ABSTRACT
Human dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens, have been reported to occur widely throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Reports of this infection from India are however limited. Herein we report a case of subconjunctival dirofilariasis from Karnataka state of India. A 42 year old man presented with a history of pain and swelling in the left eye. A live parasite measuring 3.5cm in length was surgically removed from the nodular swelling in the conjunctiva. The parasite was identified as Dirofilaria repens, adult male.
Subject(s)
Conjunctival Diseases/epidemiology , Dirofilariasis/epidemiology , Adult , Animals , Conjunctival Diseases/parasitology , Conjunctival Diseases/surgery , Dirofilariasis/surgery , Humans , India/epidemiology , MaleABSTRACT
Septicemia is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in India. In a study of 242 infants with septicemia conducted between March 1996 & June 1997 at Hubli, Karnataka, 43.39% infants had 'very early onset' sepsis (VOS), 40.08%, had 'early onset' sepsis (EOS), and 16.53% 'late onset' sepsis (LOS). 54.55% neonates had birth weight below 2000 g and 39.67% were born before 37 weeks of gestation. The cardiorespiratory signs and jaundice were the most frequent clinical features. The blood culture positivity rate was 64.87%. Klebsiella species was the commonest causative pathogen found and multidrug resistance was frequent. The overall mortality rate was 47.52% and the case fatality rate in LOS was higher than in VOS and EOS (p < 0.001). The mortality was significantly higher in neonates with lower birth weight and lower gestational age (p < 0.001). The study underlines the importance of monitoring the various features of neonatal septicemia, as well as the drug resistance of the pathogens from the nurseries.
Subject(s)
Sepsis/diagnosis , Sepsis/microbiology , Female , Humans , India , Infant, Newborn , MaleABSTRACT
Immunoglobulin-M estimation, and C-Reactive Protein test and blood culture were performed on 57 neonates, clinically suspected to have septicemia. IgM level of > or = 20 mg/dl was found in 58.62% cases and CRP test was positive in 68.98% of culture proven sepsis. Blood culture was positive in 29 cases, with the predominant organism being Klebsiella. Of the 2 tests, CRP had a higher sensitivity (68.97%) while IgM estimation had a higher specificity (82.14%). When the 2 tests were considered together the sensitivity and specificity further increased. Death rate among neonates with IgM levels < 20 mg/dl was 5 times higher than those with elevated IgM levels.