-8.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization after it has gripped many countries of the world. The exponential increase in the number of cases has resulted in panic and confusion among healthcare workers and the vulnerable population. Pregnant and lactating mothers are a vulnerable group and need evidence-based advice to protect the health of the mother and the child. Healthcare workers can play an important role in dispelling the myths and misconceptions among pregnant and lactating mothers regarding COVID-19, if they are equipped with scientific information on antenatal care, care at birth, and breastfeeding. This review attempts to summarize the published evidence related to antenatal care, care at birth and breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 ref

046385   NAIR D R, VELAYUDHAN R, RAGHURAM T M (MES Medical Coll, Perinthalmanna, Kerala, Email: rajmohan.velayudhan@gmail.com) : Lifestyle and psychosocial stress during Covid-19 lockdown –An online survey. Kerala J Psychiatry 2020, 33(1), 5-15.

In addition to the socioeconomic problems, COVID-19 related lockdown may have profound mental health consequences. The objectives were to assess the influence of lockdown on lifestyle, psychosocial stresses,and experienced quality of life (QOL). The study also assesses the association of the socio-demographic variables with lifestyle, psychosocial stress, and QOL. An online survey on the lifestyle changes, psychosocial stress,and QOL were conducted using a validated questionnaire via the Google forms platform. The data collected were analysed using parametric and non parametric tests. The study included 263 respondents. The fear of developing COVID-19 was reported by 67.7 %, 31.2 % experienced weight gain, internet use was increased in 66.9 %, and alcoholism and smoking decreased by 83.3 % and 58.8 %,respectively. Lockdown upset 48.3 % moderately, and 36.1 % experienced anxiety, 23.4 % feared job loss, and 51.3 % had financial worries. 91.1 % of the study population reported fair to good QOL. Females showed significantly more religiosity, (Χ²= 7.81; p= 0.02) did lesser exercise, (Χ²= 10.9; p= 0.023) and had poor mood. (t=2.68;p=0.009) Older people were less afraid of COVID-19 infection and were less upset by the lockdown. The urban population wasmore fearful of COVID-19 and were more upset by the lockdown. Lockdown had a major effect on lifestyle and increased psychosocial stress, but people still experienced a fair QOL during this period.

3 tables, 21 ref

041141   BHATIA R K, SASTRI (CHOPRA) S, PALKONDA V A R, GIRI G V, SENAPATI S, BILIMAGGA R S, CHADHA M, VISWANATHAN A N, GROVER S (Radiation Oncology Dep, Pennsylvania Univ, PA 16801, United States, Email: Surbhi.Grover@uphs.upenn.edu) : Assessing radiation oncology research needs in India: Results of a physician survey. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 457-62.

In India, where the annual incidence of cancer is projected to reach 1.7 million by 2020, the need for clinical research to establish the most effective, resource-guided, and evidence-based care is paramount. In this study, we sought to better understand the research training needs of radiation oncologists in India. A 12 item questionnaire was developed to assess research training needs and was distributed at the research methods course jointly organized by Indian College of Radiation Oncology, the American Brachytherapy Society, and Education Committee of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology during the Indian Cancer Congress, 2017. Of 100 participants who received the questionnaire, 63 % responded. Ninety percent (56/63) were Radiation Oncologists. Forty-two percent (26/63) of respondents had previously conducted research. A longer length of practice (>10 years) was significantly associated with conducting research (odds ratio (OR) 6.99, P = 0.031) and having formal research training trended toward significance (OR 3.03, P = 0.058). The most common reason for not conducting research was “lack of training” (41 %, 14/34). The most common types of research conducted were Audits and Retrospective studies (62 %, 16/26), followed by a Phase I/II/III Trial (46 %, 10/26). Having formal research training was a significant factor associated with writing a protocol (OR 5.53, P = 0.016). Limited training in research methods (54 %, 13/24) and lack of mentorship (42 %, 10/24) were cited as reasons for not developing a protocol. Ninety-seven percent (57/59) of respondents were interested in a didactic session on research, specifically focusing on biostatistics. With research training and mentorship, there is a greater likelihood that concepts and written protocols will translate into successfully completed studies in radiation therapy.

