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Abstracts: Background: Intestinal parasitic infections remain a serious public health problem globally.Although there could be many other causes of diarrhoea, the enteric protozoa Cryptosporidium parvumhave been recognized as important causes of both out-break-related and sporadic diarrhoea in humans. Both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals could be the victims but immunocompromised peoples are likely to be most seriously affected. This study was done to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvumin Stool samples. Methodology: A 100 Stool samples of patients visiting General Hospital, Sola, Ahmedabad from December 2013 to March 2014 were followed for Stool microscopy for demonstration of cyst of Cryptosporidium parvum.Modified ZN stain done from direct smear from stool sample but their concentration is increased by formal ether concentration technique. Results: Out of total 100 stool samples were examined in which 85 were positive for bacteriological infections and 15 for parasitic infection. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in our study is 5 %. Among 100 patients only 3 were positive for Cryptosporidium infection in 96 immunocompetent patients and 2 were positive for Cryptosporidium infection in 4 immunocompromised patients. So higher rate of prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum infection seen in immunocompromised patients. Conclusion: Cryptosporidium infection is transmitted by feco-oral route & water borne, so proper sanitation and disinfection of water reduce the prevalence of infection. Cryptosporidium parvum diarrhoea is self-limiting illness and cured by fluid therapy. Drug therapy is only for severe infection. In immunocompromised patients like HIV antiretroviral therapy and fluid therapy is necessary for Cryptosporidium infection.
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Objective: The diagnosis of enteric fever currently depends upon the isolation of Salmonella from a patient, most commonly by blood culture. This facility is not available in many areas where the disease is endemic. The Widal agglutination test which demonstrates the presence of somatic (O) and flagellar (H) agglutinins to Salmonella in the patient's serum using O and H antigen suspension is one of the most utilized diagnostic tests for typhoid fever in developing countries. In the recent past, a rapid slide test was developed which is now the most commonly used technique in local laboratories because of its convenience. The semi-quantitative slide test provides an approximation to the tube test titre. The present study was an attempt to compare the results of semi-quantitative slide agglutination with the quantitative tube method to ascertain any significant difference between two methods. Material and Methods: 300 precollected blood samples of OPD patients were collected over a period of 4 months and subjected to semi-quantitative rapid slide and quantitative tube Widal tests using commercially available Salmonella antigen test kits. Results: From the 300 samples studied, 17(5.7%) serum samples were positive by slide test method while 25(8.7%) seropositive by Tube test method. Present study shows, slight difference in the results obtained by the two methods of Widal test. Conclusion: The Tube Widal test is more sensitive and specific than slide Widal test, especially for rule out prozone phenomena, but slide Widal agglutination test is found to good alternative screening test because less time consuming, easy to perform, cost effective and can be applied in resource poor nations. There is an urgent need for the rational design and evaluation of effective and appropriate diagnostics for typhoid fever.
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Context: Study of patients attending tertiary care ophthalmology institute at Ahmedabad. Aims: To study the microbiological etiology and epidemiological factors associated with suppurative keratitis. Settings and Design: A total of 150 corneal scrapings were evaluated from patients presenting with corneal ulcers at a tertiary ophthalmology center, Ahmedabad from July 2007 to June 2008. Materials and Methods: Scrapings were subjected to Gram stain, potassium hydroxide preparation and culture for bacterial and fungal pathogens. Socio-demographic data and risk factors were recorded. Results: Ninety percent (135/150) people with corneal ulcers had trauma as predisposing factor for keratitis. Trauma due to wooden objects was the leading cause (46/135) followed by vegetable matter and stone injury (23/135). Microbial etiology was established in 59.3% (89/150) of scrapings. Out of 89 positive isolates, 65.1% (58/89) were bacterial while 34.9% (31/89) were fungal. Among the bacterial isolates, 60.3% (35/58) were Gram-positive cocci while 39.7% (23/58) were Gram-negative bacilli. The most common bacterial isolate was Staphylococus aureus (32.7%, 19/58) followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococci (25.8%, 15/58) and Pseudomonas (18.9%, 11/58). Among the 31 fungal pathogens, Aspergillus species was the most common (35.4%11/31), followed by Fusarium species (22.5%, 7/31). Conclusion: Trauma with wooden material is the most common predisposing factor for suppurative keratitis. Males were more affected than females. Bacterial ulcers were more common than fungal in areas in and around Ahmedabad. Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus were the commonest bacterial and fungal isolates respectively. Geographical variation persists in microbial etiology of suppurative keratitis.