Sudheendra Kulkarni

Abstract

Introduction: Vibrio cholerae is a common causative agent of acute diarrheal disease across the world. Significant variations in epidemiological pattern and in vitro susceptibility of isolates are commonly observed. Emerging and progressive antibiotic resistance is frequently reported. Objective of the Study: The aim and objective of conducting the current study was; To find out the epidemiological profile of cholera cases isolated from Bidar and surrounding area. To find out the antibiotic resistance pattern of these isolated enteropathogens. Materials and Methods: The current study was carried out at tertiary care medical centre in Bidar, Karnataka for the period of 4 years from 2012-2015. A total of 310 fecal specimens were collected from clinically symptomatic (diarrheic/dysentric) individuals. The collected fecal samples were processed for commonly isolated enteropathogens by standard bactreriological methods. The colonies suspective of V. cholera were identified by standard biochemical reactions and serological confirmation was done by using specific antisera. Kirby-bauer’s disc diffusion method in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines was employed to find out the antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Results: Out of 310 fecal samples, Vibrio cholerae biotype was isolated from 95 samples (30.64%). Among 95 isolated Vibrio cholerae strains 70 (73.68%) were belonged to serotype Ogawa, 15 to Inaba (15.78%) and 10 to Hikozima (10.52%). The isolated strains proved multi drug resistant to ampicillin and nalidixic acid and uniformly sensitive to tetracycline, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Conclusion: Our study revealed that, cholera cases in North Karnataka are found to be prevalent among age group of 15-25 and in females. The current study showed the importance of control and monitoring of V. cholerae by serogroup and antibiogram typing for policy makers and health professionals of this region as incidence of cholera increased year wise. Keywords: Antibiotic susceptibility, Cholera, ElTor, Epidemic, Prevalence, Vibrio cholerae.

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Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a chronic lifelong infection. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects more than 400 million people worldwide and is common cause of liver disease and liver cancer. In India, it is estimated that there are 40 million people chronically infected with HBV infection. The current study was conducted to estimate the burden of HBV infection in Bidar district of North Karnataka. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bidar. A Total 12,142 samples were tested by one step Immunochromatographic method for rapid detection of HBsAg to diagnose the infection. Results: Among 12,142 samples tested, 284 samples were positive for HBsAg with prevalence rate of 2.34%. Age, gender and month wise distribution of infection was studied. Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalence and burden of HBV infection in Bidar district of North Karnataka. Which provide reference to future studies on the epidemiology of HBV infection in this region. Keywords: Immunochromatography, Infection, Hepatitis B, Prevalence.

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Introduction: Fever could have many causes including infective and non infective origin. PUO is a clinical syndrome that may result from much common etiology which was characterized by prolonged fever without the signs or symptoms indicative of a well defined disease process Objective of the study: To find the infectious causes of fever of unknown origin for 2–7 days duration were tested for Leptospirosis, Malaria, Rickettsial disease, Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus, UTI and blood borne infections and to find out antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the organisms isolated. Materials and Methods: This prospective study conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences (BRIMS) Bidar of North Karnataka. Patients with fever of unknown origin for 2–7 days duration were tested for Leptospirosis, Malaria, Rickettsial disease, Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus and urine & blood culture tests. Statistical software package SPSS version 22 was used to analyse the data. Chi-square test was applied wherever necessary and P-value of < 0> Results : Among the 200 enrolled patients, 57 Dengue fever, 44 Enteric fever, 34 Chikungunya, 23 UTI, 21 Blood borne pathogens, 17 Leptospirosis, 14 Scrub-Typhus and 3 Malaria cases were confirmed. Mixed infection was seen in 26 cases. In our investigation, the current study revealed that the burden of Dengue, Enteric fever, Chikungunya, Leptospirosis, Scrub-Typhus & UTI disease is more in the current population. Conclusion: Laboratory based syndromic information of PUO can make clinicians cautious with respect to the potential pathogens in neighborhood. However, some of the cases always elude diagnosis, although the patients may respond to empirical therapy. Keywords: Fever, PUO, Syndrome, Leptospirosis.

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Introduction: Urinary tract infection (UTI) due to Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a common health problem among women. Pregnant women are at increased risk from both symptomatic and asymptomatic UTI because of the physiologic changes associated with pregnancy which may cause complications such as pyelonephritis, chronic renal failure, premature delivery and foetal mortality. Our study aimed to check the prevalence of asymptomatic UTI due to E. coli and its antibiotic profile among pregnant women of Bidar district of North Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: An independent study was done from January to February 2015 to investigate asymptomatic UTI among pregnant women attending Antenatal care clinic (ANC) of Bidar Institute of Medical sciences (BRIMS) Teaching hospital Bidar. 150 mid-stream urine samples were processed for culture and antimicrobial drug susceptibility testing at Department of Microbiology, BRIMS, Bidar as per the routine microbiological techniques. Diagnosis of UTI was made when there were at least 105 colony forming unit (CFU)/ml of urine. Isolates other than E. coli are not considered for this study. Results: Among 150 samples tested, 65 samples grown E. coli with colony count of 105 CFU/ml of urine. (43.33%).The Majority of pregnant women were in their 2nd and 3rd trimester and the mean age of study population was 23.46. The rate of UTI was highest among age group of 20-25 years. E. coli isolates showed highest resistance to antibiotics Ampicillin (96.92%), Cefuroxime (55.38%) and ceftriaxone (53.85%). It was uniformly sensitive to routinely used drugs for treatment of UTI. Discussion: Many Gram negative and Gram positive organisms including Yeast cause UTI in pregnant women. Our study revealed the high prevalence of asymptomatic UTI among pregnant women due to E. coli in Bidar (43.33%) as compared to studies conducted in other parts Karnataka. This study also showed the antibiotic profile of E. coli to different drugs tested and showed highest resistance to Ampicillin. Conclusion: Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in pregnant women due to E. coli is relatively higher in Bidar district and it showed resistance against commonly used antimicrobial agents. Hence it is strongly recommended to undertake routine urine culture in pregnancy and provide appropriate treatment to reduce its complications. Keywords: Asymptomatic bacteriuria, ANC, Escherichia coli, Prevalence, UTI.

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