Molecular characterization of Orientia tsutsugamushi serotypes causing scrub typhus outbreak in southern region of Andhra Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Scrub typhus is a vector-borne zoonotic infection caused by Orientiatsutsugamushi. Local epidemiology of the circulating serotypes of scrub typhus is not available from most parts of India. We conducted this study for the diagnosis of scrub typhus using IgM ELISA and to detect O. tsutsugamushi serotypes circulating in southern Andhra Pradesh, India. METHODS: Samples were collected from patients clinically suspected to have scrub typhus and were subjected to IgM ELISA to measure IgM antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed targeting strain-specific regions in ELISA-positive samples. RESULTS: Of a total of 663 samples, 258 (38.91%) were found to be positive by IgM ELISA. Serotypes could be detected in 230 (34.69%) samples only. Only two serotypes, Karp and Kawasaki, were found in the serum samples, with the former being predominant. The dual infection of Karp and Kawasaki serotypes was found in seven patients. Other serotypes such as Gilliam, Kuroki and Kato were not detected in the samples. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The nested PCR products proved useful in presumptively identifying the endemic O. tsutsugamushi serotypes. The present study could be significant in understanding scrub typhus epidemiology in this region.

Effective role of indigenous microorganisms for sustainable environment.

Environmental protection has the foremost importance in the present day life of mankind. Scientists have been researching for technologies naturally available for enhancement of agriculture, management of agricultural waste, etc. Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO's)-based technology is one such great technology which is applied in the eastern part of world for the extraction of minerals, enhancement of agriculture and waste management. Indigenous microorganisms are a group of innate microbial consortium that inhabits the soil and the surfaces of all living things inside and outside which have the potentiality in biodegradation, bioleaching, biocomposting, nitrogen fixation, improving soil fertility and as well in the production of plant growth hormones. Without these microbes, the life will be wretched and melancholic on this lively planet for the survival of human race. That is why, environmental restoration and safeguarding target via the indigenous microbes in a native manner to turn out the good-for-nothing and useless waste into productive bioresources is the primary concern of this review. Based on the collection sites, the process of collection and isolation methods are different as they may vary from place to place. Ultimately, in this way to a meaningful and significant extent, we can bridge the gap between the horrifying environmental distress and the hostile activities that have been constantly provoked by human kind-by getting these indigenous microorganisms into action.

Simple and rapid biosynthesis of stable silver nanoparticles using dried leaves of Catharanthus roseus. Linn. G. Donn and its anti microbial activity.

Nanoparticles have been used to alter and improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various types of drug molecules. The plant extracts are eco-friendly, economical and cost effective for synthesis of large scale of nanoparticles. In this paper we represent the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from room dried leaves of Vinca rosea. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. The AgNPs are crystalline in nature, were determined from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), and also the size of the NPs was calculated by using Hariba Nanoparticle analyzer and the stability was calculated by using the Zetapotential. The nanoparticles obtained from leaf extracts were of size 27±2 and 30±2 respectively and Zetapotential of AgNPs was found to be -63.1 mV, so it indicates the dispersion and stability. The synthesized AgNPs have very good antimicrobial activity.