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Michael Weekes

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Nick K. Jones1,2*, Lucy Rivett1,2*, Chris Workman3, Mark Ferris3, Ashley Shaw1, Cambridge COVID-19 Collaboration1,4, Paul J. Lehner1,4, Rob Howes5, Giles Wright3, Nicholas J. Matheson1,4,6¶, Michael P. Weekes1,7¶1 Cambridge University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK2 Clinical Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory, Public Health England, Cambridge, UK3 Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK4 Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK5 Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre and AstraZeneca, Anne Mclaren Building, Cambridge, UK6 NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, UK7 Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK*Joint first authorship¶Joint last authorshipCorrespondence: [email protected] UK has initiated mass COVID-19 immunisation, with healthcare workers (HCWs) given early priority because of the potential for workplace exposure and risk of onward transmission to patients. The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended maximising the number of people vaccinated with first doses at the expense of early booster vaccinations, based on single dose efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 disease.1-3At the time of writing, three COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorisation in the UK, including the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech). A vital outstanding question is whether this vaccine prevents or promotes asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, rather than symptomatic COVID-19 disease, because sub-clinical infection following vaccination could continue to drive transmission. This is especially important because many UK HCWs have received this vaccine, and nosocomial COVID-19 infection has been a persistent problem.Through the implementation of a 24 h-turnaround PCR-based comprehensive HCW screening programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT), we previously demonstrated the frequent presence of pauci- and asymptomatic infection amongst HCWs during the UK’s first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 Here, we evaluate the effect of first-dose BNT162b2 vaccination on test positivity rates and cycle threshold (Ct) values in the asymptomatic arm of our programme, which now offers weekly screening to all staff.Vaccination of HCWs at CUHNFT began on 8th December 2020, with mass vaccination from 8th January 2021. Here, we analyse data from the two weeks spanning 18thto 31st January 2021, during which: (a) the prevalence of COVID-19 amongst HCWs remained approximately constant; and (b) we screened comparable numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs. Over this period, 4,408 (week 1) and 4,411 (week 2) PCR tests were performed from individuals reporting well to work. We stratified HCWs <12 days or > 12 days post-vaccination because this was the point at which protection against symptomatic infection began to appear in phase III clinical trial.226/3,252 (0·80%) tests from unvaccinated HCWs were positive (Ct<36), compared to 13/3,535 (0·37%) from HCWs <12 days post-vaccination and 4/1,989 (0·20%) tests from HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination (p=0·023 and p=0·004, respectively; Fisher’s exact test, Figure). This suggests a four-fold decrease in the risk of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst HCWs ≥12 days post-vaccination, compared to unvaccinated HCWs, with an intermediate effect amongst HCWs <12 days post-vaccination.A marked reduction in infections was also seen when analyses were repeated with: (a) inclusion of HCWs testing positive through both the symptomatic and asymptomatic arms of the programme (56/3,282 (1·71%) unvaccinated vs 8/1,997 (0·40%) ≥12 days post-vaccination, 4·3-fold reduction, p=0·00001); (b) inclusion of PCR tests which were positive at the limit of detection (Ct>36, 42/3,268 (1·29%) vs 15/2,000 (0·75%), 1·7-fold reduction, p=0·075); and (c) extension of the period of analysis to include six weeks from December 28th to February 7th 2021 (113/14,083 (0·80%) vs 5/4,872 (0·10%), 7·8-fold reduction, p=1x10-9). In addition, the median Ct value of positive tests showed a non-significant trend towards increase between unvaccinated HCWs and HCWs > 12 days post-vaccination (23·3 to 30·3, Figure), suggesting that samples from vaccinated individuals had lower viral loads.We therefore provide real-world evidence for a high level of protection against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection after a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine, at a time of predominant transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant of concern 202012/01 (lineage B.1.1.7), and amongst a population with a relatively low frequency of prior infection (7.2% antibody positive).5This work was funded by a Wellcome Senior Clinical Research Fellowship to MPW (108070/Z/15/Z), a Wellcome Principal Research Fellowship to PJL (210688/Z/18/Z), and an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (MR/P008801/1) and NHSBT workpackage (WPA15-02) to NJM. Funding was also received from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. We also acknowledge contributions from all staff at CUHNFT Occupational Health and Wellbeing and the Cambridge COVID-19 Testing Centre.

Guangming Wang

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Tam Hunt

and 1 more

Tam Hunt [1], Jonathan SchoolerUniversity of California Santa Barbara Synchronization, harmonization, vibrations, or simply resonance in its most general sense seems to have an integral relationship with consciousness itself. One of the possible “neural correlates of consciousness” in mammalian brains is a combination of gamma, beta and theta synchrony. More broadly, we see similar kinds of resonance patterns in living and non-living structures of many types. What clues can resonance provide about the nature of consciousness more generally? This paper provides an overview of resonating structures in the fields of neuroscience, biology and physics and attempts to coalesce these data into a solution to what we see as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem, which is generally known as the “combination problem” or the “binding problem.” The combination problem asks: how do micro-conscious entities combine into a higher-level macro-consciousness? The proposed solution in the context of mammalian consciousness suggests that a shared resonance is what allows different parts of the brain to achieve a phase transition in the speed and bandwidth of information flows between the constituent parts. This phase transition allows for richer varieties of consciousness to arise, with the character and content of that consciousness in each moment determined by the particular set of constituent neurons. We also offer more general insights into the ontology of consciousness and suggest that consciousness manifests as a relatively smooth continuum of increasing richness in all physical processes, distinguishing our view from emergentist materialism. We refer to this approach as a (general) resonance theory of consciousness and offer some responses to Chalmers’ questions about the different kinds of “combination problem.”  At the heart of the universe is a steady, insistent beat: the sound of cycles in sync…. [T]hese feats of synchrony occur spontaneously, almost as if nature has an eerie yearning for order. Steven Strogatz, Sync: How Order Emerges From Chaos in the Universe, Nature and Daily Life (2003) If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.Nikola Tesla (1942) I.               Introduction Is there an “easy part” and a “hard part” to the Hard Problem of consciousness? In this paper, we suggest that there is. The harder part is arriving at a philosophical position with respect to the relationship of matter and mind. This paper is about the “easy part” of the Hard Problem but we address the “hard part” briefly in this introduction.  We have both arrived, after much deliberation, at the position of panpsychism or panexperientialism (all matter has at least some associated mind/experience and vice versa). This is the view that all things and processes have both mental and physical aspects. Matter and mind are two sides of the same coin.  Panpsychism is one of many possible approaches that addresses the “hard part” of the Hard Problem. We adopt this position for all the reasons various authors have listed (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1997, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017). This first step is particularly powerful if we adopt the Whiteheadian version of panpsychism (Whitehead 1929).  Reaching a position on this fundamental question of how mind relates to matter must be based on a “weight of plausibility” approach, rather than on definitive evidence, because establishing definitive evidence with respect to the presence of mind/experience is difficult. We must generally rely on examining various “behavioral correlates of consciousness” in judging whether entities other than ourselves are conscious – even with respect to other humans—since the only consciousness we can know with certainty is our own. Positing that matter and mind are two sides of the same coin explains the problem of consciousness insofar as it avoids the problems of emergence because under this approach consciousness doesn’t emerge. Consciousness is, rather, always present, at some level, even in the simplest of processes, but it “complexifies” as matter complexifies, and vice versa. Consciousness starts very simple and becomes more complex and rich under the right conditions, which in our proposed framework rely on resonance mechanisms. Matter and mind are two sides of the coin. Neither is primary; they are coequal.  We acknowledge the challenges of adopting this perspective, but encourage readers to consider the many compelling reasons to consider it that are reviewed elsewhere (Chalmers 1996, Griffin 1998, Hunt 2011, Goff 2017, Schooler, Schooler, & Hunt, 2011; Schooler, 2015).  Taking a position on the overarching ontology is the first step in addressing the Hard Problem. But this leads to the related questions: at what level of organization does consciousness reside in any particular process? Is a rock conscious? A chair? An ant? A bacterium? Or are only the smaller constituents, such as atoms or molecules, of these entities conscious? And if there is some degree of consciousness even in atoms and molecules, as panpsychism suggests (albeit of a very rudimentary nature, an important point to remember), how do these micro-conscious entities combine into the higher-level and obvious consciousness we witness in entities like humans and other mammals?  This set of questions is known as the “combination problem,” another now-classic problem in the philosophy of mind, and is what we describe here as the “easy part” of the Hard Problem. Our characterization of this part of the problem as “easy”[2] is, of course, more than a little tongue in cheek. The authors have discussed frequently with each other what part of the Hard Problem should be labeled the easier part and which the harder part. Regardless of the labels we choose, however, this paper focuses on our suggested solution to the combination problem.  Various solutions to the combination problem have been proposed but none have gained widespread acceptance. This paper further elaborates a proposed solution to the combination problem that we first described in Hunt 2011 and Schooler, Hunt, and Schooler 2011. The proposed solution rests on the idea of resonance, a shared vibratory frequency, which can also be called synchrony or field coherence. We will generally use resonance and “sync,” short for synchrony, interchangeably in this paper. We describe the approach as a general resonance theory of consciousness or just “general resonance theory” (GRT). GRT is a field theory of consciousness wherein the various specific fields associated with matter and energy are the seat of conscious awareness.  A summary of our approach appears in Appendix 1.  All things in our universe are constantly in motion, in process. Even objects that appear to be stationary are in fact vibrating, oscillating, resonating, at specific frequencies. So all things are actually processes. Resonance is a specific type of motion, characterized by synchronized oscillation between two states.  An interesting phenomenon occurs when different vibrating processes come into proximity: they will often start vibrating together at the same frequency. They “sync up,” sometimes in ways that can seem mysterious, and allow for richer and faster information and energy flows (Figure 1 offers a schematic). Examining this phenomenon leads to potentially deep insights about the nature of consciousness in both the human/mammalian context but also at a deeper ontological level.

