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Abstract:In present study an assessment of manual load carrying and health status of women farm workers of Thana Kalan village, Kharkhoda tehsil in Sonipat district of Haryana was conducted. A total of forty women farm workers between 25-40 years age were selected with at least five year load carrying experience, involved in farm work, with no history of chronic disease and willingness to participate in the study. The women farm workers carried water, fodder, cow dung on daily basis and seed, fertilizer and other farm inputs and farm produce on seasonal basis. It was observed that preferable mode of load carrying was head. The quantum of load varied between 20-40 kg. Assessment of health status revealed that musculoskeletal disorder was prevalent in all the age groups. Musculoskeletal disorder namely lower back pain was observed in 87.5 per cent women workers, neck pain in 72.5 per cent women workers followed by knee (32.5%) and foot pain (25 %). The pain severity was mild in most of the women farm workers and nobody was bed ridden for back pain due to load carrying. The younger age women (25-30 years) preferred traditional way of oil massage and rest for relief from back pain and neck pain after load carrying, while older women (31-40 years) had to take rest for back pain relief. The issue of occupational health disorder associated with manual load carrying by women farm worker has to receive attention to reduce the potential health risk.

Background: With the reports of indigenous cases of dengue and chikungunya in the forest-covered rural tribal malaria-endemic villages of Dhalai District, Tripura, India, an exploratory study was undertaken to identify the vector breeding sites. Methods: From June 2021 to August 2022, mosquito larvae were collected from both natural and artificial sources in the villages, house premises, and their nearby forested areas outside of the houses. Other than morphological characterisation, Aedes species were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction targeting both nuclear (ITS2) and mitochondrial genes (COI) followed by bidirectional Sanger sequencing. Results: Aedes albopictus was abundantly found in this area in both natural and artificial containers, whereas Ae. aegypti was absent. Among the breeding sources of molecularly confirmed Ae. albopictus species, rubber collection bowls were found to be a breeding source reported for the first time. Plastic and indigenously made bamboo–polythene containers for storing supply water and harvesting rainwater in the villages with a shortage of water were found to be other major breeding sources, which calls for specific vector control strategies. Natural sources like ponds and rainwater collected on Tectona grandis leaves and Colocasia axil were also found to harbour the breeding, along with other commonly found sources like bamboo stumps and tree holes. No artificial containers as a breeding source were found inside the houses. Mixed breeding was observed in many containers with other Aedes and other mosquito species, necessitating molecular identification. We report six haplotypes in this study, among which two are reported for the first time. However, Aedes aegypti was not found in the area. Additionally, rubber collection bowls, ponds, and water containers also showed the presence of Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex vishnui, known JE vectors from this area, and reported JE cases as well. Different Anopheles vector spp. from this known malaria-endemic area were also found, corroborating this area as a hotbed of several vectors and vector-borne diseases. Conclusions: This study, for the first time, reports the breeding sources of Aedes albopictus in the forested areas of Tripura, with rubber collection bowls and large water storage containers as major sources. Also, for the first time, this study reports the molecular characterisation of the Ae. albopictus species of Tripura, elucidating the limitations of morphological identification and highlighting the importance of molecular studies for designing appropriate vector control strategies. The study also reports the co-breeding of JE and malaria vectors for the first time in the area reporting these vector-borne diseases.

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