A Case Series on the Recent Nipah Epidemic in Kerala.

During May 2018 there occurred an outbreak in Kerala, which started in Soopikkada Village, Changarothu Grama Panchayath in Perambra Taluk, Kozhikode district, of a febrile illness with altered sensorium and ARDS. The diagnosis was made from the second case that it is the dreaded nipah infection. Following that 18 cases tested positive for nipah virus infection of which 2 survived. Also there were four deaths with similar clinical picture but which occurred before the virus was identified. They were considered as probable cases.

Retrospective Analysis of Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19 Infection: A Single-Center Study From Kerala.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. While primarily a respiratory illness, COVID-19 can lead to multi-organ involvement, including acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of AKI in COVID-19 patients. Methods A single-center retrospective study involving 232 severe COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission was analyzed. Patients were categorized into two groups based on renal involvement: group A (with AKI or worsening of pre-existing chronic kidney disease) and group B (without renal injury). Data on demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, inflammatory markers, management strategies, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results AKI or worsening of pre-existing chronic renal disease was noted in 50.87% of cases, while the remaining 49.13% had severe COVID-19 pneumonia without renal injury. The mean age of patients in group A (with renal involvement) was higher compared to group B (without renal injury), with a significant male predominance observed in group A. AKI occurred within a short duration of fever, and cough was not a significant symptom. Comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease were common in both groups, with hypertension significantly associated with AKI. Other significant comorbidities as risk factors for kidney injury included chronic liver disease, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease, and malignancy. Elevated inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), serum ferritin, and interleukin-6, were significantly associated with renal injury. There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between the two groups studied. Conclusion AKI or worsening of pre-existing kidney disease is a common event in severe COVID-19 infection. Patients, especially elderly males with comorbidities as mentioned, should be thoroughly monitored for worsening renal function, and steps like avoidance of nephrotoxic drugs and timely hemodynamic support may help avoid this dreaded complication to a certain extent and improve the prognosis in severe COVID-19 infection. Supportive care remains crucial in managing COVID-19 patients with renal involvement, emphasizing the need for the early detection and treatment of renal abnormalities. Long-term follow-up is essential to assess the impact of AKI on future kidney health.

A Case Series on the Spectrum of Complications Observed in Kyasanur Forest Disease.

Background Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) has emerged as an important differential diagnosis of febrile illness for physicians caring for patients in the Western Ghats of South India over the last decade.  Aim This study seeks to familiarize physicians with the clinical presentation and the clinical, laboratory and imaging findings of the various complications of KFD. It also seeks to review the literature on the complications of KFD described. Material and methods This was a records-based retrospective study of the patients with KFD referred for tertiary care management to Government Medical College Kozhikode, Kerala over 11 years, from January 2013 to December 2023. Results A total of 12 case records were obtained and analysed. All the patients in this case series belonged to tribal ethnic groups enhancing its social significance. The complications of KFD (as calculated in the 11 patients for whom all the records were available) were altered sensorium (nine, 82%), persistent shock (seven, 64%), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)/pneumonitis (six, 55%), encephalitis (six, 55%), myocarditis (six, 55%), bleeding manifestations (six, 55%), hepatitis (six, 55%), acute kidney injury (four, 36%), rhabdomyolysis (three. 27%), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) (two, 18%), stress hyperglycaemia (two, 18%), pancreatitis (one, 9%), peritonitis (one, 9%). The case fatality rate in this series was 42%( n=5/12). An autopsy was done on one patient which showed congested and oedematous lungs with subpleural haemorrhage. Petechial haemorrhages were noted in the liver, spleen and kidney. The total leucocyte count was lower than 2500 c/mm3 in 10 (90%) patients. Out of the four patients in whom serum ferritin was tested, it was elevated (above 500 ng/ml) in all patients; and was above 1000 ng/ml in three patients. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis was diagnosed in two patients. This is a unique finding of our series. Both of these patients succumbed to the illness. A cerebrospinal fluid study was done in six patients and revealed normal values except in one patient. Troponin assays were done in seven patients and were positive in five patients indicating that myocarditis is a major contributor to shock, which is one of the commonest complications in KFD. Serum creatinine phosphokinase ranged from 656 to 23,000 U/L. Conclusions Altered sensorium was the most common alarming symptom that warrants referral to a higher centre. The major organ involvements that dominated the clinical presentation and course of illness were neurological complications, hypotension, significantly contributed by myocarditis and acute respiratory distress syndrome/pneumonitis. Encephalitis, myocarditis, ARDS and HLH were the major complications that caused mortality in our series. The elevated serum ferritin and the mortality associated with HLH described need further research to investigate the role of the macrophage system in the pathogenesis of severe KFD.

Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostic Features of Kyasanur Forest Disease: A Study From Wayanad, South India.

Background Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, was first recognized in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, India, in 1957. This study was conceived to address the paucity of medical literature on KFD, to describe the clinical and laboratory features of real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) confirmed cases of KFD, and to detect any change in the clinical picture and presentation of the disease over the last 30 years. Aim The study sought to document the clinical and laboratory features of Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), a tick-borne arboviral disease, now emerging in many parts of southern India. Material and methods This was a retrospective study using secondary data of patients with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR)-confirmed KFD in a secondary care hospital in Wayanad, Kerala, India. Results Sixty rRT-PCR-proven KFD patients were included in the study. Commonly noted clinical symptoms were fever (98%), headache (80%), body ache (86%), vomiting (61%), and prostration (83%). Relative bradycardia, hypotension (45%), and oral lesions (23%) were the frequent physical signs. The median total leukocyte count and median platelet count at admission were 2600 per µL and 1.62 per µL, respectively. The median erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 10 mm/hr. Urinary sediments and albuminuria were seen in 66% and 60% respectively. The major complications observed were neurological complications (23%), bleeding manifestations (20%), and persistent shock (20%). The common neurological complications were seizures, altered sensorium, aseptic meningitis, and focal neurological deficits. The case fatality rate in the study was 6.7%. Conclusions The clinical picture of a prostrating viral syndrome in an epidemiological setting of KFD with marked leucopenia, moderate thrombocytopenia, low erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albuminuria, urinary sediments, and moderately elevated transaminases help in making an early diagnosis of KFD. Neurological complications in the initial two weeks are associated with poor outcomes.

Initial Insights Into the Genetic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 Isolates From Kerala Suggest Local Spread From Limited Introductions.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread from a city in China to almost every country in the world, affecting millions of individuals. The rapid increase in the COVID-19 cases in the state of Kerala in India has necessitated the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 genetic epidemiology. We sequenced 200 samples from patients in Kerala using COVIDSeq protocol amplicon-based sequencing. The analysis identified 166 high-quality single-nucleotide variants encompassing four novel variants and 89 new variants in the Indian isolated SARS-CoV-2. Phylogenetic and haplotype analysis revealed that the virus was dominated by three distinct introductions followed by local spread suggesting recent outbreaks and that it belongs to the A2a clade. Further analysis of the functional variants revealed that two variants in the S gene associated with increased infectivity and five variants mapped in primer binding sites affect the efficacy of RT-PCR. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and most comprehensive report of SARS-CoV-2 genetic epidemiology from Kerala.

The incidence and clinical characteristics of the immune phase eye disease in treated cases of human leptospirosis.

BACKGROUND: Uveitis is increasingly being reported from south India following epidemics of leptospirosis. The incidence of eye involvement in treated patients has not been investigated properly in prospective studies. AIMS: To determine the incidence, clinical spectrum and risk factors for Leptospiral uveitis in antibiotic-treated patients. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A prospective cohort study conducted among the patients treated for leptospirosis at Calicut Medical College between July and November 2002 and a seroprevalence study among sewage workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As many as 360 patients admitted with suspected leptospirosis were studied by clinical examination, baseline ophthalmic survey, laboratory investigations and Leptospira serology (Microagglutination test - MAT; and IgM and IgG using ELISA) during the epidemic. Of the 282 seropositive and antibiotic-treated cases, 174 patients who completed 30 months of regular follow-up were analyzed. A cross-sectional serosurveillance also was performed among 50 sewage workers to determine the baseline MAT titer. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Univariate analysis and logistic regression. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (18.4%) developed the eye disease during follow-up. The mean age was 43.9 years and the sex ratio was equal. Twenty-one patients (65.6%) had anterior uveitis. Only six patients (18.8%) had visual symptoms. Median duration for developing anterior uveitis was 4 weeks. Recurrent uveitis was not seen following treatment. None had vision-threatening eye disease. Clinical and laboratory abnormalities during the acute phase did not pose risk for development of the eye disease later. Forty-six sewage workers (92%) showed a MAT titer of 1/25. CONCLUSIONS: Uveitis is common following acute leptospirosis. Antibiotic-treated patients during the acute phase of illness developed only mild uveitis.

