RESUMEN
Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonotic disease and a major human health problem worldwide. Due to its ways of transmission, direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their contaminated biological products, the disease exhibits strong occupational association with animal handlers comprising a significant population at risk. This study was undertaken to estimate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in animal handlers and to understand the epidemiological and serological aspects of the same. The animal handlers from the state of West Bengal, India were included in this study. It was a prospective and observational cohort study from November 2021 to March 2022. A total of 669 sera samples were collected from animal handlers and tested using various serological tests for Brucella antibodies. All serum samples were tested using the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), standard tube agglutination test (STAT), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 106 (15.8%) patients were diagnosed with brucellosis among the total number of patients tested. Most of the patients affected with brucellosis belonged to the age group 51-60 years (23.5%). The seropositivity rate in male animal handlers was higher than female animal handlers in this study. More studies are needed to understand the occupational association of this disease. Awareness programs, safe livestock practices, and prevention of the disease by timely diagnosis must be implemented in order to control human brucellosis.
RESUMEN
Enteric fever, a potentially fatal multisystem disease that is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Paratyphi, poses a significant risk in low- and middle-income countries. A retrospective study to understand the prevalence and evolving patterns of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi was undertaken from June 2017 to June 2022. A total of 4051 blood samples were collected from patients attending inpatient and outpatient departments of the School of Tropical Medicine (Kolkata, India) hospital. Blood samples were cultured, and culture positive samples were further processed for identification using conventional and automated systems. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using both the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and VITEK2 (bioMerieux). Forty-five (1.1%) Salmonella species were isolated among the number of total (n = 4051) samples that were tested. Out of the 45 Salmonella isolates, 35 were Salmonella Typhi (77.77%) and 10 were Salmonella Paratyphi A (22.23%). We found pronounced fluoroquinolone resistance of 100% in the recent years (2019-2022) in both of the S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A isolates. We found that 1 Salmonella Typhi and 2 Salmonella Paratyphi A isolates were resistant against multiple antibiotics (cefixime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid), and 1 multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella Paratyphi A isolate was found in a recent study year (2020) and it showed resistance against different classes of antibiotics (cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and carbapenems). There was no resistance that was detected to the 3rd generation cephalosporins in the final years of the study. The emergence of Salmonella isolates that are resistant to multiple antibiotics poses a serious health problem. The antimicrobial resistance patterns that were detected in the study thus warrant further studies to understand the antibiotic susceptibility and resistance pattern of Salmonella against the major classes of antibiotics.
RESUMEN
CONTEXT: Both malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are mosquito-borne diseases caused by protozoal and nematode parasites, respectively, and are serious public health problem in India. Although the vectors of the diseases are different, they can coexist in favorable conditions. Fever is the common symptom for both the diseases, but the emphasis is given for diagnosis and treatment of malaria due to its life-threatening severity, LF remained neglected. Detection and management of microfilaria are equally important. During the diagnosis of malaria, a few microfilaria were detected, which prompted us to undertake this study with following objectives. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of microfilaremia among the febrile patients attending for malaria diagnosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thick and thin peripheral blood smears from all patients attended were examined following Giemsa staining. Different malarial indexes were analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 8681 patients examined, 1778 were positive for Plasmodium vivax and 328 for Plasmodium falciparum with a slide positivity rate 20.48%. Twenty-six patients were positive for microfilaria of Wuchereria bancroftii among which five were coinfected with P. vivax and one with P. falciparum. Most of the microfilaria-positive patients were adult and originally from northern districts of Bihar. CONCLUSIONS: High incidence of microfilaria among febrile patients attending for malaria is alarming for urban Kolkata. Although the patients were originally from Bihar, they are staying in Kolkata for a long time, might be a source for transmission. Epidemiological study by collecting night blood samples and entomological survey is highly suggestive to explore local transmission if any.
RESUMEN
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has classified all the emerging infectious diseases agents under three categories. Among Category A priority pathogens comes Bacillus anthracis -the causative agent of Anthrax. It is a gram positive spore bearing bacteria, and the disease is typically associated with grazing animals, and affects the people as a zoonosis. The disease can be classically transmitted by three routes namely: cutaneous, gastrointestinal and pulmonary, with a fourth route recently identified as "injection anthrax", seen in intravenous drug abusers. Cutaneous anthrax is the commonest form in humans, accounting for 95% of all the cases. There are two main virulence factors of this bacteria, a capsule and an exotoxin, each carried by a separate toxin. Two models have been used for explaining the pathogenesis of this infection. The earlier one or "Trojan horse" model is now replaced with "jail-break" model. Centers for disease control (CDC) has issued updated guidelines for diagnosis, post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment. For immunization, anthrax vaccine absorbed is available.
RESUMEN
CONTEXT: Acinetobacter baumannii, a non-fermenter, is fast coming up the list of pathogens causing nosocomial infections. Earlier considered to be a harmless colonizer, or at the most, a pathogen causing mostly respiratory tract infections, it has slowly but successfully emerged as a ubiquitous pathogen causing both community as well as health care associated infections. It has acquired multidrug resistance, and seems to be no more selective in mainly attacking any one or two body systems. According to recent reports, a shy selective bacterium has turned into a dangerous pathogen, capable of causing infections anywhere in the body, thereby adding extra furrows on the forehead of medical community worldwide. AIMS: To determine the range of infections caused by A. baumannii, and the frequencies thereof, in our tertiary care hospital; and to study their resistance patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 88 isolates of A. baumannii were found from a variety of clinical samples, from hospitalized patients as well as patients attending the outpatient departments. The isolates were subjected to disc-diffusion method for antibiotic sensitivity testing. RESULTS: Acinetobacter was mostly recovered from samples of pus, followed by endotracheal tube, urine, sputum samples, etc., Imipenem showed highest sensitivity, while other drugs with good sensitivity patterns were aminoglycosides and piperacillin-tazobactum. CONCLUSIONS: In this tertiary care institution of ours, A. baumannii isolates have shown a high frequency of drug resistance, with imipenem being the best sensitive drug. This non-fermenter is the cause of a variety of infections, irrespective of whether the individuals are hospitalized or are outdoor patients.
