Burkholderia cepacia Complex Producing a Peculiar Violet Pigment: A Case Series From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Meghalaya.

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) represents a group of bacteria that are gram-negative, aerobic, and non-fermenters. They are notorious for causing infections in vulnerable individuals, such as those with compromised immune systems. Examples are patients suffering from cystic fibrosis or chronic granulomatous disease. These bacteria are prevalent in diverse habitats, like soil and water. Over the last four decades, they have gained recognition as both emerging opportunistic pathogens and nosocomial threats. Managing BCC infections poses significant challenges due to their inherent resistance to numerous antibiotics, thus raising substantial concerns within clinical settings. Here, we present a case series of bacteremia, with BCC as the causative organism. The isolates showed a curious phenomenon of producing a violet pigment.

Epidemiology, clinical, and laboratory profile of patients with hepatitis C: A prospective, observational study from north-eastern India.

Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute to 80% of the global hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection burden. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) is not uncommon in Northeastern India, thus contributing to HCV. Its epidemiology, clinical, and laboratory profile were studied in a tertiary care centre in northeastern India.HCV patients (age >18) of either sex were prospectively assessed for demographic, virological, and genotype distributions. Most were male (M: F, 5.8:1) with a mean age of 37.1 ± 11.8 years. The most common risk factor was IVDU(77.69%), followed by concomitant alcohol use in 69.2%. Besides genotype 3 (59.2%), genotype 1 (26.1%) and genotype 6 were also common (14.6%). The demographics, liver disease severity, and biochemical parameters were similar across genotypes.

Hepatitis C virus and its genotypes in chronic liver disease patients from Meghalaya, Northeast India.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of chronic liver disease (CLD). Although Northeast India is believed to be a HCV hotspot, the proportion of HCV infection and the distribution of HCV genotypes in CLD cases from the region are not known. The objectives of the study were to determine the proportion of HCV infection in newly diagnosed CLD patients from Meghalaya, Northeast India, and further investigate the HCV genotype distribution in those patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aetiology of CLD was evaluated in 196 newly diagnosed patients, recruited consecutively over a period of 1 year in a medical college hospital from Meghalaya. Those positive for HCV infection were genotyped, and the mode of transmission of the virus was investigated. RESULTS: A considerable proportion (43 patients, 21.9%) of CLD patients were positive for HCV (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.7%-28.2%). Other leading causes of CLD were alcohol (36.32%) and hepatitis B virus infection (39.3%). Genotype 3 was the most prevalent (48.7%, 95% CI: 33.9%-63.8%), followed by genotype 6 (30.8%, 95% CI: 18.6%-46.6%) and genotype 1 (20.5%, 95% CI: 10.8%-35.5%). The frequency of genotype 6 was remarkably higher than in the other regions of India. Injecting drug use appeared to be the most common mode (28 patients) of acquiring HCV. This was true irrespective of the genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of HCV in newly diagnosed CLD cases from Meghalaya was considerable. The genotype distribution of HCV was distinct from the other regions of India.