Prevalence and Outcome of Infections Caused by Staphylococcus aureus Strains Harboring the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Gene.

Background: , especially Methicillin-resistant (MRSA), is responsible for various hospital-acquired (HA) and community-acquired (CA) infections. Mec A gene responsible for methicillin resistance is encoded in Staphylococcal cassette chromosome gene (SCC). CA-MRSA strains often carry SCC mec IV / SCC mec V and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes.

Emergence of two distinct variants of SARS-CoV-2 and an explosive second wave of COVID-19: the experience of a tertiary care hospital in Pune, India.

The emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 in several countries has been associated with increased transmissibility or reduced neutralization potential of antibodies against the Wuhan virus (wild type). From August 2021 onwards, India experienced a progressive decline in the number of active SARS-CoV-2 infections, indicative of a downward trend in the explosive second wave. This prospective study was conducted quarterly for one year (May 2020 to June 2021) at a tertiary care hospital in the city of Pune in western India.

Comparative assessment of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay & rapid diagnostic tests used for dengue diagnosis in India.

Background & Objectives: Dengue diagnosis is routinely carried out by detection of dengue virus (DENV) antigen NS1 and/or anti-DENV IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). This study was aimed at evaluation of quality of diagnostic assays currently in use in India for the identification of DENV infection.

Methods: During 2016 dengue season (July-November) in Pune, India, comparative assessment of a few immunoassays was undertaken using (i) WHO-approved Panbio-Dengue-Early-(NS1)-ELISA and Panbio-Dengue-IgM-Capture-ELISA as reference tests, and (ii) Bayesian latent class analysis (BLCA) which assumes that no test is perfect.

Primary multiple intraventricular hydatid cysts in a child.

Cystic hydatidosis caused by is a rare disease which mainly involves the liver and lungs. In 1%-2% cases, it may affect the brain. Primary multiple hydatid cysts of the brain are very rare.

Co-circulation of all the four dengue virus serotypes and detection of a novel clade of DENV-4 (genotype I) virus in Pune, India during 2016 season.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral infection in tropical and sub-tropical countries. In recent years, India has reported increased incidences of concurrent infection with multiple serotypes of dengue viruses (DENV). In the present study, we have characterized DENV circulating during a single season of 2016 in Pune, India.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged younger than 5 years in India: a surveillance study.

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children younger than 5 years of age in India. We aimed to provide nationally representative data for the pattern of disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, trends in the serotype of invasive pneumococci, and invasive pneumococci antimicrobial resistance patterns, in India.

Methods: In this prospective hospital-based and retrospective laboratory-based surveillance study, we prospectively enrolled children aged younger than 5 years with suspected or proven invasive pneumococcal disease from 18 hospitals or institutional centres and retrospectively included laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal isolates from ten sentinel laboratories, together representing 11 states in India.