Chandipura virus (CHPV) has been contributing to the rising number of premature deaths due to acute encephalitis syndrome for over a decade in India. CHPV belongs to the family Rhabdoviridae. Neuropathogenesis of CHPV has been well established but the exact route of entry into the central nervous system (CNS) and the triggering factor for neuronal death are still unknown. Rabies virus and vesicular stomatitis virus, which are related closely to CHPV, enter the CNS retrogradely from peripheral or olfactory neurons.

Overt vitamin A deficiency has been controlled in most parts of India, but prevalence of subclinical deficiency may still be high, which may enhance susceptibility to infections, reduce growth potential and also lead to higher mortality. We aimed to: (i) assess the consumption pattern of vitamin A-rich foods in children 1–5 years of age in rural Jammu; and (ii) estimate the dietary deficiency of vitamin A leading to risk of subclinical vitamin A deficiency in cluster- villages of the study area.

Scrub typhus, a potentially fatal rickettsial infection, is common in India. It usually presents with acute febrile illness along with multi-organ involvement caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. As there was an outbreak of scrub typhus in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan and there is a paucity of data from this region, we studied this entity to describe the diverse epidemiological, clinico-radiological, laboratory parameters and outcome profile of patients with scrub typhus in a tertiary care hospital. Methods.

Seasonal outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) occur with striking regularity in India and lead to substantial mortality. Several viruses, endemic in many parts of India, account for AES. Although Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a key aetiological agent for AES in India, and has attracted countrywide attention, many recent studies suggest that enteroviruses and rhabdoviruses might account for outbreaks of AES. We did a systematic review of published studies to understand the changing landscape of AES in India.

Seasonal outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) occur with striking regularity in India and lead to substantial mortality. Several viruses, endemic in many parts of India, account for AES. Although Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a key aetiological agent for AES in India, and has attracted countrywide attention, many recent studies suggest that enteroviruses and rhabdoviruses might account for outbreaks of AES. The researchers did a systematic review of published studies to understand the changing landscape of AES in India.

Infant feeding practices have a major role in determining nutritional status of children and are associated with household socioeconomic and demographic factors. The researchers did a cross-sectional household study to assess feeding practices of infants and young children in rural areas of Medak district, Andhra Pradesh.

Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme of India, patients with new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis are treated with a thrice-weekly regimen of antitubercular drugs for 6 months. The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of this regimen under clinical trial conditions in HIV-negative patients with newly diagnosed smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis.

There are limited data on interdistrict variations in child health status and health services utilization within the states of India. The researchers conducted this study to identify and understand district-wise variations in child morbidity, mortality, healthcare seeking, and the status of health facilities in India.

India is home of the largest population of patients with tuberculosis and tobacco users in the world. Smokeless tobacco use exceeds smoking and is increasing. There is no study to dater that reports smokeless tobacco use before and after the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. The researchers assessed smokeless tobacco use among former patients of tuberculosis in Karnataka, India.

The reuse of medical devices marked as 'single use' by manufacturers has been going on for several decades. The process has been rationalized and legislated in the West as well as in Japan. However, the practice continues in unregulated manner in India due to a paucity of guidance from the Food and Drug Administration in India.