scholarly journals Rickettsiosis as a critical emerging infectious disease in India

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
K. Lalchhandama

Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the order Rickettsiales such as Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia, Rickettsia, and Orientia are the causative agents of infectious diseases collectively known as rickettsioses. Of the different rickettsial diseases, spotted fever and scrub typhus have ravaged India for the past couple of centuries. Specifically called the Indian tick typhus, spotted fever was discovered in India in the latter half of the 19th century. After several decades of dormancy, the disease re-emerged in several parts of India. Scrub typhus, originally discovered in Japan, has been recognised to be endemic to a so-called Tsutsugamushi Triangle, extending from Russian Far East and Korea in the north to northern Australia in the south and Afghanistan in the west, but the geographical description has now been breached. Not only in India, scrub typhus has emerged as the leading infectious disease in all endemic areas. Almost all Indian states have records of recurrent outbreaks. Infection can be of dire consequences, as multi-organ dysfunction and neurological disorder (meningocephalitis) are the common complications. This article discusses the historical background and scientific reports of rickettsioses in India.

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Daniel H. Paris ◽  
Daryl J. Kelly ◽  
Paul A. Fuerst ◽  
Nicholas P. J. Day ◽  
Allen L. Richards

The rickettsioses of the “Far East” or Asia–Australia–Pacific region include but are not limited to endemic typhus, scrub typhus, and more recently, tick typhus or spotted fever. These diseases embody the diversity of rickettsial disease worldwide and allow us to interconnect the various contributions to this special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. The impact of rickettsial diseases—particularly of scrub typhus—was substantial during the wars and “police actions” of the last 80 years. However, the post-World War II arrival of effective antibiotics reduced their impact, when recognized and adequately treated (chloramphenicol and tetracyclines). Presently, however, scrub typhus appears to be emerging and spreading into regions not previously reported. Better diagnostics, or higher population mobility, change in antimicrobial policies, even global warming, have been proposed as possible culprits of this phenomenon. Further, sporadic reports of possible antibiotic resistance have received the attention of clinicians and epidemiologists, raising interest in developing and testing novel diagnostics to facilitate medical diagnosis. We present a brief history of rickettsial diseases, their relative importance within the region, focusing on the so-called “tsutsugamushi triangle”, the past and present impact of these diseases within the region, and indicate how historically, these often-confused diseases were ingeniously distinguished from each another. Moreover, we will discuss the importance of DNA-sequencing efforts for Orientia tsutsugamushi, obtained from patient blood, vector chiggers, and rodent reservoirs, particularly for the dominant 56-kD type-specific antigen gene (tsa56), and whole-genome sequences, which are increasing our knowledge of the diversity of this unique agent. We explore and discuss the potential of sequencing and other effective tools to geographically trace rickettsial disease agents, and develop control strategies to better mitigate the rickettsioses.


Asian Survey ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 722-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Clay Moltz

Because of its energy reserves and long history of economic links with North Korea, the Russian Far East could provide useful incentives needed to help convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. For this reason, the United States should begin crafting a regionally based strategy that includes Russia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 90-99
Author(s):  
Elena V. Aistova ◽  
Vitaliy G. Bezborodov ◽  
Tatyana O. Markova ◽  
Mikhail V. Maslov ◽  
Lyubov A. Fedina

Currently, invasive species spreading is becoming a key problem on the global scale. Scope of invasive species control get solved at governmental level in many countries; hundreds of billions dollars a year are allocated as financial support; global programs are created. For the first time, biological control of invasive species Ambrosia artemisiifolia using an introduced phytophage insect was applied in Russia (former USSR) in the 60-70s years of the 20th century and it remains a unique large-scale example until to nowadays. Ambrosia leaf beetle (Zygogramma suturalis (Fabricius, 1775) was brought to the Russian Far East for biological control of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in the 80-90s years of the 20th century for the first time, however the targeted result was not achieved. At present, Zygogramma suturalis were adapted at the Primorskii Krai in the south of the Far East, but due to climatic conditions its numbers are low and, as a result, the impact on ambrosia is minimal. The search for native insect species with capable of effectively suppressing the spread of aggressive quarantine weed in local conditions remains in the area of focus. At the moment, two species of native leaf beetles have been identified, using Ambrosia as an additional element in the diet. Climate changes and the shift of biogeographic boundaries cause the natural expansion of the areals of some East Asian insect species to the north within the Russian Far East. Bug-edge Molipteryx fuliginosa (Uhler, 1860) is one of such species. Expanding the area to the north and east, the species also corrects trophic preferences. As a result of our research in the south of Primorskii Krai, the trophic relations of Molipteryx fuliginosa were studied in the field conditions and in rearing cages. The same work was carried out in places where Ambrosia artemisiifolia were growing in a great number. For insects observing were used standard methods. As a result, firstly was established and confirmed that the bug-edge uses Ambrosia artemisiifolia as a feed plant only in select developmental stages, including imago. The feeding of larvae of IV – V ages was noted in natural conditions. The long-time Molipteryx fuliginosa development cycle on ambrosia leads to break the course of normal plant ontogenesis and causes wilting of individual organs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 78-87
Author(s):  
V. F. Bugaev ◽  
I. V. Tiller

