Background: Fungemia due to Candida species is reported commonly and is an increasing problem especially in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). A significant increase in the number of cases of candidemia was observed from November 2015 to January 2016 in NICU of our tertiary care hospital in North Delhi. The species of Candida isolated from these cases were diverse and included C. tropicalis, C. krusei and C. parapsilosis. Methods: To investigate this increase in the cases of Non albicans Candida bloodstream infections, a microbiological study, a case control study and revision of infection control practices was performed. There were total of 8 cases of Candidemia at the time of investigation. The samples for surveillance culture were obtained from various environmental surfaces, from hands of health care workers (HCWs) and from skin and cannulas of the cases. Results: Some factors like Preterm deliveries, low birth weight (LBW), parenteral nutrition, presence of central venous catheters and premature rupture of membrane at the time of delivery, were more commonly seen in cases when compared to controls. The surveillance samples on microbiological culture did not yield any Candida isolate. Some lapses in Infection control practices were observed and with the strict enforcement of infection control measures, the progress of this increase in the number of cases of Cndidemia could be halted. Conclusion: it was therefore concluded that Candidemia was associated with previously described risk factors and that it is the interplay of host, environment and pathogen which contributed to increase in the number of cases of Candidemia in our hospital.

A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in India. Blood safety thus becomes a top priority, especially with a population of around 1.23 billion and a high prevalence rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in general population. Transfusion-transmitted viral infections (TTIs) continue to be a major threat to safe transfusion practices. Screening of all blood samples by highly sensitive and specific techniques will enhance the safety of blood transfusion by reducing the diagnostic window period as much as possible. Aims: The aim of this study is to show the value of NAT in blood screening. Settings and Design: Dhanavantari Blood Bank, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: Over a period of 2 years from January 2013 to December 2014, a total number of 26,148 blood donor samples were subjected to tests for HIV, HBV, and HCV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and 25,658 ELISA nonreactive samples were subjected for NAT using multiplex polymerase chain reaction technology. Results: Of the 26,148 donors tested, 490 were seroreactive. In 25,658 remaining ELISA negative blood samples subjected to NAT, 14 donor samples were reactive for HBV. The NAT yield was 1 in 1867. Conclusion: Based on Seroprevalence of TTI and NAT, we conclude that dual screening of all blood and blood components before transfusion by highly sensitive ELISA and NAT helps in detecting all potentially infectious blood units in all phases of infection that will increase safety in blood tranfusions and making near zero risk of post transfusion infections.