Epidemiology of viral gastroenteritis in children and genetic diversity of rotavirus strains in Kolkata, West Bengal after introduction of rotavirus vaccine.

Background: Despite global rotavirus vaccination efforts, rotavirus remains a leading cause of childhood deaths from acute gastroenteritis. Post-vaccination studies in India, particularly in eastern India, have been limited, despite high prevalence of rotavirus in this region prior to vaccine introduction. This study was conducted to assess the impact of rotavirus vaccine on the epidemiology of rotavirus and other enteric viruses, as well as the changes in the diversity of rotavirus strains among children (≤5 years) with acute gastroenteritis.

Antimicrobial stewardship implementation in primary and secondary tier hospitals in India: interim findings from a need assessment study using mixed method design.

Anti-microbial stewardship program (AMSP) is practiced only in tertiary hospitals in India, though, the lower tier hospitals remain the first point of contact in patient care. This study was conducted in lower tier hospitals to calculate antibiotic and multiple antibiotic prescription rate (APR, MPR) for common infections and finding existing strength of health system for optimizing antibiotic prescription. We conducted a cross sectional convergent parallel mix-method study in eight lower tier hospitals of three districts of West Bengal, India.

Contribution of veterinary sector to antimicrobial resistance in One Health compendium: an insight from available Indian evidence.

The application of antibiotics in the poultry and veterinary sectors is very common practice in India. Owing to the seriousness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the present study has illustrated the overall scenario of AMR in the poultry and veterinary sectors in India through an in-depth scoping review and key informant interview (KII). In the poultry sector, most of the studies reviewed have reported resistant bacteria isolated from chicken meat, eggs, cloacal swabs, and fecal samples, and only a few have reported the presence of resistant bacteria in and around the environment of poultry farms.

Prevalence and changing antimicrobial resistance profiles of Shigella spp. isolated from diarrheal patients in Kolkata during 2011-2019.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence, characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of various Shigella serogroups isolated from patients with acute diarrhea of the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kolkata from 2011-2019.

Principal Findings: During the study period, Shigella isolates were tested for their serogroups, antibiotic resistance pattern and virulence gene profiles. A total of 5.

Foodborne Outbreak by Serovar Weltevreden in West Bengal, India.

Foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks owing to serovar Weltevreden ( Weltevreden) represent a significant global public health problem. In the past two decades, Weltevreden has emerged as a dominant foodborne pathogen, especially in South-East Asian countries. This report describes a community foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Weltevreden in August 2022 following consumption of panipuri from a street vendor in the Polba block in Hooghly district, West Bengal, India.

Diagnostic validation study of rapid urinary tract infection diagnosis kit at peripheral health facilities of West Bengal, India.

Patients reporting to the outpatient departments of peripheral health care settings in India with symptoms of urinary tract infection (UTI) receive one or the other antibiotic before culture confirmation and out of the total culture confirmed UTI cases, in less than one third cases the prescribed antibiotics matches to the antibiotic sensitivity test result. Hence, in this study, an indigenous point-of-care (POCT) rapid diagnostic kit (Rapidogram) for UTI was validated against conventional urine culture and sensitivity to understand its possible applicability at peripheral health care settings. This cross-sectional study was conducted during November 2021 to June 2022 in OPDs of two peripheral hospitals.

Field evaluation of a simple and rapid diagnostic test, RLDT to detect Shigella and enterotoxigenic E. coli in Indian children.

The diagnostic assays currently used to detect spp. (Shigella) and enterotoxigenic (ETEC) are complex or elaborate which make them difficult to apply in resource poor settings where these diseases are endemic. The simple and rapid nucleic acid amplification-based assay "Rapid LAMP-based Diagnostic Test (RLDT)" was evaluated to detect (Shigella) and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and determine the epidemiology of these pathogens in Kolkata, India.

Existing Policies/Guidelines on the Environmental Dimension of Antimicrobial Resistance in India: An Insight into the Key Facets through Review and SWOT Analysis.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multidimensional phenomenon. The environment acts as a mixing pot of drug-resistant bacteria from many sources such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, veterinary, and agricultural sectors. In this study, we analysed the existing AMR-related policies/guidelines/legislations in India in the above domains and how the current practices are being guided by them.

