Nasal carriage of Methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthy population of Kashmir, India.

Background: Nasal colonisation with community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is being increasingly reported, especially in places where people are in close contact and where hygiene is compromised. The aim of this study was to find out prevalence of methicillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) colonising anterior nares of healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Nasal swabs of healthy subjects were collected aseptically and cultured using standard microbiological protocols. Antibiotic susceptibility was done by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Methicillin resistance was detected by cefoxitin disc diffusion method and confirmed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and amplification of mecA gene by PCR. Strain typing of MRSA strains was done by PFGE. Results: Out of 820 samples, S.aureus was isolated from 229 (27.92%) subjects. Of the 229 isolates, 15 were methicillin resistant. All S. aureus isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Nasal carriage of MRSA was found to be 1.83% among healthy population. The isolates were found to be polyclonal by PFGE analysis. Conclusion: High prevalence of MRSA is a cause of concern and strategies to interrupt transmission should be implemented.

Fungemia caused by Verticillium species in an immunocompromised child.

The incidence of fungal infections is increasing due to immunocompromised states. We report a case of fungaemia due to a rare fungus - Verticillium, in a 6 year old child diagnosed as a case of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia- L1 with high grade fever. The patient was treated with amphotericin B with a good clinical response.

Human toxocariasis and ascariasis: concomitant parasitism in Srinagar, Kashmir, India.

Human toxocariasis caused by Toxocara canis is common in both developing and developed countries and leads to visceral larva migrans with high morbidity and mortality. Ascariasis caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, too has global distribution and in India, high prevalence rate has been reported in Kashmir (J & K State). Both nematode parasites, Toxocara canis and A. lumbricoides require similar biological and environmental conditions for the development of eggs in soil. Therefore, the present study was attempted to detect the antibody response to T. Canis excretory-secretory (ES) antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in patients attending Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir to assess the magnitude of human toxocariasis in Kashmir, the highly endemic area of ascariasis. Interestingly, it was observed that 38 (82.60%) out of 46 patients harbouring Ascaris Iumbricoides had positive antibody response to T. Canis ES antigen while none of the 15 normal healthy subjects from the same endemic zone, 25 from low endemic zone Chandigarh and 15 from other parasitic infections (hookworm, hydatidosis, cysticercosis) indicated detectable positive response. Majority of the ascariasis positive patients studied were in the age group of 21-40 years. However, one ascariasis patient studied in the age group of 1-10 years (4 years old) had also positive antibody response to T. Canis antigen. This study is the first report of human toxocariasis in Kashmir, India, an endemic zone for ascariasis and emphasizes the need for detailed epidemiological study for the ultimate prevention and control of this disease

Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in women with recurrent abortions/neonatal deaths and its treatment outcome.

Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection, varies in its prevalence in various countries. Some studies have suggested its role in the causation of abortions. We reviewed the records of Microbiology Department at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar (Kashmir) and found that out of 2371 women with recurrent abortions and 310 women with neonatal deaths tested for IgM antibody against toxoplasma, 1260 (53.14%) and 215 (69.35%) tested positive respectively. One hundred and twenty-two women with recurrent abortions and 55 women with neonatal deaths who had tested positive for IgM antibody were followed during subsequent pregnancy and were treated with spiramycin; 115 94.26%) in current abortion group and 35 (63.64%) in neonatal death group delivered normal babies. We discuss the role of seropositivity for toxoplasma in women during reproductive period.