2 tables, 8 ref

041140   GOLAMARI K R, MIKKILINENI A, CHAPPIDI S (Oncology Dep, Manipal Hospitals, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Email: mohitnayan@gmail.com) : Early death in acute promyelocytic leukemia: Evidence from a rural cancer center. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 451-6.

Early death is still the characteristic feature of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) despite the advances in the treatment regimen. Analyzing the incidence of early death would prove beneficial as no much substantial information is available pertaining to the rural population. The present study analyzed the incidence of APL-associated early death, its clinical characteristics, and outcome among acute myeloid leukemia patients. This retrospective study included patients catering to the rural areas of Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh, India) from January 2013 to June 2017. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent sample median test, and Kaplan–Meier test for probability of survival were used. Of the 204 acute myeloid cases, 24 % cases (median age = 30 years; range=8 to 68 years) were identified as APL. Early death rate was 34.6 %, who expired within 30 days from diagnosis with 65 % suffering high disease risk. The median time from admission to death was 2 days (range 0–18). Cause of early death was majorly due to hemorrhage (64 %). Moreover, 47.1 % of early death patients received no prior antileukemic treatment. The overall 5-year cumulative disease-free survival rate among patients with APL was 76 % where high disease risk patients had the least disease-free survival (65 %–75 %), whereas intermediate and low-risk patients had >80 % and 100 % disease-free survival rate, respectively. Early diagnosis and timely intervention might help to prevent early death as our findings clearly indicate poor awareness of disease and lack of early intervention among the rural population.

3 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

041139   KOKANE A M, MITRA A (Community and Family Medicine Dep, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Email: arunmitra2003@gmail.com) : Preparedness of primary health care providers for tobacco cessation — Experiences from a non-communicable disease training program. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 443-50.

Tobacco use can lead to tobacco/nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. In a low resource setting like India, the role of primary healthcare providers in tobacco cessation is immense. The current study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the preparedness, knowledge and attitude of the primary healthcare providers in tobacco cessation. A cross-sectional study involving 289 trainees taking part in a non-communicable disease training in the calendar year 2015, held at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal were interviewed with a close-ended questionnaire on the demographic profile of participants, their preparedness, and current knowledge and attitude related with tobacco cessation activities. Among the 289 trainees, majority of the study participants were staff nurses(54.7 %) and medical officers(41.2 %) with a mean (± Standard Deviation, range) age of 35 (±10, 22-63) years predominantly from district and sub-district hospitals (52.9 %). In total, 86.9 % counsel their patients regarding tobacco cessation and 13.1 % use nicotine replacement therapy in aiding tobacco cessation. 174 (60.2 %) participants received on-job training of various duration on tobacco control, and 96 (33.2 %) did not receive any training. Preparedness toward tobacco cessation was present in 15.01 % (41) of the study participants. The study reveals that the majority of the healthcare providers were not prepared, and only half of the participants had favorable attitudes and practices of delivering tobacco cessation activities.

2 illus, 4 tables, 43 ref

041138   YANG B, SUN X, PANG H, WU J (Oncology Dep, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical Univ, Luzhou, China, Email: yangbo_lz@163.com) : Determining whether multiple needles are necessary in interstitial brachytherapy for thoracic tumors: A dosimetry analysis. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 437-42.

In interstitial brachytherapy, needles must be inserted in a regular, parallel arrangement to ensure a uniform target dose distribution and conformal distribution to the target. It is generally difficult to achieve this in thoracic tumors because of obstruction by the ribs. Furthermore, insertion of multiple needles may cause the patient considerable harm and could expose him/her to additional risks. Thus, we propose the single-dwell-position method, discuss its applicability, and compare it with the actual multiple-needle method using dosimetry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the necessity for multiple needles with irregular alignment in interstitial brachytherapy for thoracic tumors. Twelve patients’ interstitial brachytherapy plans were reviewed. The single-dwell-position interstitial brachytherapy plans, wherein one needle was hypothetically inserted, were compared with the actual multiple-needle plans. Dose parameters, including clinical target volume (CTV) and volumes of the lung, spinal cord, heart, and ribs, were compared. We also evaluated the correlation between CTV size and dose difference in the lungs. The nonparametric Wilcoxon test was used. There were no statistically significant differences in the doses achieved with the single-dwell-position plans and actual multiple-needle plans. The correlation between the CTV size and dose difference in the lungs was weak. Irregularly arranged multiple-needle interstitial brachytherapy does not provide superior doses to the lung, heart, spinal cord, or ribs compared with single-dwell-position plans. If regular arrangement of multiple needles is difficult to achieve, the multiple-needle scheme is not the only viable option.