Altered molecular attributes and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains isolated from the cholera endemic regions of India.

Aims: The present study aimed to document the comparative analysis of differential hypervirulent features of Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated during 2018 from cholera endemic regions in Gujarat and Maharashtra (Western India) and West Bengal (Eastern India).

Methods And Results: A total of 87 V. cholerae O1 clinical strains from Western India and 48 from Eastern India were analysed for a number of biotypic and genotypic features followed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile.

Characterization of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli with special reference to antimicrobial resistance isolated from hospitalized diarrhoeal patients in Kolkata (2012-2019), India.

Aims: This study analyses the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of major diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) pathotypes detected in hospitalized diarrhoeal patients in Kolkata, India, during 2012-2019.

Methods And Results: A total of 8891 stool samples were collected from the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kolkata and screened for the presence of enteric pathogens. Multiplex PCR identified the presence of DEC in 7.

Increased human-animal interface & emerging zoonotic diseases: An enigma requiring multi-sectoral efforts to address.

Increased human-animal interfaces impose threats on human life by creating scope for the emergence and resurgence of many infectious diseases. Over the last two decades, emergence of novel viral diseases such as SARS, influenza A/H1N1(09) pdm; MERS; Nipah virus disease; Ebola haemorrhagic fever and the current COVID-19 has resulted in massive outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics thereby causing profound losses of human life, health and economy. The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 200 countries, reporting a global case load of 167,878,000 with 2 per cent mortality as on May 26, 2021.

Distribution of virulence factors and its relatedness towards the antimicrobial response of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients in Kolkata, India.

Aim: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the most widely recognized diarrhoeal pathogens in developing countries. The advancement of ETEC vaccine development depends on the antigenic determinants of the ETEC isolates from a particular geographical region. So, the aim here was to comprehend the distribution of virulence determinants of the clinical ETEC strains of this region.

Genetic characterization and phylogenetic variations of human adenovirus-F strains circulating in eastern India during 2017-2020.

Human adenovirus-F (HAdV-F) (genotype 40/41) is the second-most leading cause of pediatric gastroenteritis after rotavirus, worldwide, accounting for 2.8%-11.8% of infantile diarrheal cases.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among the general population and healthcare workers in India, December 2020-January 2021.

Background: Earlier serosurveys in India revealed seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) of 0.73% in May-June 2020 and 7.1% in August-September 2020.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in India, August-September, 2020: findings from the second nationwide household serosurvey.

Background: The first national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serosurvey in India, done in May-June, 2020, among adults aged 18 years or older from 21 states, found a SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody seroprevalence of 0·73% (95% CI 0·34-1·13). We aimed to assess the more recent nationwide seroprevalence in the general population in India.

Methods: We did a second household serosurvey among individuals aged 10 years or older in the same 700 villages or wards within 70 districts in India that were included in the first serosurvey.

Determinants of optimum exclusive breastfeeding duration in rural India: a mixed method approach using cohort and content analysis design.

Background: Despite established benefits, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rate remains poor in India. This study measured the rate of early initiation of breastfeeding and EBF up to 42 days postpartum period and the reasons associated with early interruption of it.

Methods: In this study we followed a cohort 319 mother-newborn dyads, on a scheduled day of each week for six postpartum weeks (42 postpartum days), during May 2017 - March 2019.

Exploring Repurposing Potential of Existing Drugs in the Management of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Critical Review.

Despite high morbidity and mortality of ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, no specific therapy has been established till date. Though studies identified various molecules as possible therapies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), these findings call for substantiation by human studies. We conducted this review aiming at reporting evidences on therapies used so far globally for management of COVID-19 in clinical settings.

Post-monsoon waterlogging-associated upsurge of cholera cases in and around Kolkata metropolis, 2015.

The Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital, Kolkata, India witnessed a sudden increase in admissions of diarrhoea cases during the first 2 weeks of August 2015 following heavy rainfall. This prompted us to investigate the event. Cases were recruited through hospital-based surveillance along with the collection of socio-demographic characteristics and clinical profile using a structured questionnaire.