Susanne Schilling*^

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Jessica mead

and 6 more

The construct of wellbeing has been criticised as a neoliberal construction of western individualism that ignores wider systemic issues including increasing burden of chronic disease, widening inequality, concerns over environmental degradation and anthropogenic climate change. While these criticisms overlook recent developments, there remains a need for biopsychosocial models that extend theoretical grounding beyond individual wellbeing, incorporating overlapping contextual issues relating to community and environment. Our first GENIAL model \cite{Kemp_2017} provided a more expansive view of pathways to longevity in the context of individual health and wellbeing, emphasising bidirectional links to positive social ties and the impact of sociocultural factors. In this paper, we build on these ideas and propose GENIAL 2.0, focusing on intersecting individual-community-environmental contributions to health and wellbeing, and laying an evidence-based, theoretical framework on which future research and innovative therapeutic innovations could be based. We suggest that our transdisciplinary model of wellbeing - focusing on individual, community and environmental contributions to personal wellbeing - will help to move the research field forward. In reconceptualising wellbeing, GENIAL 2.0 bridges the gap between psychological science and population health health systems, and presents opportunities for enhancing the health and wellbeing of people living with chronic conditions. Implications for future generations including the very survival of our species are discussed.  

Mark Ferris

and 14 more

IntroductionConsistent with World Health Organization (WHO) advice [1], UK Infection Protection Control guidance recommends that healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) should use fluid resistant surgical masks type IIR (FRSMs) as respiratory protective equipment (RPE), unless aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are being undertaken or are likely, when a filtering face piece 3 (FFP3) respirator should be used [2]. In a recent update, an FFP3 respirator is recommended if “an unacceptable risk of transmission remains following rigorous application of the hierarchy of control” [3]. Conversely, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19 should use an N95 or higher level respirator [4]. WHO guidance suggests that a respirator, such as FFP3, may be used for HCWs in the absence of AGPs if availability or cost is not an issue [1].A recent systematic review undertaken for PHE concluded that: “patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who are breathing, talking or coughing generate both respiratory droplets and aerosols, but FRSM (and where required, eye protection) are considered to provide adequate staff protection” [5]. Nevertheless, FFP3 respirators are more effective in preventing aerosol transmission than FRSMs, and observational data suggests that they may improve protection for HCWs [6]. It has therefore been suggested that respirators should be considered as a means of affording the best available protection [7], and some organisations have decided to provide FFP3 (or equivalent) respirators to HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients, despite a lack of mandate from local or national guidelines [8].Data from the HCW testing programme at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHNFT) during the first wave of the UK severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic indicated a higher incidence of infection amongst HCWs caring for patients with COVID-19, compared with those who did not [9]. Subsequent studies have confirmed this observation [10, 11]. This disparity persisted at CUHNFT in December 2020, despite control measures consistent with PHE guidance and audits indicating good compliance. The CUHNFT infection control committee therefore implemented a change of RPE for staff on “red” (COVID-19) wards from FRSMs to FFP3 respirators. In this study, we analyse the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs before and after this transition.

