Anaerobic culture on growth efficient bi-layered culture plate in a modified candle jar using a rapid and slow combustion system.

Success for maximum isolation of anaerobes depends on maintaining critically low oxygen levels throughout and growth in a reduced medium with exclusion of inhibitory substances. Hence a dual system was used equipped with candle combustion for instant exhaustion of major part of oxygen from a sealed jar, along with acidified steel wool for residual oxygen purging. For inhibitory substances removal, test anaerobes were grown on anaerobic medium layered on buffer charcoal agar bed. After 48 hours incubation average colony sizes were compared with that of growths in conventional Gas-Pak system. Better growths were noted in the innovative system.

Mycetoma caused by a new red grain mycetoma agent in two members of a family.

An 18-year-old woman from rural West Bengal was affected with mycetoma involving her neck, back, and chest. After an interval of eight years, her younger brother developed mycetoma on his left arm. No history of trauma or immune deficiency was present in either case. By microscopic examination of sinus-discharged materials from both the cases, identical rusty red, hard grains were demonstrated. Soluble red pigment-producing colonies grew in Sabouraud dextrose-agar medium. Isolates were positive for casein hydrolysis and negative for hydrolysis test of xanthine, hypoxanthine, tyrosine, and nitrate reduction. Thus it differed from the only known red grain mycetoma agent, Actinomadura pelletieri and was provisionally identified as Actinomadura vinacea. Familial affection in mycetoma, that too caused by a new agent, is reported here for its uniqueness.

In vitro susceptibility pattern of Sporothrix schenckii strains isolated from three centers in India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: With the availability of more number of antifungal agents in recent years, drugs other than saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI) are being increasingly used to treat sporotrichosis. It was therefore considered pertinent to evaluate in vitro antifungal susceptibility pattern of Sporothrix schenckii strains isolated at three centers in India against five commonly used antifungal agents. METHODS: Agar dilution method was used to evaluate 50 clinical isolates (25 from north, 17 from east and 8 from south India) both in its yeast and mycelial forms against amphotericin-B, 5-fluorocytosine, ketoconazole, fluconazole and itraconazole. RESULTS: No resistance was observed in the yeast form of S. schenckii against amphotericin B and azoles. However, 54 per cent strains in the yeast form were resistant to 5-fluorocytosine. None of the strains was susceptible to amphotericin B and ketoconazole, 56 and 10 per cent strains in the mycelial form were susceptible to itraconazole and fluconazole respectively. No significant difference was observed in the antifungal susceptibility pattern among the strains isolated from these three regions in India. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Clinical isolates of S. schenckii from three regions of India had a more or less uniform antifungal susceptibility pattern. Itraconazole had the best in vitro susceptibility results against the clinical isolates of S. schenckii and has the potential to replace SSKI.

Antibiotic sensitivity patterns of actinomycetes isolated from patients of actinomycetoma.

The effectiveness of eight antibiotics against 30 human isolates of actinomycetoma agents belonging to 7 different species were tested by agar dilution and disc diffusion methods to evaluate the susceptibility patterns and to study drug resistance among the organisms. It was found that many of the isolates had developed partial or complete resistance to conventionally used antibiotics like cotrimoxazole, streptomycin and ampicillin, but almost all were sensitive to amikacin and ciprofloxacin. The two methods were equally effective for detecting sensitivity patterns of the Nocardia isolates.

Neonatal candidemia.

Fifty five clinically diagnosed cases of neonatal septicaemia of the nursery ward, Medical College Hospital Calcutta were subjected to blood culture on two consecutive days in all cases. Bacterial isolates were found in 34 (61.8%) cases as pure growth and candida species from 9 (16.4%) as pure culture. Remaining 12 samples did not yield any growth. Species distribution of candida showed C. albicans 6, C. parapsilosis 2, and C. guillermondii 1. Asphyxia neonatorum was the common feature in all cases of candidaemia. All neonates with candidal infection were low-birth-weight and premature. C. albicans, the predominant species (66.6%) recovered, was responsible for a localised outbreak of infection in the nursery.