Age and sex distribution trends of SARS-CoV-2 infections: Insights from three epidemic waves in Puducherry, India.

Introduction: This study analyzed the age and sex distribution of COVID-19 patients during the initial three COVID-19 waves in Puducherry, India, from August 2020 to March 2022, to understand the distribution of infection across different demographic groups.

Methods: The disease surveillance program conducted at ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre processed 79,705 Throat Swab/Nasal Swab (TSNS) samples received from various institutions in Puducherry through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP). Real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was performed following approved protocols.

Epidemiological monitoring survey to assess the impact of mass drug administration with triple-drug regimen in lymphatic filariasis elimination programme in an endemic district in Southern India.

Background: Mass Drug Administration (MDA) with triple-drug regimen (Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, and Albendazole- IDA), recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) was introduced in India in 2018, as an alternate strategy to two drug regimens (Diethylcarbamazine, and Albendazole- DA), for accelerating lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination. By December 2023, IDA-MDA has been implemented in 63 LF endemic districts in India. The currently followed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) guidelines for DA may not be suitable to this new strategy.

Membrane-wide screening identifies potential tissue-specific determinants of SARS-CoV-2 tropism.

While SARS-CoV-2 primarily infects the respiratory tract, clinical evidence indicates that cells from diverse cell types and organs are also susceptible to infection. Using the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) approach, we systematically targeted human membrane proteins in cells with and without overexpression of ACE2, thus identifying unrecognized host factors that may facilitate viral entry. Validation experiments with replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 confirmed the role of newly identified host factors, particularly the endo-lysosomal protease legumain (LGMN) and the potassium channel KCNA6, upon exogenous overexpression.

Evaluation of sampling strategies for assessing lymphatic filariasis endemic status of a non-MDA district in South India.

Background: India is moving towards the Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination goal in 2027. Documentation on LF transmission status in the non-endemic and unsurveyed areas is crucial for WHO to certify that LF has been eliminated as a public health problem in the country. Appropriate sampling strategy is necessary to determine LF transmission status in the areas not under mass drug administration (MDA).

Co-resistance is the dominant mechanism of co-selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistome in nano zinc oxide polluted soil.

The broader soil bacterial community responses at ecotoxicologically relevant levels of nano ZnO (nZnO) focussing on co-selection of antibiotic resistance (AR) were investigated. nZnO imposed a stronger influence than the bulk counterpart (bZnO) on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with multidrug resistance (MDR) systems being predominant (63 % of total ARGs). Proliferation of biomarker ARGs especially for last resort antibiotic like vancomycin was observed and Streptomyces hosted multiple ARGs.