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Mingzhu Gao

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Objective: Clinical psychology, a pivotal aspect of psychology, combines research and practice. This study aims to assess the recent decade’s clinical psychology research, particularly post-COVID-19 paradigm shifts. Method: Analyzing 69,295 clinical psychology publications from 2010 to 2022 in the Web of Science database, we used advanced bibliometrics tools (CiteSpace and Mapequation) to scrutinize authorship networks, publishing trends, and research focus in the US, the field’s rigin. Results: We found a significant upswing in clinical psychology research prompted by the advent of the pandemic, particularly in the study of psychological trauma caused by issues such as family conflict, elder abuse, collective trauma, and so on. Clinical psychology research has been profoundly formed with a dynamic group of scholars and institutions, surrounding mainly higher education systems. Research participants are widely diverse, with a progressive focus transition to the populations on gender and race minorities, maternal, and adolescents. Mental disorder, such as PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors have caught more attention especially during the pandemic. Therapeutic approaches have long been another focus in clinical psychology, interventions such as mindfulness-based practice and AI-assisted technologies have started to gain prominence. Conclusions: This paper serves as the first large-scale bibliometrics analysis in clinical psychology, which offers an interdisciplinary collaboration potential with information science besides the originality of documenting publication trends in psychology. The integration of open data initiatives, machine learning, augmented reality, and virtual reality technologies shows promise in assessing mental health and fostering well-being, indicating an evolving landscape in clinical psychology research.

Alivia Nytko

and 2 more

Microbially mediated plant-soil feedbacks drive patterns of plant growth, competitive ability, succession, and community composition. Although rare plant species maintain unique functional traits that often facilitate negative feedbacks, there is not a consensus on the belowground drivers nor the effects of phylogenetic origin of previously plant-conditioned soil on aboveground traits associated with rare species. Using a common garden, we connect belowground fungal colonization to aboveground traits in species varying in rarity, and soil conditions varying in the phylogenetic relatedness of conditioning plant species, to demonstrate the mechanistic relationship between belowground ectomycorrhizal fungal (ECM) colonization and aboveground total plant biomass in 14 Eucalyptus species varying in their rarity status. Specifically, we found that while the rarest species displayed 88% less total biomass than common species, the rarest species also maintained 62% greater ECM colonization than common counterparts. Further, negative feedbacks resulted in reduced biomass coupled with positive feedbacks that resulted in increased ECM colonization that varied on the basis of phylogenetic relatedness. The rarest species decreased by 71% - 94% in total biomass but increased by 96% - 114% in ECM colonization in phylogenetically similar and distant soil compared to conspecific soil conditions. The effect size of ECM colonization directly affected the effect size of total biomass in phylogenetically distant conditions with a significant negative correlation (r^2 = -0.83) to show that biomass may be a function of ECM colonization acting differently among species varying in rarity. Consequently, rare plant species may utilize stronger associations with belowground mycorrhizal mutualists than common plant species, to facilitate geographic, competitive, and functional persistence, even while maintaining lower biomass.