3 illus, 2 tables, 24 ref

041137   IYER P, RADHAKRISHNAN V, BALASUBRAMANIAN A, SRIDEVI V, KRISHNAMURTHY A, DHANUSHKODI M, SUNDERSINGH S, GANESARAJAH S (Radiotherapy Dep, Cancer Institute (W.I.A), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: priyaonc@gmail.com) : Study of pathological complete response rate with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation with paclitaxel in locally advanced breast cancer. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 428-34.

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CTRT) is not widely practiced in breast cancers. The current study presents our experience with the use of neoadjuvant CTRT in patients with locally advanced breast cancers (LABC) treated at our center. The study included all consecutive female patients with inoperable stage III LABC treated at Cancer Institute (W.I.A), Chennai, India, from December 2015 to September 2016. Data were collected retrospectively from the patients’ case records. The impact of neoadjuvant CTRT on the pathological complete response (pCR) and survival was analyzed. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 4 cycles of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide given either before or after 4 cycles of paclitaxel. All chemotherapy cycles were given once in 3 weeks. Concurrent radiotherapy was incorporated with 2 cycles of paclitaxel. The study included 100 patients with a median age of 49 years, among whom 9 (9 %) had IIIA disease, 73 (73 %) IIIB, and 18 (18 %) had IIIC disease. The hormone receptor-positive disease was observed in 36 (36 %) patients, triple-negative in 24 (24 %), and Her2/neu positive disease in 40 (40 %) patients. All patients were operable after completing the planned neoadjuvant treatments. Ninety-one out of 100 (91 %) patients underwent modified radical mastectomy whereas 9 (9 %) did not consent for surgery. Among the patients who underwent MRM, 34/91 (37.7 %) patients had a pCR. Moreover, pCR was observed in 12/22 (54.5 %) patients with triple-negative disease, 10/34 (29.4 %) patients with hormone receptor-positive disease, and 12/35 (34.2 %) patients with Her2/neu positive disease (P = 0.19). Most common morbidity observed was grade 3 skin reactions. The 2-year event-free survival and overall survival for the entire cohort was 73.1 % and 88 %, respectively. Neoadjuvant CTRT is associated with a higher pCR rate than what has been reported with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone. Further prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

2 illus, 2 tables, 22 ref

041136   SINDHU M, MALIK M, AHMED S F, VALIYAVEETTIL D (Radiation Oncology Dep, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, Email: dr_monica11@yahoo.com) : Assessment of toxicities and outcomes in patients with breast cancer treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 423-7.

Hypofractionation is now becoming the standard of care in breast irradiation. The aim of this study was to assess the toxicities and outcomes in patients with breast cancer treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT). Patients with localized breast cancer who received adjuvant HFRT between 2013 and 2015 with a minimum follow-up of 6 months following radiation were included in this prospective study. Late toxicities were assessed using CTCAE v 4 and included chest/breast pain, limb pain, limb edema, skin pigmentation, skin fibrosis, and shoulder movement restriction. Outcomes assessed included locoregional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel and SPSS v22. A total of 81 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of which 19 patients had died during follow-up. Regional nodal irradiation was done in 63 (77.8 %) patients using the same hypofractionated schedule of 40 Gy in 15 fractions. Late toxicities were assessed for 62 patients. The median follow-up following the course of hypofractionated radiation was 45 months (range 14 - 65 months). Late toxicities were assessed for 62 patients. Grade 1/2 chest/breast pain, limb pain, limb edema, skin pigmentation, skin fibrosis, and shoulder movement restriction were seen in 11 %, 12 %, 7 %, 6 %, 8 %, and 11 % of cases, respectively. Distant recurrences were seen in 8 % of cases, and there were no locoregional recurrences. Five-year overall survival was 76.5 %. HFRT to whole breast or chest wall and the regional nodal areas was well-tolerated with acceptable rates of late toxicities on follow-up.

