Microbial Quality of the Lake Inside Thiruvananthapuram Zoological Garden, Kerala, India.

A study of the microbial water quality of the lentic body inside Thiruvananthapuram Zoological Garden was carried out. The water in the lake is used for cleaning the cages of the zoo animals and for their bath. Total viable count, coli form count and E.coli count for the water found was exceeding the limits as prescribed by WHO and CPCB. Prevalence of indicator bacteria like Escherichia coli was observed during the study period. Isolation of Staphylococcus sp and Pseudomonas sp was done and are identified and confirmed biochemically. Klebsiella oxytoca and Enterobacter cloacae were identified by the sequencing of 16S rRNA and COI genes. The sequence and phylogenetic similarity search done with all entries in the DNA sequence database, GenBank using BLAST and identified. Bacterial results hint towards the pollution status of the water body. Bacterial count studies showed a higher number of bacterial colonies present in the water during the Monsoon Period. The animals under capture are more sensitive to diseases than in wild. A regular monitoring of the water is needed to check water borne diseases.

Prevalence & correlates of metabolic syndrome in alcohol & opioid dependent inpatients.

Background & objectives: The research on the association of metabolic syndrome (MS) and substance abuse is scanty. The present research aimed to study the prevalence and correlates of MS among the inpatients at a Drug De-addiction Centre in north India. Methods: Consecutive male subjects (N=110) admitted to a drug de-addiction centre during July to December 2009 with a primary diagnosis of alcohol or opioid dependence were evaluated for the presence of MS as per the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Results: The prevalence of MS was 24.6 and 29.3 per cent in alcohol and opioid dependent groups, respectively. MS showed a significant association with the age and body mass index (BMI) in the opioid dependent group. Co-morbid tobacco use was not associated with MS in either group. Interpretation & conclusions: The prevalence of MS in our sample of alcohol and opioid dependent male inpatients was greater than the prevalence of MS in general population, however it was comparable to that reported in physical and other psychiatric disorder populations. Even though the absence of any comparative study limits the generalizability of our findings, results indicate towards a need for screening of the patients with substance dependence especially for those aged above 30 years and/or having a high BMI for MS.

Effects of solvents and surfactants against Haemaphysalis bispinosa

As per the report published by FAO (2004), the tick population in India has developed resistance against all the available acaricides. Hence, newer methods of control including potential herbal agents are required to reduce the problems caused by the ticks. Most of the herbal extracts or their fractions are dissolved in polar or non-polar solvents or detergents before tested for acaricidal activity and these diluents should be of little acaricidal activity. In the present study, adult immersion test (AIT) was carried out on adult engorged female Haemaphysalis bispinosa ticks to detect the acaricidal activity of different solvents viz., nbutanol, glycerol, acetone, ethanol, methanol and surfactants (at 1 per cent dilution) like dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), tween 20 and triton X- 100. The study revealed that methanol was the least toxic solvent while tween 20 (1 per cent) was the least toxic detergent against H. bispinosa.

Changes in protein subunits induced by endosulfan and fenvalerate in fresh water fish Labeo rohita through SDS-PAGE.

Fresh water fish Labeo rohita was exposed to two pesticides i.e., endosulfan an organchlorine and fenvalerate a synthetic pyrethroid. The 1/10th of 24 hr LC50 of endosulfan (0.0687 μ g l-1) and fenvalerate (0.0 474 μ g l-1) were selected as sub lethal concentrations. The fish were exposed to sublethal concentrations for one week and the changes in the tissue proteins of vital organs such as brain, liver, gill and muscle were studied under SDS-PAGE. The protein subunits were identified by running marker proteins parallel and Rm values were calculated accordingly. The changes in the protein banding pattern are more pronounced in the fenvalerate exposure than endosulfan.

Transthoracic lung aspiration in etiology of pneumonia.

Transthoracic lung aspiration was performed in 30 episodes of pneumonia in 27 children with malignancy on chemotherapy to assess etiology of pulmonary infections. Total of 22 organisms were isolated in 16/30 (53.3%) episodes. No acid fast bacilli or Pneumocystis carinii were seen. Organisms grown by blood culture correlated with that of lung puncture in 5 episodes, while throat culture and nasopharyngeal organisms correlated with that of lung puncture on one occasion each. Organisms isolated in 8/18 episodes (44.4%) of antemorten transthoracic aspiration included: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus faecalis and Diphtheroids. In 3/18 episodes, lung puncture results altered treatment and thus resulted in survival of the patients. Only one minor complication occurred in this study--pneumothorax that resolved spontaneously. Thus, transthoracic lung puncture is an useful and safe procedure in immunocompromised patients with pneumonia who do not respond to initial broad spectrum antibiotics.