Resurgence of diphtheria in rural areas of North Karnataka, India.

Background: A diphtheria outbreak was identified from Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur) district in the South Indian state of Karnataka in 2011. There was a surge in the number of throat swab samples received under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in North Karnataka since then.

Objectives: A microbiological study was undertaken to generate information on the status of resurgence of the disease in the region.

Effect of edible coating on the aromatic attributes of roasted coffee beans.

Coffee is known throughout the world for its distinct aroma and flavour which results from a number of volatile compounds present in it. It is very difficult to arrest the aromatic compounds once the roasting process is complete and it becomes even more challenging to store the beans for a longer time with the retained volatiles as these compounds are easily lost during industrialized processing such as the grinding of roasted coffee beans and storage of ground coffee. Thus, an attempt was made to minimise the loss of volatile from roasted coffee beans by coating with Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and Whey protein concentrate.

Multidrug-Resistant Vibrio cholerae O1 was Responsible for a Cholera Outbreak in 2013 in Bagalkot, North Karnataka.

Cholera is a major cause of illness in the developing world. During the monsoon season, small sporadic clusters of cholera cases are reported on an annual basis in Karnataka, India. During the monsoons of 2013, there was a cholera outbreak in Badami, a remote area of Bagalkot district in Karnataka.

A comprehensive review on utilization of wastewater from coffee processing.

The coffee processing industry is one of the major agro-based industries contributing significantly in international and national growth. Coffee fruits are processed by two methods, wet and dry process. In wet processing, coffee fruits generate enormous quantities of high strength wastewater requiring systematic treatment prior to disposal.

Twin outbreak of cholera in rural North Karnataka, India.

Background & Objectives: Successive outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea occurred in Talikoti and Harnal, located in Bijapur District of the southern Indian s0 tate of Karnataka, in July and August 2012, respectively. These outbreaks were investigated to identify the aetiology and epidemiology.

Methods: Information was collected from the local population and health centres.

Multidrug-resistant Vibrio cholerae O1 in Belgaum, south India.

An outbreak of acute diarrhoea occurred in the Belgundi area (population 3896) of Belgaum Taluka (population 815 581) in Karnataka, South India, in June 2010. An estimated 16.22 % of people were affected and 0.

Comparison of a novel immunocapture assay with standard serological methods in the diagnosis of brucellosis.

Background: Microbiological culture methods and immunological assays currently available are technically challenging, difficult to interpret even in non-endemic areas. They are also time consuming leading to misdiagnosis, treatment delay, and severe morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the development of a simple and accurate diagnostic assay which could be performed even in small laboratories is a pressing need.

Splenic Abscess due to Brucella Melitensis - A Rare Pediatric Complication.

Splenic abscess due to Brucella species is an extremely rare complication especially in acute illness. Here we report a case of splenic abscess caused by Brucella melitensis biotype 1 in a child with acute infection who was successfully treated with only antibiotics.

A fatal case of empyema thoracis by Nocardia farcinica in an immunocompromised patient.

Empyema thoracis by Nocardia farcinica infection is uncommon. Here we report a rare and fatal infection in a 27-year-old HIV- seropositive male who presented with cough, expectoration, and breathlessness. Nocardia farcinica was isolated from sputum and pus from the pleural cavity.

ELISA versus conventional methods of diagnosing endemic brucellosis.

The diagnostic value of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated when blood specimens of 92 patients suspected of brucellosis underwent the ELISA (IgM and IgG), standard tube agglutination (SAT), and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) tests and blood cultures; 38 sera from non-brucellosis patients and 34 sera from blood donors were also subjected to ELISA, SAT, and 2-ME tests. SAT was able to pinpoint only 23 (25%), whereas ELISA confirmed the etiology in 56 (60.9%; P < 0.

Performance evaluation of low cost adsorbents in reduction of COD in sugar industrial effluent.

Studies on reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in effluent from sugar industry have been carried out by employing different absorbents optimizing various parameters, such as initial concentration of adsorbate, pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time. Experimental studies were carried out in batches using metakaolin, tamarind nut carbon and dates nut carbon as adsorbents by keeping initial adsorbent dosage at 1 g l(-1), agitation time over a range of 30-240 min, adsorbent dosage at 100-800 mg l(-1) by varying the pH range from 4 to 10. Characterization of there adsorbents were done using techniques such as Fourier transforms infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Meningitis due to Rhodotorula glutinis in an HIV infected patient.

Rhodotorula spp, though considered a common saprophyte, recently has been reported as causative agent of opportunistic mycoses. We present a case of meningitis in an immunocompromised human immunodeficiency virus infected patient who presented with longstanding fever. He was diagnosed as a case of chronic meningitis.

Electrical and electronic waste: a global environmental problem.

The production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing global manufacturing activities. This development has resulted in an increase of waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE). Rapid economic growth, coupled with urbanization and growing demand for consumer goods, has increased both the consumption of EEE and the production of WEEE, which can be a source of hazardous wastes that pose a risk to the environment and to sustainable economic growth.