2 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

041135   SALUNKHE R, CHOPRA S, KULKARNI S, SHETTY N, ENGINEER R, MAHANTSHETTY U, GHOSH J, GUPTA S, SHRIVASTAVA S K (Radiation Oncology Dep, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Email: supriyasastri@gmail.com) : Outcomes of locally advanced cervical cancer presenting with obstructive uropathy: An institutional audit. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 416-22.

There is paucity of outcome data of patients with cervical cancer presenting with malignant obstructive uropathy. The present retrospective study describes outcomes of patients with cervical cancer who presented with obstructive uropathy at the time of diagnosis and underwent urinary diversion with percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) before/during treatment. Patients who underwent PCN from January 2010 to June 2015 were included. Intent of treatment (radical or palliative) was decided within multidisciplinary team depending on disease stage, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and degree of renal derangement. Treatment and outcome details were retrieved from electronic records. Time to normalization of creatinine, feasibility of delivering planned treatment, and overall survival (OS) were determined. Impact of various prognostic factors on outcomes was determined using univariate or multivariate analysis. After PCN and double-J stenting, 50% were eligible for (chemo) radiation. All radically treated patients (26/52) received brachytherapy. The median EQD2 to point A was 78 Gy (72–84 Gy). The median OS was 10 (0.5–60) months. Patients who completed chemoradiation had median OS of 31 months. Those receiving radical radiation and palliative radiation had median OS of 11 and 6 months, respectively. On univariate analysis, smaller tumor size (p = 0.03), high KPS (P = 0.04), and radical intent of treatment (P = 0.05) predicted for OS. Patients presenting with obstructive uropathy have median OS less than a year despite urinary diversion. Select cohort with good performance status, small tumor size, and serum creatinine of ≤3 mg/dL may be selected for diversion procedures and potential radical treatment.

5 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

046384   PALANIVELRAJAN M, SREEKUMAR C, SUMATHI D, POTHIAPPAN P (Veterinary Clinical Medicine Dep, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences Univ, Tamil Nadu – 600 007, Email: palanivelrajan.m@tanuvas.ac.in) : Scaly leg in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 135-6.

Scaly leg disease or scaly face is a common skin disease in caged budgerigars caused by Cnemidocoptes pilae. A flock of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) were presented with a history of beak deformity and white, crusty lesions around the limbs and feet, discomfort, fluffed feathers, inability to grip the perch, constant pecking at the feet as well as scratching of leg area. Microscopic examination of scrapings taken from the affected area revealed the presence of Cnemidocoptes pilae. The budgerigars were treated with ivermectin @ 200 microgram/kg b. wt. per os along with a drop of fipronil 0.25 % w/v topical application on the limbs at the hock joint. Subsequently, gradual reduction of crusty lesions was noticed. The treatment regimen was continued once in 10 days interval for three times until the very end, resulting in complete recovery in 30 days.

1 illus, 9 ref

046383   JEYATHILAKAN N, PUVARAJAN B , DIVYA B, MANOHARAN S (Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology Dep, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences Univ, Thanjavur- 614 625, Email: drnjeyathilakan@gmail.com) : Concurrent infestation with Basilia roylii and Cimex hemipterus in a greater Asiatic yellow bat (Scotophilus heathi). J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 132-4.

The present communication deals with concurrent infestation of a fly and bug in a greater Asiatic yellow bat (Scotophilus heathi) from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu. The injured bat, on external examination revealed the presence of three flies and one bug specimen. The flies were identified as female Basilia roylii belonging to the family Nycteribiidae and the bug as female Cimex hemipterus belonging to the family Cimicidae. This study is the first to establish the concurrent infection of nycteribiid fly and cimicid bug in Scotophilus heathi from Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu.

2 illus, 14 ref

046381   DEKA N, SANGARAN A, SENTHILKUMAR T M A, ARUNKUMAR S (Animal Biotechnology Dep, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences Univ, Chennai- 600 007, Email: neelakshideka.in@gmail.com) : Development of lateral flow-through technique for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in buffaloes. J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 120-5.

