Larvicidal activity of the fungus Aphanomyces (oomycetes : Saprolegniales) against Culex quinquefasciatus.

Several species of fungi are currently being considered for operational use in the microbial control of mosquito larvae. The oomycetous fungi are the prominent ones amongst them because of their ability to complete life cycle in water. During our studies on zoosporic fungi from riverine waters of Mula and Mutha flowing through Pune City, Maharashtra, India, Aphanomyces laevis de Bary (Oomycetes: Saprolegniales) was isolated from polluted waters. After critical observations it was found to be mosquito larvicidal. Sporulating hemp seed cultures when inoculated under laboratory conditions revealed that it causes 80%/ mortality after seven days to Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. Laboratory assays were conducted to determine the effects of water quality on the ability of the isolate to infect mosquito larvae in varying degrees of pollution levels. In all the experiments, a non sexual strain of Aphanomyces (zoospores) was found to be the pathogenic agent for the Culex larvae.

Biliary sepsis: an ascending infection.

AIM: To study the bacteriology of normal and obstructed biliary tree and determine the mode of biliary infection. METHODS: Fifty seven patients undergoing elective biliary surgery for calculous biliary disease cholecystitis 45, obstructive jaundice 12) were studied. Bile samples collected separately from gall bladder, common bile duct and duodenum at the time of surgery were processed for aerobic and anaerobic cultures and antibiotic assays. To locate endogenous foci of infection, urine, nasal swab and throat swab cultures were done. Isolates from/biliary tract were compared with those from other sites. RESULTS: Thirty eight patients (66.7%) had bactobilia. The prevalence was higher in patients with obstructive jaundice (10/12, 83.3%) than (p = 0.5) in those with non-obstructed biliary tree. Single bacterial infection (31 cases, 81 %) was more common than mixed infection (7 cases, 19%). Colonization of more than one segment of the biliary tree was seen in 30 patients (79%). E coli was the most frequently isolated organism. In 24 cases (63.2%), strains of organisms from the common bile duct and gall bladder were similar to those from the duodenum, and in only 10 cases (23.2%) were similar to those found in the nose, throat and urine. The antibiotic concentrations in the common bile duct after single doses of preoperative antibiotic (gentamicin and cephazolin) were lower in the obstructed biliary tree (1.5 +/- 0.4 milligrams/mL and 2.8 milligrams/mL respectively) than in the non-obstructed system (3.9 +/- 1.7 milligrams and 12.6 milligrams/mL/mL respectively) (p = 0.5 for both antibiotics). CONCLUSION: Ascending infection forms the mode of biliary sepsis in a majority of cases. Prophylactic antibiotics give low levels in the bile in an obstructed biliary tree.

Blalock Taussig type shunt palliation for cyanotic infants and children.

In a period of ten years from January 1, 1979 to December 31, 1988, 54 cyanotic patients weighing less than 10 kg underwent shunt operations of Blalock Taussig type. The indications were hypercyanotic spells, failure to thrive and pulmonary arteries being too small for safe total collection. The commonest diagnosis was tetralogy of Fallot (63%). Thirty-three (64%) patients were older than 1 year but still weighed less than ten kg. Mortality was 16.67% (70% C.L. 8.94-26.60). During follow-up, there were 4(7%) late deaths. During the same period, 134 patients less than 5 years age came to autopsy without having any cardiological or surgical intervention. Ninety-seven (72.4%) of these deaths were due to cardiac causes. In order to save their lives, early identification is necessary which highlights the importance of parent and primary physician education.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in unstable angina.

We performed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in 33 highly selected patients of unstable angina, a majority of whom were initially stabilized by medical therapy. All these patients had single vessel disease with type A lesion. The initial success rate was 91% with recurrence of 17% at the end of 1 year.

Study of aqueous humour in anterior uveitis.

Aetiological diagnosis of anterior uveitis was made clinically and substantiated with relevant investigations. Aqueous humour obtained under aseptic conditions, was analyzed for the cells study, culture and protein profile, using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results were analysed with the help of known clinical facts. Culture and smears were invariably negative, while the lymphocytes were present in varying numbers, polymorphs and macrophages afforded a useful clue for confirmatory diagnosis. The electrophoretic pattern of the proteins was related to the duration of the disease and was same in a group while it was distinctive among different groups of anterior uveitis.