The Journal of communicable diseases
-
Chikungunya is a disease of zoonotic importance affecting man with non-human primates as a main reservoir. Recently the world has seen its outbreaks in Asia and Africa affecting large population. The disease has re-emerged after 2 long decades. ⋯ The disease shows epidemic pattern with severe arthralgia and usually without any mortality but in the recent outbreak it has shown mortality also. Thus it is the major cause of public health concern. Understanding the public health significance of disease, there is a need of continuous monitoring and surveillance of the virus in both human and animal population.
-
The quest for the search of rapid, cheap, easy to perform and highly sensitive and specific tests has resulted into the introduction and application of various new tests for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Most of these tests are based on immunological principles, viz. counter-immunoelectrophoresis, latex agglutination test, co-agglutination, radio-immunoassay, haemagglutination inhibition as well as study of immune profile of cerebrospinal fluid. ⋯ Limulus amoebecyte lysate test, gas liquid chromatography, nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction test have also been evaluated to make the laboratory diagnosis of this important clinical entity rapid and more reliable. These tests have been discussed and their current status presented.