Cystic echinococcosis (hydatidosis) is regarded as one of the important zoonotic parasitic diseases of public health importance and economic significance. Hydatidosis in buffaloes is a major cause of concern owing to which development of a lateral flowthrough (LFT) technique has been attempted. In the present study, of the 180 buffalo carcasses, 13 showed the presence of hydatid cysts giving a positivity of 7.22 %. Hydatid cyst fluid antigen was prepared for screening the sera samples of buffaloes for presence of hydatid antibodies by LFT. To assess the efficacy of LFT, standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed. Upon comparison with ELISA, the LFT detected 64 sera samples as positive and 86 sera samples as negative. The sensitivity of LFT was 81.9 % and specificity was 93.58 %. The kappa analysis of the LFT revealed that the results of the developed technique had substantial agreement with that of ELISA, and can be performed without any sophisticated aid.

3 illus, 2 tables, 23 ref

042948   MAURYA V K, KUMAR S, PRASAD A K, BHATT M L B, SAXENA S K (Centre for Advanced Research (CFAR) Dep, King George’s Medical Univ, Lucknow - 226 003, Email: shailen@kgmcindia.edu) : Structure-based drug designing for potential antiviral activity of selected natural products from Ayurveda against SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and its cellular receptor. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(2), 179–93.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 brought a great global public health and economic concern. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA virus, from the genus Betacoronavirus. Although few molecules have been tested and shown some efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in humans but a safe and cost-effective attachment inhibitors are still required for the treatment of COVID-19. Natural products are gaining attention because of the large therapeutic window and potent antiviral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, this study was planned to screen natural products from Ayurveda that have the potential to modulate host immune system as well as block the virus entry in host cells by interfering its interaction with cellular receptor and may be used to develop an effective and broad-spectrum strategy for the management of COVID-19 as well as other coronavirus infections in coming future. To decipher the antiviral activity of the selected natural products, molecular docking was performed. Further, the drug-likeness, pharmacokinetics and toxicity parameters of the selected natural products were determined. Docking results suggest that curcumin and nimbin exhibits highest interaction with spike glycoprotein (MolDock score - 141.36 and - 148.621 kcal/mole) and ACE2 receptor (MolDock score - 142.647 and - 140.108 kcal/mole) as compared with other selected natural products/drugs and controls. Also, the pharmacokinetics data illustrated that all selected natural products have better pharmacological properties (low molecular weight; no violation of Lipinski rule of five, good absorption profiles, oral bioavailability, good blood– brain barrier penetration, and low toxicity risk). Our study exhibited that curcumin, nimbin, withaferin A, piperine, mangiferin, thebaine, berberine, and andrographolide have significant binding affinity towards spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 receptor and may be useful as a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent for restricting viral attachment to the host cells. However, few other natural products like resveratrol, quercetin, luteolin, naringenin, zingiberene, and gallic acid has the significant binding affinity towards ACE2 receptor only and therefore may be used for ACE2-mediated attachment inhibition of SARSCoV-2.

4 illus, 6 tables, 24 ref

046378   BULBUL K H, DAS M, ISLAM S, SARMAH P C, TAMULY S, BORAH P, HUSSAIN J (Veterinary Parasitology Div, Sher-e-Kashmir Univ of Agricultural Science and Technology, Srinagar- 190 006, Email: khbulbul@rediffmail.com) : Population density of Indoplanorbis exustus in Barpeta district of Assam, India. J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 102-8.

Indoplanorbis exustus snails play a pivotal role in transmission of trematodes like schistosomes, amphistomes and echinostomes in livestock and human beings. The present study was carried out to determine the population density of I. exustus in different water bodies of Barpeta district of Assam during 2014-2016. The population density of I. exustus in terms of man-hour collection per meter square area (MHC/m²) in different water bodies showed an increasing trend from July to September and then gradually declined towards November. The overall MHC/m² ranged from 1.97 + 0.134 to 35.46 + 1.13 during the investigation period. On the other hand, water body wise/area-wise MHC/m² showed the highest density in grazing lands (29.76 + 1.506 and 28.33 + 1.948) and lowest in rivers (10.21 + 1.081 and 8.73 + 0.948) in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, respectively, the difference being statistically significant (p<0.01) between the months and areas. Population density of I. exustus in the study areas would provide insights into the intensity of trematode infections in livestock.