Hira Kamal

and 6 more

During plant-pathogen interaction, plant exhibits a strong defense system utilizing diverse groups of proteins to suppress the infection and subsequent establishment of the pathogen. However, in response, pathogens trigger an anti-silencing mechanism to overcome the host defense machinery. Among plant viruses, geminiviruses are the second largest virus family with a worldwide distribution and continue to be production constraints to food, feed, and fiber crops. These viruses are spread by a diverse group of insects, predominantly by whiteflies, and are characterized by a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) genome coding for four to eight proteins that facilitate viral infection. The most effective means to managing these viruses is through an integrated disease management strategy that includes virus-resistant cultivars, vector management, and cultural practices. Dynamic changes in this virus family enable the species to manipulate their genome organization to respond to external changes in the environment. Therefore, the evolutionary nature of geminiviruses leads to new and novel approaches for developing virus-resistant cultivars and it is essential to study molecular ecology and evolution of geminiviruses. This review summarizes the multifunctionality of each geminivirus-encoded protein. These protein-based interactions trigger the abrupt changes in the host methyl cycle and signaling pathways that turn over protein normal production and impair the plant antiviral defense system. Studying these geminivirus interactions localized at cytoplasm-nucleus could reveal a more clear picture of host-pathogen relation. Data collected from this antagonistic relationship among geminivirus, vector, and its host, will provide extensive knowledge on their virulence mode and diversity with climate change

Seema Bansal

and 6 more

Purpose: The current study aimed to evaluate the drug utilization pattern in pediatric outpatients suffering from Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) in a tertiary care center. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital for period of six months (December-May) on pediatric patients (age≤12years) diagnosed with URTI. Data like demographic details, diagnosis, World Health organization (WHO) prescribing indicators, different class of drugs prescribed, antibiotic treatment, and different dosage forms etc. were gathered from pediatric outpatient’s department (OPD). Results: A total of 153 prescriptions were evaluated, of these 84(54.9%) were males and rest 69(45.1%) were females. Mainly school children 89(58.17%) of age group between 6-12 years visited outpatient’s pediatric department. Fever and cough were the commonly recorded clinical symptoms in the prescription analyzed, accounting for 81% and 66.7% respectively. The average number of drugs prescribed were 2.38 per prescription; most commonly prescribed medication for the management of URTI was antipyretics 111(72.5%), antihistamines 94(61.3%) followed by antibiotics 55(35.9%). Amoxiclav {amoxicillin + clavulanic acid} (31.66%) and cefixime (30%) were the common antibacterial prescribed. Majority of medications (85%) were from WHO model list of essential medicines, and 36.43% were prescribed by their generic name. Moreover, it was observed that more than 90% of the antibiotics were prescribed without investigations for bacterial infections. The most preferred route for administration of drugs were oral (86.3%) followed by parenteral and nasal. Conclusion: Symptomatic treatment was offered in most of the prescriptions audited and antibiotics were prescribed with no definite evidence of bacterial infection. Initiation of Antimicrobial Stewardship programs and National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) guidelines in health care institutes can help prescribers to follow rational drug therapy.

