Diagnostic Approach to Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis by Cartridge-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease causing millions of cases worldwide. Though pulmonary TB is the most common form of infection, extrapulmonary cases are also very rampant and are responsible for a large number of cases. But the diagnosis of extrapulmonary cases is quite difficult because of varied manifestations and the paucibacillary nature of the infection.

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in voluntary blood donors: are women better donors?

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted by blood and blood products and it causes a major proportion of transfusion transmitted hepatitis. It can lead to chronic liver disease which has great morbidity and mortality. HCV is responsible for more deaths than Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

A series on intestinal strongyloidiasis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts.

Background: Strongyloidiasis, endemic in tropical areas, may be asymptomatic in immunocompetent subjects or may cause potentially fatal hyper-infection in immunocompromised patients.

Methods: Of the 13,885 patients referred to the parasitology laboratory at our tertiary care referral center for stool microscopy, 15 were diagnosed as strongyloidiasis over a 6 year period. We assessed these patients retrospectively.