Rapid and accurate diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children is still a unique challenge because of difficulties in obtaining sputum samples and the paucibacillary nature of the disease. Objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of GeneXpert on Gastric lavage samples in children. This prospective study was conducted over a period of one and half year i.e. from January 2016 to June 2017 in TB C & DST Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Aurangabad. During this period, 486 Gastric lavage samples of suspected Pediatric TB were referred to our laboratory. We processed by three methods which are microscopy, GeneXpert and Culture. Of the 486 GL samples, 5 (1.02%) were smear positive; 23 (4.73%) were GeneXpert positive and 7 (1.44%) were culture positive. In GeneXpert, one sample (4.34%) showed resistance to Rifampicin. In our study sensitivity of conventional methods in GL samples of children with pulmonary MTB was low as compared to GeneXpert. GeneXpert with advantages of quick turnaround time, simultaneously detecting rifampicin resistant TB provides a promising solution to the TB diagnostic challenges in children.

Herbicides are commonly used in kalaburagi to control weeds in chickpea. In addition to their impact on weeds, these herbicides are also affecting soil microorganisms which are responsible for numerous biological processes essential for crop production. In the present study, we assessed the impact of five commonly used herbicides three are pre emergence and two are post emergence [Pendimethalin (PRE), Chlormuron ethyl (PRE), Oxyfluorfen (PRE), Quizalofop ethyl (POE) and Phenaxoprop ethyl (POE)] on soil microbial populations in chickpea cultivation experimental plots. Our study showed that the herbicide treatments sinhibited the development of microbial populations in the soil, and the degree of inhibition closely related to the mode application as pre emergence or post emergence and varied with the types of herbicide. Weed free check recorded the highest number of microorganisms at all the different growth stages and differed in herbicides treated plots. Among the pre emergence pendimethalin recorded highest and in post emergence herbicides phenaxoprop ethyl resulted more in different stages of chickpea sampling. The study suggests that the herbicide application to soil of chickpea cultivation cause transient impacts on microbial population growth, when applied at recommended field application rate.