Microbiological and Clinical Epidemiology of Lomentospora prolificans infections.

Lomentospora prolificans (formerly Scedosporium prolificans) is an emerging fungal pathogen, affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. Treatment is difficult due to intrinsic resistance against multiple anti-fungal agents. We describe five patients with L.

Group B Streptococcus vaccine update: A crucial public health initiative for India.

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infections and infant mortality worldwide. Global epidemiological studies highlight the increasing maternal rectovaginal GBS carriage rates posing a major risk for increasing neonatal infections. An estimated one-fourth of pregnant women are colonized with GBS.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women and cord blood hepatitis B surface antigen positive newborns in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Background: Newborns infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) are at risk of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women and cord blood Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity of their newborns in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, and South Africa.

Study Design: Randomly selected paired maternal and cord blood samples (n = 101 each site) taken at delivery were tested for HBsAg and Hepatitis B extractable antigen (HBeAg) in the women using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay.

Group A Streptococcus vaccine Development: An Indian public health imperative.

Background: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a significant pathogen responsible for a wide range of diseases, including severe complications such as Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), which predominantly affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India. GAS infections impact over 800 million individuals annually, resulting in approximately 639,000 deaths due to RHD complications. Despite significant advancements, developing an effective GAS vaccine has faced several challenges, including the complexity of GAS virulence mechanisms, the diversity of emm types, and the lack of suitable preclinical models.

Sero-epidemiology of measles immunoglobulin G antibodies among newborns from South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: an observational, multicenter study.

Objectives: To investigate the transplacental acquisition of measles immunoglobulin (Ig)G in newborns at delivery in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, and South Africa.

Methods: Archived cord serum, from a multicenter study on Group B Streptococcus, were tested for measles IgG using a commercial enzyme link immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We tested 323 randomly selected samples from each of the sites.

Trichomonas vaginalis: comparison of primers for implementation as an in-house PCR in rural Vellore, South India.

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) accounts for the highest burden of curable, non-viral sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Prevalence in India ranges from 0.4 to 27.

Complete genome sequence of isolated from a patient with urinary tract infection in India.

, an environmental organism, is an emerging pathogen in patients chiefly with immune suppression. We report the draft genome of , strain UU2206353, isolated from the urinary tract of an immunocompetent individual. The assembled genome consisted of 4,669,536 bp distributed over 20 contigs with 4,283 protein-coding genes.

Lessons learned from an external quality assurance program in applying CLSI interpretive criteria for reporting piperacillin/tazobactam susceptibility.

We evaluated the performance of automated susceptibility testing for piperacillin/tazobactam (PTZ) MICs against the reference microbroth dilution method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of PTZ against a clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae was determined by reference broth micro-dilution method in 10 replicates which yielded a modal MIC of 16 mg/L (susceptible dose-dependent). Out of 434 laboratories who obtained MIC of 16 mg/L correctly, only 301 interpreted the result as susceptible dose dependent as per 2022 revised CLSI criteria.

urinary tract infection in an immunocompetent patient: a case report.

, belonging to the order , is a rare and emerging human pathogen reported to cause both superficial and invasive infections. The 13 case reports in the literature worldwide highlight blood, bone and wound infections. To our knowledge this is the first case description of causing a urinary tract infection in a 69-year-old immunocompetent patient which was isolated in two separate specimens and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight MS.

Loss of exclusivity of ceftazidime/avibactam in low- and middle-income countries: a test for antibiotic stewardship practice.

Ceftazidime/avibactam is a last-line antibiotic, to be used as a targeted therapy for certain carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections and not to be used as an empirical therapy or as a carbapenem-sparing therapy. After a span of 5 years, the antibiotic recently lost its exclusivity and become a generic drug in India. It is assumed that generic players will aggressively market the drug, making it freely available even in pharmacies catering to primary- and secondary-care hospitals.

Serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of invasive group B streptococcal disease-in South Indian population.

Invasive group B Streptococcal disease (iGBS) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates for which the development of an efficacious vaccine remains a global health imperative. The knowledge about the serotype distribution of iGBS is important component for formulation of Capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-based vaccine. However, there were absolute lack of information on serotype distribution in invasive GBS isolates from Indian subcontinent.

Clinical features, outcomes and predictors of drug resistance and complications in patients admitted with pyelonephritis.

