Praveen Kumar

https://doi.org/10.64823/ijmhs.2601010

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), better known as monkey fever, is a tick-borne virus that causes a zoonotic disease endemic to the Western Ghats of India. The disease is caused by Kyasanur Forest Disease virus (KFDV) belonging to the genus Flavivirus. Humans are often infected by the bite of infected Haemaphysalis ticks during work or travel in forested environments. The disease was first reported from Karnataka in the year 1957 and has slowly spread to a few neighboring states. The disease is an important public health problem. KFD is naturally transmitted between ticks, wild animals and humans. Monkeys, particularly bonnet macaques and gray langurs, are very susceptible to infection and often die during outbreaks, serving as early indicators of viral activity. Human cases are most frequently reported January through June when tick populations are highest. The distribution of infected ticks and the persistence of the disease are influenced by environmental factors, such as forest vegetation, climate and wildlife movement. Patients with KFD usually present with sudden onset of fever, severe headache, myalgia and gastrointestinal symptoms, although a minority may develop bleeding or neurological complications. Illness and deaths can be reduced by early detection, supportive medical care and preventive measures. Efective control depends on continuous disease surveillance, vaccination of high-risk groups, public awareness, protection against tick bites, and coordinated vector control. Continued research and improved public health programs are still needed to control KFD spread in endemic areas.

https://doi.org/10.64823/ijmhs.2601009

Dengue is among the fastest-growing mosquito-borne viral infections worldwide and continues to pose a major public health challenge because no approved antiviral treatment is available. As a result, vaccination has become a cornerstone of dengue prevention. Several vaccine candidates have progressed through clinical development; however, questions remain regarding their efficacy, long-term safety, and ability to provide consistent protection against all four dengue virus serotypes. Over the last five years, findings from phase II and phase III clinical trials, post-licensure safety monitoring, and real-world effectiveness studies have substantially advanced the understanding of vaccine performance and influenced both regulatory recommendations and future vaccine development strategies. Despite these advances, important immunological issues remain unresolved, including the induction of balanced and durable immunity against all serotypes, identification of reliable correlates of protection, and clarification of how age and pre-existing dengue immunity affect vaccine responses. Clinical studies have reported variable outcomes, with several vaccines offering moderate protection against symptomatic dengue while showing differences in efficacy among serotypes and lower effectiveness in individuals without prior dengue exposure. Consequently, vaccination policies have evolved toward more targeted approaches, including pre-vaccination serological testing in selected settings, preferential use among seropositive populations, and integration of immunization programs with vector control and disease surveillance measures. Current research is focused on developing next-generation vaccines that provide stronger tetravalent immune responses, longer-lasting protection, and improved safety for seronegative individuals. In parallel, innovative clinical trial methodologies and detailed immunological analyses are being employed to better define the mechanisms underlying protective immunity. This review summarizes recent clinical evidence, emerging immunological knowledge, and evolving public health policies to provide an updated assessment of dengue vaccines and to identify key research priorities for achieving safe, effective, and equitable dengue prevention through vaccination.

https://doi.org/10.64823/ijmhs.2601008

Melioidosis is a serious infectious disease caused by the environmental Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderiapseudomallei. The organism is naturally found in soil and stagnant water, particularly in tropical regions. The disease is a major public health challenge, but it is frequently unrecognized in endemic areas such as Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Individuals with occupations that involve agricultural work pose a greater risk to infection, with exposure to contaminated environments being common. However, despite many people having contact with the pathogen, only a small proportion develop melioidosis. This evidence suggests the presence of both bacterial and individual host factors that influence the risk of infection and the severity of the disease. Recent advances in genomic research provide new opportunities to explore the interplay between bacterial variation and human genetic diversity in infectious diseases. Ongoing research investigates combined analyses of the pathogen and the host in the context of integrated genomic approaches. Projects such as BurkHostGEN obtain biological samples from infected patients but also healthy populations and analyze host DNA, gene expression, and the genetic variation of the bacterium. Researchers investigate environmental sources, such as the presence of B. pseudomallei in household water, to determine the presence and diversity of the pathogen. Integrating microbial genome-wide association studies in conjunction with host genetic data represents an emerging strategy to identify the genetic factors associated with the risk for infection, disease progression, and clinical outcomes in patients with melioidosis. In the long term, such comprehensive genomic studies can improve the overall understanding of melioidosis and further contribute to research of infectious diseases with environmental transmission.