Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Verghese.
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In May 1990, dracontiasis or guineaworm cases were reported for the first time from Bhiwandi, a thickly populated urban industrial complex about 50 kms north of the metropolis of Bombay. The report of guineaworm cases from a typical urban situation was considered an unforeseen setback to an otherwise satisfactory progress towards guineaworm elimination target in Maharashtra State. To elucidate the factors responsible for the outbreak of guineaworm cases in Bhiwandi, an investigation was taken up in third week of September 1990. The investigation revealed that all the guineaworm cases occurred in a small area of about 1 sq. km. where, because of the inadequate piped water supply, people were forced to resort to step wells for drinking water and other needs. Except for the two cases, who were local residents, all the other cases involved floating population from nonendemic areas. The vector involvement, could not be elucidated, as all the 31 water sources were free of cyclops, because of treatment with temephos undertaken by the Municipal Council prior to the investigation. It has been suggested that transmission of dracontiasis in the contiguous vulnerable urban settlements is a possibility which should be kept in mind while formulating control or eradication strategies against guineaworm disease.
Of 2186 persons investigated in thirteen villages of Sillaberia PHC, 19 were found to be infected with Brugia malayi and only one person harboured microfilaria (mf) of Wuchereria bancrofti. Similarly 41 persons exhibited signs and symptoms of chronic filariasis. The mf and disease rates percent worked out to be 0.914 and 1.87 respectively. The earliest ages showing mf and disease manifestations were 3 and 11 respectively. The mean mf density ranged from 2 to 12.2 per 20 cumm of blood. The male and female ratio in terms of mf carriers and chronic cases worked out to be 1.4:1 and 1:2 respectively. The entomological collections revealed a high ten man hour density (163.20) in case of Culex quinquefasciatus and comparatively much lower in case of Mansonia (Mansonioides) annulifera (47.51) and Mansonia (Mansoni oides) uniformis (23.83) respectively. The infection and infectivity rates in case of Mansonia (Mansonioides) annulifera were 6.1 and 1.2 per cent respectively.
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This study was done to assess the response of newborns to trivalent oral polio vaccine and to study any efficacy of OPV if given to infants on third day of life. The study was conducted in two groups, A (87) and B (55) of infants in Delhi, India. In group A, the children received one birth dose or 'O' dose of TOPV, followed by 3 conventional doses started at 6 weeks, and in group B the children received only 3 doses of OPV. Pre and one month post immunization serum samples were tested for the presence of neutralising antibodies. In addition, in group A serum samples were collected at 6 weeks before the administration of 1st dose to see the sero response following 'O' dose of TOPV. It was found that administration of OPV on 3rd day of life leads to sero conversion in 15.3% of infants to all three polio virus types by the age of 6 weeks, and highest sero response was seen for polio virus type 1. Sero-conversion in group A was significantly more than sero-conversion in group B after the administration of last dose. Thus the study has established that immunization of newborns with TOPV is a safe and effective means for improving protection against the disease.
A Community based study was conducted in urban Delhi. It was found that Smokers constituted about 32 percent of adult males in Delhi Admin. Flats, Timarpur. Proportion of smokers was highest in 41-50 years age. 31 percent of school teachers were smokers. Out of all who tried to live-up smoking, 8 percent reverted back after abstinence of two year or more. About three fourth of the smokers were worried ill effects of smoking's on them and others. Significantly higher number of non-smokers expressed opinion for total stopping of advertisement and complete ban of sale of smoking tobacco.