Investigation of an outbreak of varicella in a village of Goalpara District, India

Authors

  • Mridul Malakar Department of Microbiology, I/C District Public Health Laboratory, North Lakhimpur Civil Hospital, Lahkimpur, Assam, India
  • Choudhury Manjit Department of Microbiology, I/C District Public Health Laboratory, Goalpara Civil Hospital, Goalpara, Assam, India
  • Thinsin Sibarani Department of Microbiology, I/C District Public Health Laboratory, BP Civil Hospital, Nagaon, Assam, India
  • Bose Roy Susmita Ph.D. Scholar, Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati, Assam, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20164759

Keywords:

Awareness, ELISA, Hygiene, Remedies, VZV

Abstract

Background: Chickenpox or varicella is a viral disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) with different complications. Due to traditional belief peoples/villagers avoids treatment and follows some traditional remedies and folk medicine. To change this thinking of villager’s health awareness is mandatory. The main aim of the study was control the outbreak and minimizes the future transmission.

Methods: An outbreak was investigated in a village of Goalpara district of Assam, India after getting the permission from DHS (District Health Society). Total 42 (Forty two) numbers of patients affected out of 953 (Nine hundred fifty three) numbers of villagers. Blood samples were collected and serum obtained from the samples.

Results: The serum samples were tested for VZV IgM ELISA and found 88.09 % patients positive for VZV. Hygiene was observed very poor during our investigation.

Conclusions: Health awareness given to the all villagers and patients were treated symptomatically. Immunization, Proper nutrition, Improve living behavior etc can reduce the rate of outbreak.

References

Facts about Chickenpox and Shingles for adults. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. August 2009. Available from: www.nfid.org.

Tunbridge AJ, Breuer J, Jeffery KJM. Chickenpox in adults - Clinical management. Journal of Infection. 2008;57:95-102.

Arvin AM. Varicella-Zoster Virus. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 1996;9(3):361-81.

Singh MP, Singh G, Kumar A, Singh A, Ratho RK. Epidemiologic lessons: Chickenpox outbreak investigation in a rural community around Chandigarh, North India. Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology. 2011;54(4):772-4.

Gershon AA, LaRussa P, Hardy I, Steinberg S, Silverstein S. Varicella vaccine: the American experience. J. Infect. 1991;166(1):63-8.

Pace D. Review of Varicella zoster virus: from epidemiology to prevention. Malta Medical Journal. 2008;20(3):7-11.

Fatha N, Ang LW, Goh KT. Changing seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus infection in a tropical city state, Singapore. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2014;22:73-7.

Idrovo AJ, Albavera-Hernández C, Rodríguez-Hernández JM. Social epidemiology of a large outbreak of chickenpox in the Colombian sugar cane producer region: a set theory-based analysis. Cad. Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro. 2011;27(7):1393-402.

Rawson H, Crampin A, Noah N. Deaths from chickenpox in England and Wales 1995-1997: analysis of routine mortality data. BMJ. 2001;323(7321):1091-3.

Brisson M, Edmunds WJ. Epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus in England and Wales. J Med Virol. 2003;70:9-14.

Chakraborty S, Gogoi M. A study on superstitious belifes of the secondary school students of Dibrugarh district of Assam. American research thoughts. 2016;2(5):3697-712.

Bechtel KA, Mehta PN, Lichenstein R, Chatterjee A. Pediatric Chickenpox. Medscape. 2016;969773.

Socan M, Berginc N, Lajovic J. Varicella susceptibility and transmission dynamics in Slovenia. BMC Public Health. 2010;360(10):2-6.

Kole AK, Roy R, Kole DC. An observational study of complications in chickenpox with special reference to unusual complications in an apex infectious disease hospital, Kolkata, India. Journal of postgraduate medicine. 2013; 59(2):93-7.

Fleming DM, Cross KW, Cobb WA, Chapman RS. Gender difference in the incidence of shingles. Epidemiol. Infect. 2003;132:1-5.

Downloads

Published

2016-12-24

How to Cite

Malakar, M., Manjit, C., Sibarani, T., & Susmita, B. R. (2016). Investigation of an outbreak of varicella in a village of Goalpara District, India. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 6(1), 93–96. https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20164759

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles