This study was carried out to determine and compare the microbiological quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) from market (unwashed) and those ready to eat in Maroua. The results revealed that 92.3% of lettuce vendors in Maroua, used Chlorine and 7.7% used potassium permanganate as cleaning method. The microbial concentration of lettuce varied from one vendor to another. Total flora ranged from 2.3 to 4.9 Log CFU/g for unwashed samples and from 2 to 4.51 Log CFU/g for washed samples; fungi counts were comprised between 0.76 to 2.65 Log CFU/g for unwashed samples and 0.26 to 2.17 Log CFU/g for washed samples; total coliforms ranged from 2.84 to 3.60 Log CFU/g for unwashed, and 0.26 to 3.00 Log CFU/g for washed lettuce; fecal coliforms ranged from 1.29 to 3.60 Log CFU/g for unwashed samples and 1.70 to 3Log CFU/g for washed samples. These results show also that Vibrio spp. was found amongst the 69% of unwashed samples, but was absent in all the washed samples. Salmonella spp. was present in 85% samples of unwashed lettuce, but absent in washed samples. The results revealed also that; there was a significant difference between the bacterial concentration of unwashed and washed lettuce samples (P<0.05). Most of the analysed samples (92%) composed of washed and unwashed samples were not satisfactory for consumption.

Drug Resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB) is a worldwide problem and to speed up diagnosis, to standardised testing procedures, scaling up management and surveillance of DR-TB in high throughput laboratories, genotypic or molecular methods have considerable advantages. Optimum utilization of rapid phenotypic method and liquid culture system MIGIT 960 (mycobacterial growth indicator tube) for culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST) of second line drugs for tuberculosis(TB), could help provide fast, reliable and accurate results for patient care, since our laboratory have all these facilities simultaneously. Passive case finding along can lead to missed cases or delayed diagnosis. Enhanced outstretched activities to detect more TB cases are critical to universal assess. We analysed percentage of MDR, pre-XDR and XDR cases of tuberculosis for presumptive tuberculosis, presumptive MDR and presumptive XDR patients, according to recent changes in RNTCP guidelines for case finding and diagnostic strategy to optimise treatment regime. To conclude, drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) poses a significant threat to human health. MTBDR assay, which fits easily in the workflow of a routine laboratory, with effective planning and logistics, simultaneous use of combination of molecular based technologies and rapid phenotypic method can be successfully introduced into a reference laboratory setting with high throughput laboratories and high incidence country. Consequently, use of both molecular and phenotypic methods, will not only reduce the heavy work load of reference laboratories but also improves the quality of work done by the staff and thereby assuring the quality of reports released.

The aim of this study is to investigate the plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants (Qnr-like, QepA genes) and the relationship between PMQR and ESBL in ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from ICU patients in Saudi Arabia. A total of 34 ESBL producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from different ICUs in a tertiary care hospital and identified by double disk synergy test and phenotypic confirmatory disk diffusion test. blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM genes were investigated for their presence in the phenotypic positive ESBL producing Gram negative isolates. In addition, fluoroquinolone phenotypically identified resistant strains were tested for the presence of PMQR genes; QnrA, QnrB, QnrS, QepA using PCR assay. The relationship between ESBL production and fluoroquinolone resistance was then studied. MIC determination revealed that 100%and 88.2 % of the strains were resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, respectively. BlaCTX gene was seen in 50% of the isolates while blaSHV gene was detected in only one isolate of each. No blaTEM gene was found among the K. pneumoniae isolates while15.3% ESBL producing E. coli harbored the blaTEM gene. Qnr genes were detected in 4 strains and all of them carried QnrB-like gene (3 E. coli, 1 K. pneumoniae), while no QnrA neither QnrS could be detected. All Qnr strains showed ESBL phenotype. Moreover, the 34 isolates showed the presence of QepA gene in 6 E. coli and 1 K. pneumoniae. Only one K. pneumoniae isolate shared both the Qnr and the QepA gene. The association between one or more of the ESBL harboring genes and Qnr determinants was found in 7 isolates (6 E. coli and 1 K. pneumoniae). Although the Qnr genes carriage rate was found low among those strains, there was a clear correlation between PMQR genes and β-lactamase genes, as well as a high resistance rate against ciprofloxacin.

Background: Acinetobacter spp. is non-fermenting Gram negative coccobacilli, associated with nosocomial infections and show widespread resistance to various antibiotics. Aim: To characterize Acinetobacter Species from clinical samples and to study their antibiotic resistance pattern and Extended Spectrum Beta- Lactamase (ESBL) Production in a tertiary care hospital of north Kerala. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study carried out on clinical samples -blood, urine, respiratory secretion and exudates- from January 2016 to December 2016 according to standard protocol. Data Analysis was done by using WHO NET ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE SURVEILLANCE SOFTWARE; data was analyzed using EPI INFO 2013 software. Result: Out of 10803 samples taken up for study, culture is positive in 3218 and Acinetobacter species is isolated in 192, giving an overall isolation rate of 6.0 %. The most vulnerable age group is between 61 to 70 years and those above the age of 50 constituted 67.7 %. Out of 192 Acinetobacter isolates, A. baumanii is predominant species having recovered from 175(91.1%). The most active antibacterial agents are carbapenems. Conclusion: As Acinetobacter spp. is associated with nosocomial infections with widespread resistance to antibiotics, characterization and determination of antibiotic resistance pattern is mandatory for proper management of infections caused by them

The present experiment was conducted at College of Agricultural Engineering, Kandi, Sangareddy. Effect of ultraviolet (UV-C) and thermal treatments on physiochemical properties (viz. pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity, total color difference, ascorbic acid content) of mosambi juice were studied during this research work. The process conditions for ultraviolet treatment were sample thickness (1, 2, 3 mm), treatment time (15, 30, 45 min) and distance of sample from lamp source (10, 20, 30 cm). Whereas, for thermal treatment the process parameters were temperatures (60, 70, 80 °C) and treatment time (5, 10, 15 min). The result obtained from this study showed that the ultraviolet treatment (UV) doesn’t have any significant effect on pH, TSS, titrable acidity of mosambi juice. However, the UV treatment conditions had significant effect on total color difference (ΔE*), ascorbic acid of mosambi juice. Further, the thermal treatment showed significant effect on pH, TSS, titrable acidity, total color difference and ascorbic acid content of mosambi juice. The maximum change in pH, TSS, titrable acidity, total color difference and loss of ascorbic acid content of mosambi juice after UV-C treatment are 0.15, 0.2, 0.018% citric acid, 0.98 and 2.7% respectively. Similarly, The maximum change in pH, TSS, titrable acidity, total color difference and loss of ascorbic acid content of mosambi juice after thermal treatment are 0.47, 0.35, 0.42 % citric acid, 5.1 and 12.1% respectively. The above results suggested that ultraviolet treatment was found superior based on changes in physical properties of mosambi juice.