Informatics Publishing Limited

P. Mukherjee ¹, C. Chatterjee ², S. Chatterjee ³, K. S. Chakravarty ⁴, S. Chatterjee ⁵, G. D. Mitra ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Microbiology, Midnapur Medical College, IN
2 Department of Microbiology, Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, IN
3 Neurosurgery, R.G. Kar Medical College, Kolkata, IN
4 Neurosurgery, Medical College, Kolkata, IN
5 Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, IN

Abstract

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is prevalent in West Bengal along with other Flaviviruses like Dengue and Chikungunya. Burdwan and adjacent district Bankura were reported to be a highly endemic zone for JE having had an outbreak in the 70's. Under this situation, a vaccination programme was conducted in several districts of West Bengal in a phased manner by the Government from 2006 to 2009. This survey was done to assess the recent status of JE in Burdwan and adjacent areas in the post vaccination era. The seroprevalence of JE was assessed by MAC- ELISA in serum and CSF specimens obtained from Acute Encephalitis syndrome (AES) cases admitted in Medicine and Paediatric Departments of the hospital. This study reported a 7.04% seroprevalence of JE among AES cases in 2011-2012; whereas previous studies conducted in the country reported 53.7% seroprevalence of JE, by AC Phukan et al. in Assam, North-East India (2000-2002); 47.1% in Assam by Jani Borah et al. (2008-2010) and 26% in India by Penny Lewthwaite in 2010. There was significant reduction in the seroprevalence of JE after vaccination. But there were still some pockets of low or no vaccination coverage from where sporadic and seasonal localized outbreaks were reported. A uniform and complete vaccination programme is still needed in this state.

Keywords

Japanese Encephalitis, JE, AES.

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K. S. Chakravarty ¹, S. Chatterjee ², S. Pal ¹, S. Chatterjee ³, C. Chatterjee ⁴

Affiliations
1 Medical College, Kolkata, IN
2 R.G. Kar. Medical college, Kolkata, IN
3 Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, IN
4 Dept. of Microbiology, Burdwan Medical College, IN

Abstract

Fourteen patients admitted with intramedullary spinal cord tumours and operated at Medical College, Kolkata, during a five year period from January 2008. Five tumours were radically resected, 9 partially excised. Radiation therapy was advised post-operatively to all patients. There was no post-operative mortality. Three patients developed wound infection. Postoperative clinical assessment between four to eight weeks after surgery showed that 4 out of 14 patients improved, 6 remained unchanged, while 4 had worsening of deficits. Immediate post-operative assessment, however, was less encouraging. The follow up period ranged from 2 weeks to 36 months after discharge from hospital. The indicators of radical excision were good tumour-cord interface, presence of syringomyelia and histology of benign lesions. One patient had recurrence of tumour.

Keywords

Intamedullary Tumours, Neuro-Spinal Surgery.

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