In vitro efficacy of levonadifloxacin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) including hVISA isolates collected across India.

Background: Vancomycin has been the preferred treatment for MRSA infections. However, newer drugs are necessary due to the increasing prevalence of MRSA isolates that are less susceptible to vancomycin. Levonadifloxacin its a prodrug alalevonadifloxacin, novel quinolones with broad spectrum anti-MRSA activity.

Pre- & post-vaccine trends in pneumococcal serotypes & antimicrobial resistance patterns.

Background & objectives The Pneumococcal vaccines were introduced under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in 2021 in India. Drawing from the collective experience of various nations, it is anticipated that there will be a substantial shift in serotype patterns following the introduction of this vaccine. The available data is limited to years until 2018 when the vaccine was introduced in only five States.

Substantial Mercury Releases and Local Deposition from Permafrost Peatland Wildfires in Southwestern Alaska.

Increasing wildfire activity at high northern latitudes has the potential to mobilize large amounts of terrestrial mercury (Hg). However, understanding implications for Hg cycling and ecosystems is hindered by sparse research on peatland wildfire Hg emissions. In this study, we used measurements of soil organic carbon (SOC) and Hg, burn depth, and environmental indices derived from satellite remote sensing to develop machine learning models for predicting Hg emissions from major wildfires in the permafrost peatland of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) in southwestern Alaska.

Agricultural plastic pollution reduces soil function even under best management practices.

Soil plastic contamination is considered a threat to environmental health and food security. Plastic films-which are widely used as soil mulches-are the largest single source of agricultural plastic pollution. Growing evidence indicates that high concentrations of plastic negatively affect critical soil functions.

Outbreak of Burkholderia cenocepacia in an intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Nosocomial outbreaks of Burkholderia cepacia complex, transmitted through contaminated medical surfaces or equipment have been reported. Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) is recognized as the "gold standard" for molecular subtyping, yet studies on clonal relationships in India are limited. PFGE was used to study the clonal relationships of 22 isolates of Burkholderia cenocepacia from 12 patients admitted to a critical care unit during 2 months (November and December 2021).

Species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates in clinical infections: Experience from a tertiary care hospital, Southern India.

Purpose: Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a diverse group of environmental bacteria associated with opportunistic infections. The identification of Bcc using conventional methods poses challenges. Bcc infections are difficult to treat due to intrinsic antibiotic resistance.

An Experience in Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Infections in COVID -19 Patients.

 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has cast a gloom spell on healthcare worldwide, infecting millions of people.  The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence and review the contributing comorbidities and the precipitating factors leading to the emergence of the fungal infections in COVID-19-affected patients. To assess the utility of different laboratory techniques for confirmation of fungal infections.

Utility of quantitative loop mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) assay for the diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).

Purpose: Quantitative LAMP (qLAMP) assay is one of the recent and emerging diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Only a few studies exist comparing this assay with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for the diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).

Aim: To compare the diagnostic performance of qLAMP assay with qPCR targeting autolysin gene for the diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease.

Sleep Testing as a Pre-requisite for Commercial Motor Driving License is a Need of the Hour.

Commercial drivers, including pilots, suffering from untreated sleep-related disorders endanger many lives. This puts them at risk of increased daytime somnolence. Through this brief communication, we urge the authorities to make the sleep study mandatory for these drivers to diagnose underlying sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

Influence of COVID-19 over seasonal influenza activity in southern India.

Basic epidemiological data is urgently needed in order to ascertain the changes brought about by COVID-19 pandemic, and help researchers, clinicians, and policy makers in addressing these issues. Data on influenza positivity from 2009 to 2019 was collected from Regional Influenza laboratory, JIPMER. Being COVID testing centre we tested samples (2020-2023) from Tamilnadu and Pondicherry.

Evaluation of different linezolid susceptibility testing methods and detection of linezolid resistance gene (cfr) in staphylococcal isolates.

Linezolid is an effective oxazolidinone antibiotic against multi resistant Gram-positive organisms. Linezolid resistance is an emerging problem and some controversy exists about the reliability of different phenotypic methods of linezolid susceptibility testing. Fifty isolates each of methicillin resistant S.

Structure Elucidation and Interaction Dynamics of MefA-MsrD Efflux Proteins in : Impact on Macrolide Susceptibility.

Macrolides are empirically used to treat bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). , being the major pathogen responsible for bacterial CAP with high mortality rates, express MefA-MsrD efflux pumps to hinder macrolide susceptibility. Despite its importance, the structural features of the efflux-protein complex and its impact on macrolide susceptibility have not yet been elucidated explicitly.

A rare and fatal case of tubo-ovarian abscess due to presenting as puerperal sepsis.

Introduction: Melioidosis is an emerging life-threatening infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative found in contaminated soil and surface ground water. It often presents with varied clinical manifestations and has a high mortality if left untreated due to lack of clinical suspicion. Here we report a rare and fatal case of tubo-ovarian abscess presenting as puerperal sepsis due to in a young woman.

Genome sequences of producing isolated from immunocompromised patients in India.

Among the species within complex, has not been frequently isolated from clinical settings, unlike , which is an important nosocomial pathogen. We report the genomic sequences of strains (PKAL1732 and 1828C) harboring multiple-resistance determinants including metallo-β-lactamase ( ) isolated from immunocompromised patients admitted to a referral hospital in India.

Magnetic resonance imaging in COVID-19-associated acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis - Diagnosis and beyond.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) at presentation and on follow-up imaging when patients receive treatment with systemic antifungal therapy and surgical debridement.

Material And Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of imaging data from a cohort of patients diagnosed with AIFRS during the second wave of COVID-19 in single tertiary referral hospital in South India between March 2021 and May 2021 ( = 68). Final diagnosis was made using a composite reference standard which included a combination of MRI findings, clinical presentation, nasal endoscopy and intraoperative findings, and laboratory proof of invasive fungal infection.

Multiple mechanisms of linezolid resistance in detected by whole-genome sequencing.

Linezolid is an effective therapeutic option for treating severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive organisms. Several mechanisms have been reported to be responsible for resistance to this antibiotic. Although several mechanisms of linezolid resistance have been reported in , the prevalence and potential for horizontal transfer of resistance genes have not been fully characterized, particularly among isolates from India.

Clinical Profile and Predictors of Mortality among Patients with Melioidosis.

Introduction: Melioidosis is an under-recognized but important infection with high mortality and morbidity. It is endemic along the coastal regions of the Southern part of India. The present study focuses on the varied clinical manifestations, associated risk factors, and outcomes in patients from the Southeastern part of India.

Early- vs Late-onset Ventilator-associated Pneumonia in Critically Ill Adults: Comparison of Risk Factors, Outcome, and Microbial Profile.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most frequent hospital-acquired infections, which develops in mechanically ventilated patients after 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence rate, various risk factors, microbiological profile, and outcome of early- vs late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in medical intensive care unit (MICU).

Materials And Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 273 patients admitted to the MICU in JIPMER, Puducherry, from October 2018 to September 2019.

Variable Virulence Genes in Clinical Isolates of : Impact on Disease Severity and Outcome in Melioidosis.

 To isolate from clinical specimens and study the association of virulence genes with clinical manifestations and outcome in patients with melioidosis.   isolates obtained from melioidosis cases diagnosed during 2018 to 2021 were identified using VITEK 2 system and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a Type III secretion system gene cluster. Multiplex PCR was performed to detect the genotypes of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) namely A, B, and B2, and singleplex PCR was performed to detect the presence of the intracellular motility gene ( ) and filamentous hemagglutinin gene ( ).