Runs and escapements of sockeye salmon to the Zhupanova River have increased since 1985 with the run of 10.63 . 103 ind. instead of 1.45 . 103 ind. in 1960–1984, on average. The increasing was reasoned by change of the pink salmon odd year-classes domination in West Kamchatka to domination of even year-classes after the extremely high escapement in 1983. In 2005–2006, the sockeye salmon stock in the Zhupanova River became even more higher that continues till nowadays (runs of 68.20 . 103 ind. in 2005–2017, on average). This growth corresponds with general increasing of the pacific salmons abundance in the Russian Far East as the result of favorable environmental and feeding conditions in the North Pacific. General biological indices (age, body length and weight, maturity, fecundity) of mature sockeye salmon originated from the Zhupanova River are presented on the data of commercial catches in the sea in 1999–2017. The sockeye salmon population from this river has 11 age groups. The age group 1.3 is the most abundant and associated with the age groups 1.2 and 1.4. Majority of sockeye in the catches from the Zhupanova has the age 1.3 (on average 66.2 % in 1999–2017). Besides, returns of underyearlings with age 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4, and the fish with age 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.2, and 3.3 are detected. The body length and weight are similar for all age groups of sockeye salmon: for males/females the mean length is 57.56/57.70 cm, mean weight is 2.69/2.62 kg. The mean males:females ratio is 44.7 : 55.3. The mean absolute fecundity is 4121 eggs. In opposite of sockeye salmon in some rivers of East Kamchatka, the population of the Zhupanova has no negative year-to-year trend of the body length or weight.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-109
Author(s):  
Zhihua Zhao ◽  
Olga Gordyachkova

The Far East is traditionally very attractive to Chinese business. The region has everything to attract Chinese investments: geographic proximity, accumulated experience of cooperation, differences in economic development and factors of complementarity. All these facts have an impact on the economic ties of the Russian Far East and the PRC. In theory, the Far East should become the main beneficiary of the strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing. Currently, the four southern regions of the Russian Far East demonstrate different models of China’s economic activity, depending on the historical background and the level of economic development. The bulk of Chinese investment in the Russian economy comes from intergovernmental cooperation, especially in the energy sector and large infrastructure projects, while there are few private investors from China. Therefore, Chinese investors face the problem of transforming their activities and looking for new business opportunities. This paper systematizes the main projects of Russian-Chinese investment cooperation carried out through intergovernmental agreements, as well as investigates the dynamics of direct investment from China. Despite the positive trend, it was revealed that the total amount of accumulated investments is decreasing with debt instruments being the main share of it. In the northern regions of the Far East, the activity of Chinese investors is practically excluded. The authors identify the main problems of Russian-Chinese investment cooperation in the Far East based on the analysis of Russian and foreign studies.


Zoosymposia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 480-492
Author(s):  
IRINA A. ZASYPKINA

Results of caddisfly faunal investigations in the North Russian Far East (NRFE) are summarized based on literature and the author’s data. Up to now, 122 species from 50 genera of 17 families of caddisflies have been found within the territory under study. A general list of caddisflies and their data records in 11 collecting (distributional) areas are presented. New records for 6 species in NRFE are given and Rhyacophila mirabilis (Levanidova & Schmid 1993) is recorded for the first time from continental Asia. Former distributional data for 40 species are refined. The taxonomic diversity and zoogeographical composition of the fauna are analyzed. It is noted that family Limnephilidae predominates in the northern areas.


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