Identification of Laboratory Biomarkers for Early Detection and Clinical Management of Post-Acute Syndrome Among Survivors of the 2013-2016 West Africa Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone.

Background: The clinical management of persistent medical conditions affecting Ebola survivors, generally described as a post-Ebola syndrome, remains a public health concern. We aimed to analyze Ebola survivors' laboratory biomarkers as compared to their non-infected household relatives to identify biomarkers that could guide the identification of survivors at increased risk of developing severe at odds with the non-severe post-Ebola syndrome. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted from medical records of the Ebola survivors clinic, and we included only Ebola survivor's parameters recorded during the first baseline follow-up visit 2 weeks interval after their second negative PCR result. Moreover, household non-infected family contacts of survivors visiting the clinic during the same period were recruited as community control. Results: The mean age of survivors was 32.65 (IQR: 15.5, 38.25) years, and Ebola IgG immunoglobulin was detected in all, thus confirming their status. The statistical significance (all p < 0.05) observed in monocyte percentage (MONO%), cluster of differentiation 4 percentage (CD4%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CREA), and creatinine kinase (C-kinase) proved to be clinically significant as compared to the household relatives' group. Interestingly, the linear regression analysis indicated that the duration at ETU was negatively associated with lymphocyte percentage with a 5% lymphocyte decrease per day spent at ETU. Finally, there was a significant (p < 0.05) association between hematological (Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH), biochemical (ALT, CREA, C-kinase, T-cholesterol, triglycerides) parameters and the risk of developing severe complications. Conclusion: We recommend clinicians closely monitor Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, ALT, CREA, C-kinase, T-cholesterol, triglycerides and lymphocytes as clinically relevant laboratory biomarkers to identify survivors at higher risk of developing severe post-acute syndrome upon discharge from Ebola treatment unit including headache, abdominal pain, chest pain, ocular complication, arthralgia, hearing difficulty and erectile dysfunction which can impact health-related quality of life among Ebola survivors.

Land Degradation Mapping in Singhanhalli-Bogur Micro-watershed in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka through Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques.

The study was undertaken to identify and map areas affected by various land degradation through remote sensing and GIS techniques. The study revealed that the major process of land degradation is water erosion. Three types of water erosion, namely sheet, rill and gully erosion were prevalent in different land forms. Sheet erosion accounted for 77.2 %, rill erosion 6.7 % and gully erosion 16.2 % of the study area. The lowlands, majority of which area was under agriculture land use, was observed to be sheet eroded with severity ranging from slight to severe which was attributed t o overcutting of vegetation, overgrazing and agricultural activities. Rill erosion was prevalent in undulating midlands under agriculture and open scrub land uses, whereas gully erosion occurred in agriculture and open scrub lands. The moderately degraded lands were observed in all land uses but they were more prominent in agriculture lands on moderate slopes. The severely degraded lands were observed on moderate-to-steep slopes in undulating midlands and uplands. The adoption of soil and water conservation measures was recommended for improve soil productivity and sustaining agricultural production at higher levels. In addition, watershed programmes should be undertaken considering the summarized priority for land treatment.

Soil Erosion Mapping in Singhanhalli-Bogur Microwatershed in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka Using Universal Soil Loss Equation and Geographic Information Systems.

Soil erosion which occurs at spatially varying rates is a widespread threat to sustainable resource management at watershed scale. Thus estimation of soil loss and identification of critical area for implementation of best management practices is central to a successful soil conservation programme. The present study was conducted to assess soil erosion using USLE and suggests possible intervention strategies to address soil loss in Singhanhalli-Bogur Microwatershed of Dharwad District in northern transition zone of Karnataka. The average annual soil loss was 27 tons ha-1yr-1. About 574 ha of the study area was under slight erosion, 118 ha under moderate erosion and 53 ha under severe erosion. The soil loss under different land uses ranged from 7 tons ha-1yr-1 under forest to 40 tons ha-1yr-1 under agriculture. The soil loss under plantation and open scrub land uses were 8 and 26 tons ha-1yr-1 respectively. Major causes of soil erosion were cultivation without proper soil and water conservation measures in area not suitable for crops, denuded areas without vegetation, cultivated fallow on moderate slopes, degraded forests/pastures on steep slopes and poorly managed forest cover. Appropriate soil conservation and land management techniques for the different soil erosion classes were suggested.