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Background & Aims: Staphylococcus aureus is a common bug responsible for infections ranging from minor skin infections to fatal sepsis. Common colonizing sites include anterior nares, hand surfaces. Inadequate use of antibiotics has led to development of resistance giving rise to bugs like MRSA. Nursing staff particularly has a greater duration of patient contact and is thus more likely to become MRSA carrier- hence chosen as study population. This study aimed to study the prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity profile of MRSA isolated from nasal carriers among nursing staff. Material & Methods: A short-term cross-sectional study done in which nursing staff members were screened for nasal carriage of MRSA by collecting swabs from anterior nares. S.aureus isolates were screened for Methicillin susceptibility using cefoxitin disc. MRSA thus obtained were studied for antibiotic sensitivity profile by using Vitek-2 compact. Results: Study showed the nasal carriage of MRSA as 13.3%. Maximum carriage was in staff members with >5 years of work experience in hospital. All isolates showed 100% resistance to Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Amoxiclav. Sensitivity reported was 12.5% to Ciprofloxacin; 37.5% to Clindamycin and Amikacin; 87.5% to Cotrimoxazole. All isolates were 100% sensitive to Linezolid, Vancomycin, Teicoplanin and Rifampin. Conclusion: This study showed a significant carriage of MRSA in the nursing staff. Considering that nurses are more involved in-patient care activity, regular screening should be done. Also, the importance of handwashing should be emphasized. Strict implementation of hospital infection control norms is necessary.

INTRODUCTION: Resistance to antimicrobial agents is a major concern worldwide and is exemplified by the global spread of the Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Health care workers (HCWs) and asymptomatically colonized patients are important sources of nosocomial MRSA infections. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of MRSA colonisation, two hundred HCWs and 200 consecutive outpatients attending our tertiary care hospital were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two sterile pre-moistened cotton tipped swabs were used to collect specimens from their anterior nares. These were inoculated immediately on Blood agar with oxacillin, Mannitol salt agar with oxacillin and CHROM agar. Resistance to cefoxitin was confirmed by PCR by demonstration of mecA gene. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method and MIC of vancomycin by using broth dilution and Vitek-2 Compact system. RESULTS: The nasal carriage of MRSA among HCWs was found to be 7.5% and in outpatients 3%. All strains of MRSA from HCWs and outpatients grew on three selective media and mecA gene amplified in all of them. All the isolated strains of MRSA showed high degree of resistance to co-trimoxazole (93.3%), ciprofloxacin (80%) and erythromycin (66.66%). However, there was 100% susceptiability to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid and Rifampicin. CONCLUSION: Although a direct casual relationship could not be established, it could be assumed that the transmission from colonised health care worker is responsible atleast in part for MRSA infection among patients. Therefore emphasis should be laid on strict implementation of standard infection control practices which would help in minimizing the carriage and transmission of MRSA in the hospital.

Introduction: Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a small circular double stranded DNA virus is the major aetiological agent of cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions. Genital HPV types are divided into high and low risk types, according to their oncogenic potential. The proportion of women infected with HPV varies greatly across populations as is the distribution of HPV genotypes. Aim: The present pilot study was conducted to determine the most frequent genotypes of HPV associated with: a) Histologically proven cases of cervical carcinoma; b) Women with normal cervical cytology. Materials and Methods: The present hospital based crosssectional study was conducted on 132 women attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of a tertiary care hospital. Consecutive cervical brushings were collected from women presenting with any type of cervical lesion and were subjected to cytology, histopathological examination, HPV DNA testing and genotyping by using Sacace real time PCR. Results: Of the 132 women studied between January 2014- October 2014, 50 (37.87%) had histologically proven cervical carcinoma and 82 (62.12%) had normal cytology. In proven cases of cervical carcinoma, HPV infection was found to be associated in 49/50 (98%) and all of them had high risk HPV genotypes. The most common genotypes were 16 (67.34%) and 18 (20.4%). Other genotypes present were 45 and 33. Out of 82 cytological normal women, five showed presence of HPV DNA on RT PCR. While all the five had infection of HPV genotype 18, in one there was presence of both 16 and 18 genotypes. Conclusion: The detection of HPV genotypes 16, 18 along with high risk type 33 and 45 in Malwa region of Punjab confirm the importance of identifying the types of HPV that infects this community to design more effective prevention strategies and thus contribute to fight against cervical cancer.

Background: Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at an increased risk of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which is significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Aim: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of HCV infection in anti-HCV antibody negative haemodialysis patients by Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and value of HCV-RNA among seronegative patients undergoing haemodialysis in a remotely located tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 chronic renal failure patients on haemodialysis were studied. All the patients were screened for anti-HCV antibodies by ELISA test and for HCVRNA by RT-PCR. Results: The overall prevalence of HCV infection was 32%. Antibody positivity was 30% and HCV-RNA by RT-PCR was detected in 20%. HCV-RNA in seronegative patients was detected in 2.8%. Conclusion: Serological assays (30%) are quite reliable for detecting HCV infection in patients undergoing haemodialysis in our tertiary care hospital. Only a small proportion of them (2.8%) require the documentation of viral genome for current infection.

Introduction: India witnessed the catastrophic second wave of COVID-19 during the summer months of 2021. Many patients with nonresolution of symptoms admitted to dedicated COVID-19 treatment centers required prolonged inpatient care which led to the unavailability of beds for other COVID-19 patients. The objective of this study was to determine the duration of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients requiring long-term pulmonary care as well as to find out the association between different variables with the persistence of the virus. Methodology: A retrospective chart review of clinical and laboratory data of patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 between 1st April 2021 and 15th July 2021 admitted for more than 28 days and requiring long-term pulmonary care was carried out at National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, India. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected with real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-based tests. Data from all consecutively included patients satisfying the selection criteria were presented temporally and analyzed by Fisher's exact test (p < 0.05). Results: All 51 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the 5th week of initial laboratory confirmation of COVID-19. The majority of the patients (38; 74.5%) remained positive for viral RNA till the 6th week and the median duration of viral positivity was 45 days. The clinical presentation of SARI at admission was significantly higher among patients with viral persistence till the 6th week (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The median duration of the viral positivity was 45 days and SARI at admission was significantly associated with viral persistence till the 6th week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]