Emergence of rare and uncommon yeast-like pathogens causing neonatal sepsis at a tertiary care center, North India.

Introduction: Neonatal candidemia is a life-threatening event in babies requiring ICU admission. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment reduce mortality and morbidity. Worldwide, there is an emergence of drug-resistant rare species causing neonatal sepsis that necessitates antifungal susceptibility testing in each case.

Synthesis of ciprofloxacin-linked 1,2,3-triazole conjugates as potent antibacterial agents using click chemistry: exploring their function as DNA gyrase inhibitors - and -based studies.

The antibacterial efficacy of some newly developed C-3 carboxylic group-containing ciprofloxacin-linked 1,2,3-triazole conjugates was studied. Twenty-one compounds from three different series of triazoles were synthesized using click chemistry and evaluated for their antibacterial activity against nine different pathogenic strains, including three Gram-positive strains, (ATCC29212), (ATCC25923), (clinical isolate), and six Gram-negative bacterial strains, (ATCC25922), (ATCC27853), (clinical isolate), (clinical isolate), (clinical isolate) and (clinical isolate). Among the compounds, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 11a, 11f, 12c, 12e and 12f showed excellent activity with MIC values upto 12.

Fabrication of gelatin coated polycaprolactone nanofiber scaffolds co-loaded with luliconazole and naringenin for treatment of Candida infected diabetic wounds.

The current study focuses on the development of gelatin-coated polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers co-loaded with luliconazole and naringenin for accelerated healing of infected diabetic wounds. Inherently, PCL nanofibers have excellent biocompatibility and biodegradation profiles but lack bioadhesion characteristics, which limits their use as dressing materials. So, coating them with a biocompatible and hydrophilic material like gelatin can improve bioadhesion.

Formulation and characterization of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan composite nanofiber co-loaded with silver nanoparticle & luliconazole encapsulated poly lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticle for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer.

Chronic wounds are prone to fungal infections, possess a significant challenge, and result in substantial mortality. Diabetic wounds infected with Candida strains are extremely common. It can create biofilm at the wound site, which can lead to antibiotic resistance.

Screening for cryptococcal antigen in asymptomatic people with HIV: urgent need in Eastern India.

Objective: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a leading cause of mortality in people with HIV (PWH). Despite recommendation by the National programme, cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) screening in PWH with CD4 + <200/μl has not been implemented in practice. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study in government funded Antiretroviral treatment centre to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia in PWH with CD4 + cell count <200 cells/μl, subclinical cryptococcal meningitis in serum CrAg positive subjects and their outcome.

Rhizopus homothallicus rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis: Six cases from a tertiary care Centre, North India.

Objective: To report six cases of Rhizopus homothallicus rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis in North India between April 2021 and July 2021.

Case Details: All six patients had diabetes, concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection, a history of oxygen requirement and steroid intake. Among these six cases 4 were female.

Time to speed up the diagnostic evaluation in clinically suspected rhinosinusitis patients: A debate on the conventional versus molecular workup to establish fungal infective etiology for prompt management.

Background And Purpose: Rhinosinusitis (RS) is a clinical and radiological diagnosis that rarely reaches a proper infective etiological diagnosis. The most dreaded fact about invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is its poor prognosis in immunocompromised patients with a 60-80% mortality rate. The present study highlights and compares the various diagnostic techniques to establish a fungal etiological diagnosis in clinically suspected cases of RS from nasal biopsy specimens, with the emphasis on the molecular diagnostic approach.

COVID-19-associated Mucormycosis: A clinico-epidemiological study.

Background: There was an unprecedented increase in COVID-19-associated-Mucormycosis (CAM) cases during the second pandemic wave in India.

Methods: This observational study was done to know the epidemiological profile of CAM cases andincluded all patients admitted with mucormycosis between May 2021 and July 2021.

Results: Out of the enrolled 208 CAM cases (either SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR or serology positive), 204, three and one had rhino-orbital-cerebral, pulmonary and gastrointestinal mucormycosis, respectively.

Size and Zeta Potential Clicked Germination Attenuation and Anti-Sporangiospores Activity of PEI-Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles against COVID-19 Associated Mucorales ().

The SARS-CoV-2 infections in Indian people have been associated with a mucormycotic fungal infection caused by the filamentous fungi . The sporangiospores of are omnipresent in the environment and cause infection through inhalation or ingestion of contaminated air and foods. Therefore, the anti-sporangiospore activity of polyethyleneimine functionalized silver nanoparticles (PEI-f-Ag-NPs) with variable size and surface charge as a function of the molecular weight of PEI was explored.

Laboratory diagnosis of mucormycosis: Present perspective.

Upsurge in mucormycosis cases in the second wave of SARS CoV2 infection in India has been reported. Uncontrolled diabetes is the major predisposing risk factor for these cases. The early diagnosis and surgical intervention with medical treatment may result in good clinical outcomes.

Tubo-ovarian mass with raised CA-125 in a 21-year-old female.

Introduction: Peritonitis associated with fungal species Curvularia lunata seldom occurs with only five cases reported in the literature, all in middle-age patients with comorbidities undergoing dialysis.

Case Report: A 21-year-old female who was referred to surgical oncology OPD with a diagnosis of ovarian malignancy, based on raised cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) and suspected tubo-ovarian mass (TOM) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A review of the MRI showed a pelvic collection with TOM, suggestive of infective pathology.

