Background: India has the uppermost TB burden in the world and about one fifth of occurrence of TB cases occurs in India. Since conventional diagnostic procedures have limitations, definitive and rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis particularly extrapulmonary tuberculosis is demanding to provide better treatment outcomes and reduces the transmission of MDR-TB. Methods: 100 clinical specimens from suspected tuberculosis were received in microbiology laboratory during 1st June 2012 to 30th June 2013. Line probe assay (LPA GenoTypeMTBDRplus VER 2.0 was compared to the “Gold Standard” of combined culture and clinical diagnosis. Bact/Alert 3D MB-Bact (BioMerieux Durham, North Carolina,USA) rapid automated system and L.J. media were used for culture. Positive growths in either media were identified using standard conventional methods and subjected to susceptibility testing. Results: 43 specimens were Lowenstein Jenesen culture positive for M.tb and 47 specimens were LPA positive for M.tb complex. Two specimen were smear positive and culture negative and but positive by LPA. 19 samples were culture positive for non tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and further analyzed as possible NTM by LPA. For LPA, overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV) were 95.74%, 100, 100, and 96.36% respectively. Detection of the mutations in the rpoBgene of M. tuberculosis has been reported to be an accurate predictor of rifampicin resistance. The most frequently observed mutation was Ser-513-leu in rpoB gene. Conclusion: LPA performs uniformly well, provided results approximately within 48 hrs. in direct detection and provides susceptibility results along with mutations in nine genes which will be significant in understanding the genetic makeup of diverse M.tb strains and in boosting the development of new diagnostics and vaccines. In the early stages, detection of MDR-TB provides better treatment outcome and reduces the transmission of MDR-TB.

Background & Objective: To study the profile activities undertaken at flu screening centre as a response to epidemic influenza A in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Record-based study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of Ahmedabad. Study analyses the month wise distribution of suspected as well as confirmed case of H1N1 from swine flu Out Patient Department (OPD) and admitted patients from January 2015 to March 2015.Required data was collected from records of swine flu OPD, medical record office, and ward. Study included these data. Results: From January 2015 to March 2015, in swine flu OPD 341 cases met clinical criteria where oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected, out of which 178(52.20%) were found to be positive. 139(78.09%) cases were managed at home after attending swine flu OPD, while 39(21.9%) lab confirmed swine flu OPD cases required hospitalization. A Total of 1743 patients presenting with influenza like illness(ILI) were admitted in isolation ward. Out of which 927(52.61%) were found to be positive for H1N1. Total 189(10.9%) fatalities occurred. Conclusion: Majority of cases of H1N1 were managed at home. Early diagnosis, quick initiation of treatment, infection control measures and good care at home in outdoor patients, an effectively reduce morbidity and mortality of H1N1.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns in developing world. Most cases are identified based on the clinical manifestations presenting in early or late neonatal period. An early treatment and the appropriate use of antibiotics would minimize the risk of morbidity and mortality in neonatal sepsis. Objective: To study demographical, bacteriological, and laboratory profile of neonates presenting with clinically suspected sepsis based on predefined clinical criteria. Study Design: A prospective study involving a total of 200 neonates with clinical suspicion of NS, between November 2013 to may 2014 admitted at NICU at NDMC and Hindu Rao Hospital, North Delhi. Materials and Methods: Blood cultures were done from 200 neonates admitted in NICU suspected to have sepsis. Samples were incubated in the Bactec 9120. Isolates identified and AST performed by VITEK 2C. The results were evaluated for demographical, bacteriological, and laboratory profile. Results: Out of 200 neonates, 119(59.5%) were early onset sepsis and 81 (40.5%) neonates with late onset sepsis. Male constituted 61% (122) and females 39 % (78), ratio being 1.6:1. Septic screen was positive in 72% (144) neonates and culture positive in 23% (46) neonates. Of the organisms cultured, S.aureus 39.1% (18) was predominant pathogen in both EONS and LONS. Other isolates include Klebsiella sp., E. coli, P. aeruginosa and Gr. B Streptococcus. Isolates showed variable resistance towards various antimicrobial agents. Overall, Imipenem, vancomycin and linezolid were the most effective antimicrobial agents comparatively with statistically significant difference in sensitivity but, these should not be used indiscriminately and kept as reserved options to prevent emergence of MDR strains and treatment failure. Conclusion: Knowledge of locally prevalent microorganism and antibiogram pattern is important in the management of neonatal sepsis. GPC were the main cause of neonatal sepsis. The data must be periodically reviewed and antibiotic policy revised accordingly.

All the nasal swabs collected from the domestic animals like goat and pigs and from animal handlers were used for isolation of Staphylococcus aureus. From a total of 339 samples, 292 isolates were subjected to Gram’s staining and found purple coloured cocci in clusters. Among the 339 isolates 101 isolates were confirmed as pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus by a positive coagulase test. The biochemical tests like IMViC tests, urease test, oxidase test, nitrate reduction test and catalase tests, confirmed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. DNase test revealed the characteristic blue to purple coloured colonies with clear zones around them. On blood agar plates the isolates produced β haemolysis. Two sets of primers derived from nuc gene and mecA genes were used for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus and its methicillin resistance respectively for the PCR assay. Out of 151 goat samples 115 (76.15%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus by cultural methods and 112 (74.1%) were positive by PCR method. Out of 112 PCR positives none were found positive for MRSA by PCR. Out of 102 pig samples 96 (94.1%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus by cultural methods and 96 (94.1%) were positive by PCR method. Out of 96 PCR positives one isolate was found positive for mecA by PCR which accounts to 0.98% over the total number of samples and 1.04% over the positive samples for Staphylococcus aureus by PCR. Out of 86 human samples 81 (94.18%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus by cultural methods and 80 (98.76%) were positive by PCR method. Out of 80 PCR positives none was found positive for mecA by PCR.

Studies on the antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants have clearly become a progressive trend. With advances in laboratory techniques, renewed interest in the field and the scientific validation of the traditional use, the possibility now exists to bring traditional medicine to such a level of recognition that it becomes an accepted alternate regimen to western healthcare systems. Due to the indiscriminate use of antimicrobial drugs, the microorganisms have developed resistance to many antibiotics. It appears that the real need for the future will be agents to treat the drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Therefore there is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. One of the approaches is to screen local medicinal plants for possible antimicrobial properties. It is expected that plant extracts showing target sites other than those used by antibiotics will be active against drug-resistant microbial pathogens. However, very little information is available on such activity of medicinal plants. After a detailed literature survey of Ayurvedic texts and published research articles, for present study, 3 Indian medicinal plants belonging to the families Apocynaceae (Plumeria obtusa), Rubiaceae (Ixora alba) and Myrtaceae (Psidium guajava ) were shortlisted for the present study. These were screened for their antimicrobial properties against pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans.