Papers by Veerapathiran Ayyavu
Acarological studies, Jan 18, 2024
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an important public health problem worldwide. In India, prevale... more Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an important public health problem worldwide. In India, prevalence of many tick-borne pathogens such as Ganjam virus, Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV), Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and Rickettsia conorii etc., have been documented. The species composition of ticks infesting domestic animals in the Sirumalai area of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, South India has been recorded. A total of 2851 tick specimens were collected, and taxonomical identification revealed that 14 species belong to four genera, viz., Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma and Hyalomma. Among the species, Haemaphysalis intermedia from goats and Rhipicephalus microplus from cattle account for 72.6% and 15.2%, respectively. Amblyomma integrum was collected only from cattle (n=22). Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma hussaini and Hyalomma kumari have been recorded for the first time this area. The preliminary results confirms the occurrence of rich diversity of tick fauna in this area and recommend further studies to determine the role of these fauna and their public health relevance to livestock and residents.
Research Square, 2021
The recent global outbreaks of the ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) reported in 85 countries and territories cau... more The recent global outbreaks of the ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) reported in 85 countries and territories caused
severe complications such as microcephaly among neonates and Guillain-Barre Syndrome among the
older population. Recently, an outbreak of ZIKV was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city
of Kerala, India with 66 cases being reported so far. We conducted an outbreak investigation and the
primary findings are described here. A cluster of ZIKV cases from the Kadakampalli / Anamugham
administrative wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation area was reported where Kerala
Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is located. Later many ZIKV cases were reported from other wards of
the city. The density of known Aedes vectors was high in this region of the metropolitan city. Aedes
albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus collected from the focal area of the outbreak were found to
be naturally infected with ZIKV. Male specimens of Ae. albopictus were naturally infected, indicating
trans-ovarian transmission of the virus. This is first report of incrimination of Ae. albopictus and Ae.
vittatus in ZIKV transmission from India. The virus was characterized and the partial sequences clustered
with the Asian strain of ZIKV reported from India. The NS5 sequences of human and Ae. albopictus pools
from Thiruvananthapuram were 100% similar indicating an ongoing active ZIKV transmission.
The state health authorities were sensitized and appropriate containment and vector control measures
have been initiated to contain the outbreak. This report underscores the importance of continued human
and vector surveillance as well as genomic sequencing to understand the virus evolution and
implications on public health.
ENTOMON, 2021
Aedes aegypti populations collected from four different localities in Tamil Nadu, India were anal... more Aedes aegypti populations collected from four different localities in Tamil Nadu, India were analysed using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to assess the level of genetic variations within and between populations. RAPDs were found to be polymorphic enough to detect genetic polymorphisms at both micro (within the city, <10 km) and macro spatial scales (between three districts, ~500 Km apart). Hetrozygosity within populations varied from 0.1150 ± 0.2140 to 0.3715± 0.1545, but pattern of genetic diversity was not found to be associated with the geographical distance between the populations and the prevalence of dengue infections.
Acarological Studies, 2024
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an important public health problem worldwide. In India, prevale... more Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an important public health problem worldwide. In India, prevalence of many tick-borne pathogens such as Ganjam virus, Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV), Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and Rickettsia conorii etc., have been documented. The species composition of ticks infesting domestic animals in the Sirumalai area of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, South India has been recorded. A total of 2851 tick specimens were collected, and taxonomical identification revealed that 14 species belong to four genera, viz., Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma and Hyalomma. Among the species, Haemaphysalis intermedia from goats and Rhipicephalus microplus from cattle account for 72.6% and 15.2%, respectively. Amblyomma integrum was collected only from cattle (n=22). Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Hyalomma hussaini and Hyalomma kumari have been recorded for the first time this area. The preliminary results confirms the occurrence of rich diversity of tick fauna in this area and recommend further studies to determine the role of these fauna and their public health relevance to livestock and residents.
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Papers by Veerapathiran Ayyavu
severe complications such as microcephaly among neonates and Guillain-Barre Syndrome among the
older population. Recently, an outbreak of ZIKV was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city
of Kerala, India with 66 cases being reported so far. We conducted an outbreak investigation and the
primary findings are described here. A cluster of ZIKV cases from the Kadakampalli / Anamugham
administrative wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation area was reported where Kerala
Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is located. Later many ZIKV cases were reported from other wards of
the city. The density of known Aedes vectors was high in this region of the metropolitan city. Aedes
albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus collected from the focal area of the outbreak were found to
be naturally infected with ZIKV. Male specimens of Ae. albopictus were naturally infected, indicating
trans-ovarian transmission of the virus. This is first report of incrimination of Ae. albopictus and Ae.
vittatus in ZIKV transmission from India. The virus was characterized and the partial sequences clustered
with the Asian strain of ZIKV reported from India. The NS5 sequences of human and Ae. albopictus pools
from Thiruvananthapuram were 100% similar indicating an ongoing active ZIKV transmission.
The state health authorities were sensitized and appropriate containment and vector control measures
have been initiated to contain the outbreak. This report underscores the importance of continued human
and vector surveillance as well as genomic sequencing to understand the virus evolution and
implications on public health.
severe complications such as microcephaly among neonates and Guillain-Barre Syndrome among the
older population. Recently, an outbreak of ZIKV was reported from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city
of Kerala, India with 66 cases being reported so far. We conducted an outbreak investigation and the
primary findings are described here. A cluster of ZIKV cases from the Kadakampalli / Anamugham
administrative wards of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation area was reported where Kerala
Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) is located. Later many ZIKV cases were reported from other wards of
the city. The density of known Aedes vectors was high in this region of the metropolitan city. Aedes
albopictus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes vittatus collected from the focal area of the outbreak were found to
be naturally infected with ZIKV. Male specimens of Ae. albopictus were naturally infected, indicating
trans-ovarian transmission of the virus. This is first report of incrimination of Ae. albopictus and Ae.
vittatus in ZIKV transmission from India. The virus was characterized and the partial sequences clustered
with the Asian strain of ZIKV reported from India. The NS5 sequences of human and Ae. albopictus pools
from Thiruvananthapuram were 100% similar indicating an ongoing active ZIKV transmission.
The state health authorities were sensitized and appropriate containment and vector control measures
have been initiated to contain the outbreak. This report underscores the importance of continued human
and vector surveillance as well as genomic sequencing to understand the virus evolution and
implications on public health.