1 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

046377   PRADEEP B S, VENU R, ANANDA K J, SRILATHA, KUMAR N V, JACOB S S (Veterinary Parasitology Dep, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary Univ, Tirupati- 517 502, Email: venuparas2001@yahoo.com) : Parasitological detection and associated risk factors of Cryptosporidium in bovines of Karnataka state. J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 95-101.

The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in cattle and buffalo calves of less than one month age was studied in Karnataka state using modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method. Associated risk factors viz., age, sex, breed, consistency of dung, rearing systems and season were evaluated for their influence on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection. An overall prevalence of 12.20 % (40/328) of Cryptosporidium infection was observed with a prevalence rate of 12.84 % in cattle calves and 10.91 % in buffalo calves. Age wise, three week-old animals were infected more (16.95 %) followed by the four week (13.27 %), one week (6.90 %) and two week (4.41 %) old animals. Female animals (13.14 %) showed more prevalence than male animals (11.11 %). Among the breeds, crossbred animals (15.08 %) were infected more compared to non-descript animals (7.75 %). Higher prevalence of infection was noticed in diarrhoeic samples (16.41 %) followed by formed (10.31 %) and semisolid dung samples (7.77 %). Rearing system was correlated for its effect on its prevalence rate, in which the free-range animals (12.61 %) had a slightly higher prevalence than that of intensively reared animals (11.32 %). Season-wise, the higher prevalence of infection was noted in monsoon (14.74 %) followed by winter (11.48 %), autumn (11.38 %) and summer (10.20 %).

1 illus, 3 tables, 28 ref

041134   KUMAR V, AHUJA D, GUPTA N, BHARATI S J, GARG R, MISHRA S, HARESH K P, GUPTA S, BHATNAGAR S (Onco-Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine Dep, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi - 110 029, Email: vkchanpadia@gmail.com) : Anesthesia concerns in prostate brachytherapy: An institutional experience. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 411-5.

Prostate cancer is a common cancer found in men worldwide. Brachytherapy is an established modality used for the treatment of these patients. Although anesthetic management of such patients is challenging but the ideal anesthetic technique has not yet been established. Our study aims to identify the most efficacious anesthetic technique for perioperative management of prostate cancer patients undergoing brachytherapy. Retrospective analysis of ten patients who underwent 16 brachytherapy sessions under combined spinal epidural (CSE) anesthesia between April 2016 and December 2016 was done. The data were collected, tabulated using MS Excel, and statistically analyzed with EPI Info 6 and SPSS-16 statistical software (SPSS Inc. Chicago, USA) to draw relative conclusions. The median peak sensory dermatome level achieved was T6 and the median maximum motor block achieved was grade 2. The mean (± standard deviation (SD)) time to sensory regression to T10 (range T5-T8) dermatome was found to be 118.00 ± 47.110 (range = 0-238) minutes. Despite the presence of co-morbidities, minor intraoperative complications were observed only in two patients. The postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS) was less than 4 in all patients during the first 24 hours. None of our patients complained of nausea, vomiting, pruritus and respiratory depression. The mean (± SD) patient satisfaction score was 44.40 ± 0.871 (range : 1-5) at the end of 24 hours. CSE anesthesia is a safe and effective technique for anesthetic management of patients undergoing prostate brachytherapy.

