A new diarrhoea-causing parasite found

A new diarrhoea-causing parasite found

Subject : Science

Section: Health

Context:

• A three-year surveillance study from March 2017 to February 2020 in Kolkata has found an amoeba pathogen that previously did not cause any amoebiasis (a form of diarrhoea) in humans has now become pathogenic.

Research findings:

• A team of researchers from the Kolkata-based National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) found that not only had the amoeba pathogen — Entamoeba moshkovskii — turned pathogenic, it was the leading cause of amoebic infections in humans.
• More than half of the amoebic infections were caused by this pathogen.
• The infections caused by E. histolytica, which used to be the predominant amoeba pathogen that caused amoebiasis, were decreasing and the newly pathogenic E. moshkovskii was taking its place.
• The researchers identified a few mutations that signify an essential role of the new pathogenic parasite in adapting to the gut environment of humans or in acquiring other enteric pathogens.
• The amoebiasis is routinely diagnosed by light microscopy.

Diarrhoea:

• Diarrhoea can be caused by bacteria, viruses and amoeba pathogens.
• As per WHO, Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss.
• The most common cause is an infection of the intestines due to either a virus, bacterium, or parasite—a condition also known as gastroenteritis.
• These infections are often acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by feces, or directly from another person who is infected.
• Diarrhea can be prevented by improved sanitation, clean drinking water, and hand washing with soap.

Clinical Types:

• Acute Watery Diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days, and includes cholera;
• Acute Bloody Diarrhoea – also called dysentery; and
• Persistent Diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer.

Status of Diarrhoea in India:

• Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of deaths in children in this age group globally and claims approximately 1.1 lakh lives in India every year – according to 2019-2020 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
• The National Family Health Survey shows that the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea has increased from 9% to 9.2% from 2016 to 2020 in India. It is the third most common responsible disease for under five mortality.
• According to the latest survey (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry, only 60.6% children under the age of five with diarrhoea were given ORS and only 30.5% were given zinc. This means that there is a lack of awareness among mothers.
• Dehydration is the biggest cause of diarrhoea in children and other reasons include a change in the baby’s diet to make up for a change in the mother’s diet when breastfeeding; Use of antibiotics by the baby, or use by the mother while breastfeeding, or any type of bacterial or parasitic infection.

Prevention:

• Access to safe drinking-water;
• Use of improved sanitation;
• Hand washing with soap;
• Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life;
• Good personal and food hygiene;
• Health education about how infections spread; and
• Rotavirus vaccination.

Treatment:

• Rehydration with Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
• Zinc Supplements
• Rehydration with Intravenous Fluids
• Nutrient-rich Foods

IDCF:

• The Intensive Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) has been organized since 2014 with an objective to ‘bringing the number of deaths due to diarrhoea in childhood to zero’.
• This fortnight is organised especially during summer/monsoon so that preventive measures can be taken.
• IDCF consists of a set of activities to be implemented in an intensified manner for prevention and control of deaths due to dehydration from diarrhoea across all States & UTs. These activities mainly include:

1. Intensification of advocacy & awareness generation activities for diarrhoea management,
2. Strengthening service provision for diarrhoea case management,
3. Establishment of ORS-zinc corners,
4. Prepositioning of ORS by asha in households with under-five children and
5. Awareness generation activities for hygiene and sanitation.

• One of the main activities under IDCF program has been the activities by field workers including ASHA, ANM and anganwadi workers. Field workers visit the homes of families with children below five years of age and provide counselling in case of diarrhoea for distribution of zinc and ORS sachets. They also promote sanitation practices, breastfeeding practices and advise on preparation method of ORS through group meetings among mothers.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): It was launched by the government in 1985 and prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases including pneumonia and diarrhoea.