Knowledge and Preventive Practices related to Avian Influenza among Poultry Workers of Kamalamai Municipality, Sindhuli, Nepal

BACKGROUND

Avian influenza (AI) is currently a threat to global health. Prevention and control of AI depends on the knowledge and preventive practices of the poultry workers as well as of general population. This study aims to assess knowledge and preventive practices related to AI among poultry workers.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study was carried out among poultry workers of Kamalamai Municipality, Sindhuli. Data was collected from randomly selected 122 respondents through face-to-face interview. The collected data was entered in Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed in terms of descriptive statistics (proportion, 95% CI, mean and standard deviation) by using SPSS, version 20. A scoring system was used to assess knowledge and preventive practices.

RESULTS

Out of total, 93.4% (95% CI, 87.6- 96.6%) of the respondents had heard about AI. More than half (54.9%) of the respondents had poor knowledge on AI. Only 5.3% of respondents had good preventive practice against AI. 30.3% respondents had good knowledge and good practice and 24.6% had poor knowledge as well as poor practice. 20.5% of the respondents had good practice but poor knowledge, whereas, 24.6% had good knowledge but poor practice towards prevention.

CONCLUSIONS

The knowledge and practice of AI among poultry workers were low. The groups should be targeted for appropriate intervention based on whether they lack knowledge or practice or both.

Granulomatous inflammation: A histopathological study

Background: Granulomatous inflammation is a special type of chronic inflammation that is being a manifestation of many infective, toxic, allergic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases and also conditions of unknown etiology. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 418 granulomatous lesions, diagnosed from January 2010 to December 2012 in the department of pathology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. Results: The median age of the patients with granulomatous lesion was 29 years and the majority of the patients were in the age group of 20-29 yrs with slight male predominance. Majority of granulomas were seen in lymph nodes (41.1%), followed by skin & subcutis (22%), and bone & joints (11.5%). Tuberculosis was the most common cause of granuloma with 258 (61.7%) cases, followed by fungal infections, foreign body reaction, parasites and toxoplasmosis. Out of 258 cases of tuberculosis, lymph nodes were involved in 140 (54.26%) cases, followed by bone & joints (12.79%) and respiratory system (5.42%). The most common type of granuloma was epithelioid (83.5%), followed by epithelioid with suppuration and mixed inflammatory. Conclusion: The granulomatous lesion is common in third decade of life with slight male predominance. The commonest site is lymph node with tuberculosis being the most common cause and epithelioid being the most common type of granuloma. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v3i6.8994   Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2013) Vol. 3, 464-468

First national tuberculin survey in Nepal

SETTING

The size of the tuberculosis (TB) problem in Nepal is unknown, as no national tuberculin or TB prevalence survey has yet been performed.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of TB infection and the annual risk of TB infection (ARTI) in primary schoolchildren in the three ecological zones (mountains, hills and terai) and Kathmandu valley.

DESIGN

A representative sample of primary schoolchildren were tuberculin skin tested using the Mantoux method. The data were analysed using cut-off levels to define infection and by the mirror method.

RESULTS

Of 19577 children registered, 17260 (88.2%) were available for analysis. Seventy-eight per cent had a visible bacille Calmette-Guérin scar. The best estimate of the prevalence of TB infection was 7.0% (95%CI 4.2-9.7), with an ARTI of 0.86% (95%CI 0.49-1.23) using the mirror method, with a mode at 16 mm. Although the ARTI was higher in Kathmandu and the mountains compared to the hills and terai, the difference between the areas was not significant.

CONCLUSION

The ARTI in Nepal is lower than previous estimates, indicating a decrease in transmission or overestimation of previous estimates. To obtain information about the trend of the ARTI in Nepal, the survey needs to be repeated in 5 to 7 years.

Episodic Neurological Dysfunction (Epilepsy), Clinicians and Flying

Episodic Neurological Dysfunction (Epilepsy), Clinicians and Flying

Rates of hepatitis E virus infection and disease among adolescents and adults in Kathmandu, Nepal

To determine hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and disease rates in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, serum was collected from 757 healthy Nepalese (ages 12-48 years) during March and September 1992 and September 1993. At each visit, reports of interval illness were obtained. Sera were examined for IgG to HEV, using a commercially available kit. Seroconversion was used as a marker for HEV infection, and an episode of hepatitis E was defined as a history of jaundice with seroconversion. Seroprevalence ranged from 16% to 31% and increased with age, whereas both infection and disease rates decreased with age. Infection and disease rates were as high as 99/1000 and 45/1000 person-years, respectively. These results highlight the importance of sporadic hepatitis E as a public health problem among adolescents and young adults in this region.

The glutaraldehyde test as a rapid screening method for pulmonary tuberculosis: a preliminary report

When equal parts of EDTA-blood and 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution were mixed, a shorter gelification time was observed in blood from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis--diagnosed by clinical and X-ray examination--than in blood from patients with other respiratory diseases or with non-respiratory diseases, or from healthy volunteers. Of a total of 539 persons tested, 267 had pulmonary tuberculosis as judged by clinical and X-ray examination and 238 of these reacted positively to the glutaraldehyde test with a gelification time of less than 10 minutes. When clinical examination and X-ray evaluation are used as bases for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, the glutaraldehyde test gives a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 95%. It is suggested that this simple and cheap method, together with clinical examination, might be a useful screening tool for identifying cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in peripheral health posts in developing countries where X-ray and other facilities are lacking.