2 tables, 16 ref

042946   CEYLAN Z, MERAL R, CETINKAYA T (Seafood Processing Technology Dep, Van Yu¨zu¨ncu¨ Y?l Univ, 65080 Van, Turkey, Email: turgay.cetinkaya@yalova.edu.tr) : Relevance of SARS-CoV-2 in food safety and food hygiene: potential preventive measures, suggestions and nanotechnological approaches. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(2), 154–60.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is easily transmitted from person to person, which has fueled the ongoing pandemic. Governments in different countries have taken drastic actions such as complete lockdown. However, little attention has been paid to food safety and its potential linkage with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 spread from staff to food products or food surfaces is conceivable. At least, instead of consuming unpackaged or uncovered foods, consumption of boiled or canned foods processed at high temperatures should be preferred. Before consumption, consumers should clean the surface of canned foods. In addition to recommending or enforcing simple precautions, such as using masks, governments must conduct mandatory SARS-CoV-2 tests regularly and intermittently for personnel who handle food materials or supporting materials (e.g., plastic pouches). Local markets, such as those in Wuhan, which sell live animals and exotic foods for consumption, are a concern. Trade of exotic or wild animals, unhygienic marketplace conditions, and not cooking at high temperatures ought to be prohibited. The consumption of vitamins, minerals, and other food-derived compounds such as omega fatty acids is a prudent way to improve the performance of the immune system. In addition, nano-encapsulated materials with controlled release properties may be useful in protecting food products and packaging from SARS-CoV-2 contamination.

2 tables, 66 ref

041133   PAUL T, PALATTY P L, ADNAN M, GEORGE T, RAO S, BALIGA M S (Father Muller Research Centre, Kankanady, Karnataka - 575 002, Email: msbaliga@gmail.com) : Audit of drug–drug interactions and adverse drug reactions due to polypharmacy in older cancer patients: First report from India. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 405-10.

In elderly people, the body’s metabolic processes are not optimal and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profile of drugs are compromised or reduced. Under these conditions, the concomitant use of diverse classes of drugs can potentially increase the risk of adverse reactions and drug interactions. This will consequentially affect the already debilitated organ system. As far as the authors are aware, there are no studies addressing the drug–drug interactions and adverse drug reactions due to polypharmacy in older patients with cancer and therefore, we conducted this study. This was an observational chart-based study and was carried out in a tertiary care cancer hospital. The data concerning prescription of all prescribed medications were noted down from the medication chart of the patient in the wards. The most common drug-to-drug interaction that could have happened was due to the combination of theophylline with budesonide (26.10 %). Adverse drug reactions were noted during the course of time, the most common being nausea and vomiting (71.9 %). As the geriatric population is increasing, the need to address medical problems among aged patients with cancer is the need of the hour. The adverse drug reactions and drug interactions that have occurred were lesser when compared to published observations.

5 illus, 3 tables, 18 ref

042945   KAUSHIK S, KAUSHIK S, SHARMA Y, KUMAR R, YADAV J P (Maharshi Dayanand Univ, Rohtak, Email: samanderkaushik@gmail.com) : The Indian perspective of COVID-19 outbreak. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(2), 146–53.

The emerging infection of COVID-19 was initiated from Wuhan, China, have been spread to more than 210 countries around the globe including India. The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to other respiratory viruses. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases and associated deaths are increasing regularly in various parts of the World. Seven coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, SARS, MERS and, COVID-19) can naturally infect human beings. Out of these four (229ECoV, NL63-CoV, OC43-CoV, HKU1-CoV) are responsible for mild upper respiratory infections, while SARSCoV, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19 are well known for their high mortality. Few mild strains of coronaviruses are circulating in India but there is no evidence of SARS and MERS outbreaks. The COVID-19 is an emerging viral infection responsible for pandemics. Fortunately, the mortality of COVID-19 is low as compared with SARS and MERS, the majority of its cases are recovered. The death toll of COVID-19 is high even after its low mortality because COVID-19 causes a pandemic while SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV cause epidemics only. COVID-19 influenced the large segments of the world population, which led to a public health emergency of international concern, putting all health organizations on high alert. COVID-19 is the first coronavirus after Spanish Flu 1918–1919, who has extremely influenced the health system, economy, and psychology of India. The present study review is on the general continent, virology, pathogenesis, global epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and control of COVID-19 with the reference to India.

4 illus, 39 ref

041132   TIWARI Y, KRISHNAMURTHY A (Surgical Oncology Dep, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Email: drarvindkrishnamurthy@yahoo.co.in) : Long‑term outcomes of differentiated thyroid cancers with tracheal invasion: A 15‑year experience. Indian J Cancer 2020, 57(4), 398-404.

