An outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis due to Coxsackievirus A24 in a residential school, Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh: July 2023.

PURPOSE: An acute conjunctivitis outbreak was investigated at a residential school in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India, in July 2023. We aimed to identify the etiological agent and assess any complications in follow-up cases. METHODS: We used a structured questionnaire to record clinical findings and followed up with cases one-month post-conjunctivitis. Sixty-one cases were examined and eight conjunctival and oropharyngeal swab samples were collected after obtaining informed consent from guardians/school authorities. We screened for 33 viral and bacterial pathogens using an IVD-approved Real-time PCR assay. Further, the samples were subjected to nucleic acid sequencing. RESULTS: Among 465 screened students and staff, 80 individuals (approximately 17.2%) showed acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis symptoms among which 61 cases were available for clinical examination. We identified the Enterovirus responsible by targeted sequencing using next-generation sequencing. The etiological agent was found to be Coxsackievirus A24, a member of Enterovirus C, in seven out of eight samples subjected to sequencing. Common symptoms included conjunctival hyperemia and foreign body sensation (100%), bilateral eye involvement (73.8%), eye pain (70%), watery discharge (49.2%), and eyelid swelling (38%). Only 6.5% had purulent discharge. Most cases resolved within 5-6 days, with only 9.8% reporting abdominal symptoms post-conjunctivitis. No serious complications occurred within one month. Throat swabs aided in diagnosing enterovirus infections alongside eye swabs. CONCLUSIONS: The outbreak of acute conjunctivitis was caused by Coxsackievirus A24, a member of Enterovirus C. Cases resolved spontaneously within 6-7 days, with no severe complications. Collecting oropharyngeal swabs alongside conjunctival swabs could improve enteroviral conjunctivitis diagnosis.

Seroprevalence of IgG and IgM Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Inhabitants of Itanagar Capital Region, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Objective:The assessment of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antibodies is essential to understand the transmission dynamics of contagious disease. The proportion of the population who developed antibodies against the COVID-19 disease can be estimated through population-based serosurveys. This population based cross sectional serosurvey was designed to assess the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies of COVID-19 infection. Material and methods:A population based cross sectional serosurvey included 1031 residents of Itanagar Capital Complex region (ICR), Arunachal Pradesh, India, aged above five years. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and IgM antibody levels were analyzed by chemiluminescence immunoassay based serological tests. Results:The overall seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM was 92.24% and 7.7%, respectively. The seropositivity of IgG and IgM was 97.68% and 2.32%, respectively, in subjects fully vaccinated with two doses, 97.22% and 13.88%, respectively, in those vaccinated with the first dose, and 80% and 11.33%, respectively, in non-vaccinated participants. In contrast to indigenous tribal participants (IgG 90.55% and IgM 8.88%), seroprevalence was high in non-tribal subjects (IgG 94.72% and IgM 6.84%). Age, ethnicity, and area showed a positive correlation, while vaccination status exhibited a negative correlation with IgG levels (Pearson's coefficient -0.535). Conclusions:This first monocentric serosurvey following the high rate of infection with Delta variant in ICR found a high seropositivity for IgG. Further state level serosurveys are needed to assess the infection status, immunological response and associated comorbidities of COVID-19 infection. Periodic vaccination campaigns and early administration of booster doses to the general public might be beneficial in preserving immunity and prevent illness.

Epidemiology, Genotyping, Mutational and Phylogenetic Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in North-east India.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem globally. Northeast India is home to indigenous tribes with different ethnicity and high rates of drug abuse and HIV infection. The study was designed to estimate the burden of HBV infection across various spectrums of liver diseases from this region. HBV genotypes and subgenotypes play a role in the chronicity of disease, response to treatment and its progression. As very limited data are available from this region, we tried to elucidate the role of HBV genotypes, HBV mutants and their phylogenetic analysis. METHOD: We designed a prospective multicentric study, and included 7464 liver disease cases, 7432 blood donors and 650 health care workers, who were screened for HBV infection. HBV DNA positive patients were genotyped and subjected to surface protein, precore and core mutation and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of HBV infection with respect to different types of liver diseases, blood donors and health care workers was 9.9% (1550/15,546). 49.5% (768/1550) cases were found to be HBV DNA positive. The most common genotype was found to be genotype D 74.2% (570/768), followed by genotype C 6.5% (50/768), A 4.4% (34/768) and I 0.9% (7/768). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the high hepatitis B burden in Northeast India, reflecting lacunae in health care needs of the region. Also, the different genotype distribution and presence of mutations may translate into different rates of liver disease progression, prognosis and ultimately, clinical significance. However, further prospective cohort study from Northeast India is warranted, to elucidate the clinical significance of multiple genotypes and mutation in this unique population.