Intestinal Parasite Profile in the Stool of HIV Positive Patients in relation to Immune Status and Comparison of Various Diagnostic Techniques with Special Reference to Cryptosporidium at a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and related opportunistic infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in susceptible population. This study aims to negate the paucity of data regarding the relation between CD4 levels, prevalence of enteric parasites, and the outcome of treatment with HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) and Cotrimoxazole in Kerala, India. Multiple stool samples from 200 patients in a cross-sectional study were subjected to microscopy and Cryptosporidium stool antigen ELISA. Parasites were identified in 18 samples (9%). Cystoisospora and Cryptosporidium spp. were seen in 9 cases (4.5%) and 5 cases (2.5%), respectively. Microsporidium spores and Chilomastix mesnili cysts were identified in 1 case each (0.5% each). Seven cases of Cystoisospora diarrhoea recovered after treatment with Cotrimoxazole. Diarrhoea due to Cryptosporidium spp. in all 5 cases subsided after immune reconstitution with HAART. This study concludes that a positive association was seen between low CD4 count (<200 cells/µL) and overall parasite positivity (P value < 0.01). ELISA is a more sensitive modality for the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium diarrhoea. Chilomastix mesnili, generally considered a nonpathogen, may be a cause of diarrhoeal disease in AIDS. Immune reconstitution and Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis remain to be the best therapeutic approach in AIDS-related diarrhoea.

Risk factors for mortality in patients with leptospirosis during an epidemic in northern Kerala.

BACKGROUND: Epidemic leptospirosis is increasingly being reported from northern Kerala during the monsoon months. We investigated the risk factors for mortality during the 2002 epidemic. METHODS: Three hundred and forty patients suspected to have leptospirosis during the epidemic were studied by clinical examination, laboratory investigations and Leptospira serology (microscopic agglutination test). Two hundred and eighty-two seropositive cases were analysed for the clinical and laboratory profile, and risk factors for mortality using univariate and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 282 seropositive cases, 58.9% were men. No significant association with occupational risk factors was seen; 62.9% had wounds on the feet. The majority had Weil syndrome with hepatic (69.8%) and renal (56.3%) involvement. Thrombocytopenia (65.8%) was common. Transient hyperglycaemia was observed in 10.3% of cases. Pulmonary haemorrhage (4.7%) and meningism (4.3%) were less common. Jaundice occurred in 46% of cases in the first week. The mortality rate was 6.03%. Hyperkalaemia (OR= 27.3), meningism (OR= 10.6), oliguria (OR=8.2), haemoptysis (OR= 5.4), bilirubin > 15 mg/dl (OR= 5.4), disorientation (OR=5), tachycardia (OR=4.1) and muscle tenderness (p=0.03) were the predictors of high mortality in univariate analysis. Only involvement of the lung and central nervous system were significant predictors of death in logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: Leptospirosis is no more a mere occupational hazard in Kerala. Early occurrence of complications such as hepatitis mandates caution in the primary care setting. Lung and central nervous system involvement are significant predictors of mortality.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix presenting as intractable hyponatremic seizures due to paraneoplastic SIADH-a rare case report and brief review of the literature.

Herein is presented an interesting case of small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix which initially manifests as seizures due to hyponatremia caused by paraneoplastic syndrome of inappropriate anti diuretic hormone (SIADH). Awareness of a paraneoplastic syndrome at presentation can lead to early diagnosis and early initiation of treatment. The management is also unique in that it combines treating the paraneoplastic aspects as well as targeting the tumour itself. Multimodality treatment gives the best outcome in this aggressive tumour.