Tracheal invasion is reported to occur in approximately one-third of the patients of locally advanced thyroid cancers. There is a paucity of data in literature with regard to the long-term outcomes of thyroid cancers with tracheal invasion. A total of 37 patients from our tertiary care center underwent radical surgery for tracheal involvement for differentiated thyroid cancers between the years 2002 and 2016. The variables pertaining to the demographics, clinical presentation, imaging, operative details and histopathology reports were captured from the patient’s case records and analyzed. Among the 37 patients, there were 21 males and 16 females. Majority of the patients (56.8 %) were >55 years of age. Surgery (tracheal resection) was performed in the primary setting in 29 patients, whereas it was performed in a recurrent setting in 8 patients. As per the Shin classification, 3 patients belonged to Shin stage 1, 3 to Shin stage 2, 16 patients to Shin stage 3 and 15 patients to Shin stage 4. There was no 30 day postoperative mortality in our cohort. The median follow-up of our cohort was 175 months. The 5-, 10-, and the 15-year overall survivals of the entire cohort were 81.7 %, 47.8 %, and 35.9 %, respectively. Our series shows favorable long-term oncological outcomes of selected patients of thyroid cancers with tracheal resection and adds to the limited long-term data available in literature.

3 illus, 4 tables, 29 ref

046376   KUMAR S, SUDAN V, SHANKER D (Parasitology Dep, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan, Mathura- 281 001, Email: viks.sudan@gmail.com) : Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Anaplasma marginale major surface protein (msp5) gene. J Vet Parasitol 2020, 34(2), 89-94.

The study was designed with the objective to find out phylogenetic relationship between Anaplasma marginale isolates from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh with those from rest of India and abroad. For this purpose, a total of five isolates were characterized for major surface protein (msp5) gene. The sequences obtained were submitted into NCBI and corresponding accession numbers (MT449417-MT449421) were obtained. Subsequently, these sequences were compared with other Indian and global sequences of Anaplasma spp. The sequences of A. marginale formed a major clade on phylogenetic tree, wherein, the present sequences shared complete nucleotide homology with sequences from Kerala, India and with those originating from China, Germany, Egypt, Japan, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Czech Republic. However, they differed considerably from a selected number of sequences that formed a sub group on the major A. marginale clade. This subgroup consisted of a sequence from Gujarat, India, besides some sequences from China, Egypt and Kenya. Sequences of A. centrale, A. ovis and A. phagocytophilum formed separate clades on the phylogenetic tree. Sub-grouping of Indian sequences of A. marginale showed existence of genetic diversity within the Indian isolates.

2 illus, 22 ref

042944   RAJ K, ROHIT, GHOSH A, SINGH S (Pharmacology Dep, ISF Coll of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab - 142 001, Email: shamshersinghbajwa@gmail.com) : Coronavirus as silent killer: recent advancement to pathogenesis, therapeutic strategy and future perspectives. Indian J Virol 2020, 31(2), 137–45.

The present outbreak associated with corona virus [CoVs] in China which is believed to be one of the massive eruptions towards mankind in 2019–2020. In the present scenario CoVs has been transmitted to the European and American regions through the travellers from wide spread countries like China and Japan. The viral disease is spreading through the contact in any form by the infected persons or patients and creating huge risk of mortality. CoVs are a single positive-sense RNA virus; mutation rates are higher than DNA viruses and indicate a more effective survival adaption mechanism. Human CoVs can cause common cold and influenza-like illness and a variety of severe acute respiratory disease such as pneumonia. Early in infection, CoVs infects epithelial cells, macrophages, T-cells, dendritic cells and also can affect the development and implantation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. It mainly produces the melanoma differentiation associated with protein-5, retinoic acid inducible gene-1 and endosomal toll-like receptor 3. How CoVs affects the function of the immune system is still unclear due to lack of this knowledge. No Food and Drug Administration approved treatment is available till date. In this review, we are tried to explore the epidemiology, pathogenesis and current treatment of CoVs infection. The promising therapeutics molecules against CoVs and future prospective have been also discussed which will be helpful for researchers to find out the new molecules for the treatment of CoVs disease.

4 illus, 1 table, 50 ref