Eupa Ray

and 8 more

Lung cancer is one of the most fatal malignancies, with the highest death rates (~19%), of which NSCLC type, contributes to ~85%. In the search for new treatments, antimicrobial peptides have received much attention due to their propensity for selective destruction of cancer cells. In the current study, we evaluated the efficacy of metastasis-specific tumour-homing-TMTP1peptide against lung cancer using inhalable hybrid-nano-assemblies of PEG–PLGA-copolymer as a carrier for pulmonary delivery which was assessed for aerodynamic and physicochemical properties, along with peptide-release profile, physical stability, cellular uptake & biocompatibility, generation of reactive-oxygen-species, cell migration, autophagic flux, and apoptotic cell death in A549 lung cancer cells. Optimization of inhaled dose, lung retention, and efficacy studies was conducted to evaluate the formulation in NNK (Nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone) induced tumour-bearing lung cancer, murine model. After inhalation, the formulation with nano-scale physiognomies showed good lung deposition, retention, and metabolic stability. The inhalable-nano-assemblies have shown enhanced generation of reactive-oxygen-species with increased autophagy-flux and apoptotic-cell death. Pre-clinical animal trials show substantial tumour regression by inhalable-TMTP1-based-nano-formulation with limited side effects. Our results on metastasis targeting and tumour-homing peptide TMTP1 exhibit effective tumour targeting and tumour-killing efficacy and provide a reference for the development of new therapeutics for NSCLC.

Ahmad Bagheri

and 14 more

In this study, self-doped porous activated biochar derived from Venice lagoon’s Sargassum brown macroalgae (ABS) has been successfully prepared through thermochemical carbonization (pyrolysis) followed by CO2 physical activation and used as electrodes for supercapacitor (SC) applications. The ABS exhibits a remarkable specific surface area of 821 m2 g-1 and heteroatoms (N, O, and S) doping, both key features to attain high-performance carbon-based SC electrodes. The electrochemical performances of ABS-based SCs were assessed in three different electrolytes. Two are aqueous (i.e., 1 M H2SO4 and 8 M NaNO3), while the third one is the prototypical organic, namely 1 M TEABF4 in acetonitrile. In these three electrolytes, the ABS-based electrodes exhibited specific capacitance values (Cg) of 109.5, 79.0, and 64.3 F g-1, respectively, at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. The capacitive performance resulted in SC energy densities of 3.45 Whkg-1 at 22.5 Wkg-1, 6.35 Whkg-1 at 36.1Wkg-1, and 12.4 Whkg-1 at 57.4 Wkg-1 and maximum power densities of 147, 222, and 378 kWkg-1 in the acidic, quasi-neutral aqueous electrolyte and organic electrolyte, respectively. The ABS electrodes were used to realize a flexible solid-state SC based on the sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK):functionalized niobium disulfide flakes (f-NbS2) composite membrane. The flexible solid-state SC displayed a remarkable 97% Cg retention even under various mechanical stresses, including bending up to 1000 times and folding angles up to 180º, while keeping a Coulombic efficiency above 98%. This study reveals algae-derived ABS as a promising sustainable source of active materials for

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Karma Norbu

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Introduction: Scrub typhus is a neglected life threatening acute febrile illness caused by bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi and it is a vector-borne zoonotic disease. In 2009, scrub typhus outbreak at Gedu has awakened Bhutan on the awareness and testing of the disease.Information and data of the study highlights the need for in depth surveillance, awareness among prescribers and initiate preventive measures in the country. Methods: We used retrospective descriptive study through review of laboratory registers across three health centres in Zhemgang district, south central Bhutan. The laboratories registers have been transcribed into CSV file using Microsoft excel. Variables of interest were collected from the registers and then analysed using open statistical software R, (R Core Team (2020). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.) And use of mStats package, (MyoMinnOo (2020). mStats: Epidemiological DataAnalysis. R package version 3.4.0.) Results: Of the total 922 tests prescribed for suspected scrub typhus in the three health centers in Zhemgang, only 8.2 % (n=76) were tested positive. Of these, Panbang Hospital had highest reported positive for scrub typhus with 56.6 %( n=43) followed by Yebilaptsa Hospital 35.5 %( n=27) and Zhemgang Hospital with 7.9 %( n=6). The female gender is comparably more affected as opposed to male with 57.9% (n=44) of the positive cases being female. The prevalence of scrub typhus seems to be affected by the seasonal variation as the months of Spring, Summer and Autumn together accounts for 98.7%(n=75) of total positive cases. The year 2019 noted significant scrub typhus cases accounting to 89.5 %(n=68) of the total positive cases over the two years. Conclusions:The overall tests tested positive of the scrub typhus infection within two years was 8.2%.

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