Drug resistance and the presence of structural complications have significant implications for the treatment of acute pyelonephritis. We aimed to examine the predictors of drug resistance and complications in a retrospective cohort of patients admitted with pyelonephritis. 188 patients were included in this study.

Cryptic aspergillosis: a rare entity and a diagnostic challenge.

Introduction: Cryptic aspergillosis, caused by cryptic species of , is increasingly reported in humans and causes significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. The main aim of this study was to describe the occurrence of this entity at a large tertiary care centre and analyse the challenges in identifying them in a routine diagnostic laboratory.

Methods: This was a retrospective case review of all patients diagnosed with cryptic species from April 2019 to February 2020.

rare cause of septicemia in children.

Unlabelled: is an emerging fungal pathogen in blood The main aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, methods of speciation and antifungal susceptibility of at a tertiary care centre.

Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out at a tertiary care centre in South India. Over a period of 1 year, three were isolated from blood culture identified by MALDI-TOF MS Version 3.

Oral Antibiotics in Clinical Development for Community-Acquired Urinary Tract Infections.

The treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) has been complicated by the emergence of multidrug-resistant, β-lactamase-expressing pathogens. As a result of the limited treatment options, patients often require hospitalization and intravenous therapy. In essence, a strong unmet need for oral antibiotics, active against extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) uropathogens has emerged.

A retrospective study on the microbial spectrum and antibiogram of uropathogens in children in a secondary care hospital in Rural Vellore, South India.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common among children. Empiric antibiotics have to be started as early as possible or it may lead to an irreversible renal parenchymal damage and renal scarring in children. The objectives were to determine the prevalence and microbial profile of paediatric UTI and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern.

Efficacy of 1 versus 3 days of intravenous amikacin as a prophylaxis for patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate: A prospective randomized trial.

Introduction: There are no uniform guidelines on the duration of antibiotic prophylaxis for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 1 day versus 3 days of intravenous amikacin as prophylaxis, before TURP.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective randomized control trial, patients with sterile preoperative urine culture were randomized to receive either 1 day (Group A) or 3 days (Group B) of intravenous (IV) amikacin.

Clinical utility of antifungal susceptibility testing in patients with fungal rhinosinusitis.

Purpose: To determine the association between antifungal susceptibility test (AFST) results and in vivo therapeutic response in Indian patients with fungal rhinosinusitis.

Methods: The clinicoradiological, fungal culture, AFST, histopathology results and outcomes of 48 patients with fungal rhinosinusitis seen between 20132015 were analysed. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was performed for amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole and posaconazole.

Orally Administered Amoxicillin/Clavulanate: Current Role in Outpatient Therapy.

Oral amoxicillin/clavulanate is a community workhorse antibiotic, routinely prescribed for respiratory tract infections, skin infections as well as urinary tract infections (UTIs). Multiple adult and paediatric dose formulations of amoxicillin/clavulanate are available in different parts of the world. In adult formulations, clavulanic acid dose is restricted to 125 mg because of tolerability issues.

Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin - A Sensitive Marker for Urinary Tract Infection in Children.

Early antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infection (UTI) in young children can prevent renal scarring. Sensitivity of pyuria and positive urine nitrite test as indicators of UTI are low, whereas results of urine culture, the gold standard for diagnosing UTI, may not be available for 48--72 h. Novel markers for rapid and accurate diagnosis of UTI would help in the early initiation of treatment in children with suspected UTI.

Susceptibility profile, resistance mechanisms & efficacy ratios of fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin & colistin for carbapenem-resistant causing urinary tract infections.

Background & Objectives: The escalation in carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae has resulted in a lack of effective therapeutic alternatives. Older antimicrobials, fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin for urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) may be effective treatment options. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the utility of fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin in treating UTI caused by CRE and molecular characterization of the plasmid-mediated carbapenem resistance mechanisms.

Will an innovative connected AideSmart! app-based multiplex, point-of-care screening strategy for HIV and related coinfections affect timely quality antenatal screening of rural Indian women? Results from a cross-sectional study in India.

Objectives: In rural pregnant Indian women, multiple missed antenatal screening opportunities due to inadequate public health facility-based screening result in undiagnosed HIV and sexually transmitted bloodborne infections (STBBIs) and conditions (anaemia). Untreated infections complicate pregnancy management, precipitate adverse outcomes and risk mother-to-child transmission. Additionally, a shortage of trained doctors, rural women's preference for home delivery and health illiteracy affect health service delivery.