Fatal Cutaneous Mucormycosis Caused by : A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis is a consequence of environmental Mucorales spores inoculation at the abraded skin. In a diabetic patient, these spores germinate quickly and disseminate hematogenously to the surroundings. Cutaneous mucormycosis is a rare but aggressive, invasive, and life-threatening fungal infection.

Targeted specific inhibition of bacterial and species by mesoporous Ag/Sn-SnO composite nanoparticles: and investigation.

Invasive bacterial and fungal infections have notably increased the burden on the health care system and especially in immune compromised patients. These invasive bacterial and fungal species mimic and interact with the host extracellular matrix and increase the adhesion and internalization into the host system. Further, increased resistance of traditional antibiotics/antifungal drugs led to the demand for other therapeutics and preventive measures.

Targeted and Enhanced Antimicrobial Inhibition of Mesoporous ZnO-AgO/Ag, ZnO-CuO, and ZnO-SnO Composite Nanoparticles.

In this work, mesoporous (pore size below 4 nm) composite nanoparticles of ZnO-AgO/Ag, ZnO-CuO, and ZnO-SnO of size ≤ 10 nm (dia.) have been synthesized through the solvochemical reduction method using NaBH. These composite nanoparticles exhibited excellent killing efficacy against Gram-positive/negative bacterial and fungal strains even at a very low dose of 0.

Utility of nested polymerase chain reaction for fungus in detecting clinically suspected patients of invasive fungal infections and its clinical correlation and comparison with fungal culture.

Aims And Objectives: The aim and objective of this study is to detect invasive fungal infections (IFIs) early and with more sensitivity by the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for fungus as compared to fungal culture in clinically suspected patients and also explore its correlation in reference to age, duration of symptoms, immunocompromised status, and other risk factors predisposing to IFIs.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 suspected patients admitted in medical acute care unit/intensive care unit (ACU/ICU) of Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, comprised the study. All cases were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The utility of banana peel extract agar in the presumptive identification of Cryptococcus neoformans.

We prepared a newer growth medium, banana peel extract agar (BPEA) containing the extracts of chopped banana peels for the selective cultivation of Cryptococcus neoformans. Over the medium, the growth resulted in the development of light to the dark brown coloured colonies indicating the chromogenic potential of the BPEA. The organism grown over BPEA was subsequently confirmed as C.

Efficacy of Terbinafine and Itraconazole in Different Doses and in Combination in the Treatment of Tinea Infection: A Randomized Controlled Parallel Group Open Labeled Trial with Clinico-Mycological Correlation.

Background: There is a rising prevalence of dermatophyte infection especially in the tropics. It has been observed that the antifungals are not as effective as they used to be.

Aims: To determine the effectiveness of terbinafine and itraconazole in different doses and in combination in the treatment of tinea infection.

Anacardic acid encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles for Staphylococcus aureus biofilm therapy: chitosan and DNase coating improves antimicrobial activity.

Biofilm mediated bacterial infections are the key factors in the progression of infectious diseases due to the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. Traditional therapy involving antibiotics is not adequate enough for treatment of such infections due to the increased resistance triggered by biofilm. To overcome this challenge, we developed anacardic acid (Ana) loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), further coated with chitosan and DNase (Ana-SLNs-CH-DNase).

Overexpression of efflux pump transporter genes and mutations in ERG11 pave the way to fluconazole resistance in Candida tropicalis: A study from a North India region.

Introduction: Fluconazole resistance in Candida tropicalis health care-associated infections is increasing. We investigated the role of efflux pump and mutations in ERG11p conferring fluconazole resistance in C. tropicalis.

Necessity to identify candida species accurately with minimum inhibitory concentration determination in each case of bloodstream infections.

Background: Bloodstream Candida infection is a life-threatening event among ICU admitted patients. This infection is caused by a diverse range of Candida species having varied minimum inhibitory concentrations.

Objectives: To identify Candida species causing bloodstream infections with their antifungal susceptibility determination.

Case Report: Histoplasmosis Accompanying Disseminated Tuberculosis in an Immunocompetent Adolescent Boy.

The incidence of tuberculosis in India is quite high. In such a situation, empirical antitubercular therapy (ATT) is often resorted to, when some of the investigation findings are clearly diagnostic of tuberculosis. This may mean missing out on coinfections.

Antibiofilm Potential of Silver Sulfadiazine-Loaded Nanoparticle Formulations: A Study on the Effect of DNase-I on Microbial Biofilm and Wound Healing Activity.

Biofilm resistance is one of the severe complications associated with chronic wound infections, which impose extreme microbial tolerance against antibiotic therapy. Interestingly, deoxyribonuclease-I (DNase-I) has been empirically proved to be efficacious in improving the antibiotic susceptibility against biofilm-associated infections. DNase-I hydrolyzes the extracellular DNA, a key component of the biofilm responsible for the cell adhesion and strength.

susceptibility of dermatophytes to oral antifungal drugs and amphotericin B in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Background: Dermatophytosis is a major public health problem in our country. Although resistance to conventional oral and topical antifungal agents is being increasingly encountered, the sensitivity pattern of dermatophytes has not been systematically analysed.

Aims: We aimed to determine the sensitivity pattern of dermatophyte isolates to amphotericin B and six oral antifungal drugs.