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Background: Depression and suicidal thinking occur frequently alongside HIV/AIDS, triggering profound detrimental impacts on quality of life, treatment adherence, disease progression, and mortality. Yet the psychosocial factors contributing to these psychiatric comorbidities remain underexplored, particularly in the developing country context. This study thus examined different dimensions of perceived family support in relation to depression and suicidal ideation among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 322 adult PLWHA residing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal was conducted. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regressions for correlates of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-Ia-defined depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks. Perceived family support, measured using the 10-item Nepali Family Support and Difficulty Scale, was entered into separate models, in turn, as a composite score, for each sub-scale (emotional, instrumental, and negative support), and for each individual item. Results: Overall, 25.5% of participants registered BDI-Ia-defined depression, with significantly lower rates among those with perceived family support scores in the highest (AOR = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.55) and middle (AOR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.86) tertiles relative to those with lowest-tertile scores. Meanwhile, 14.0% reported suicidal thinking, with significantly lower rates among those in the highest perceived family support tertile relative to the lowest (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.91). Broken down by support sub-scale, only negative support (i.e. family difficulty) was significant in its correlations with both outcomes – a trend similarly reflected in the item-wise analyses. Conclusions: Our findings highlight an important role for family support in determining experiences of depression and suicidality among PLWHA. Incorporating family counseling and support services – with special focus on ameliorating negative interaction and bolstering emotional support – into HIV care and treatment services may help to improve mental health along with overall wellness and treatment outcomes for HIV-positive populations in Nepal and similar settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotavirus B (RVB) in the genus Reotavirus of the family Reoviridae is known to be a cause of acute gastroenteritis among children and adults in parts of Asia including China, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In a 15-month surveillance programme between March 2007 and May 2008, 3,080 stool specimens were collected from children and adults with acute gastroenteritis in an infectious disease hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 25 (0.8%) specimens RVB was detected, for the first time in Nepal, by the use of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by confirmation with reverse-transcription PCR and sequencing. The strains detected in this study had very similar electropherotypes, and their VP7 sequences were almost identical and phylogenetically belonged to the Indo-Bangladeshi lineage which was distinct from the Chinese lineage. Thus, this study showed the circulation of RVB strains belonging to the Indo-Bangladeshi lineage in a broader region than previously documented, suggesting that this phylogenetic divide corresponded to the geographic divide created by the Himalayan Mountains. Further studies may be warranted to identify and characterize the RVB strains in northern Vietnam which is adjacent to southern China with a long and less mountainous border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]