Background: Dengue fever is currently the most important arthropod borne viral disease. Since occurrence of dengue infections has been an epidemic in many parts of India and complications like DHF and DSS are increasing, while at the same time the diagnosis is challenging, particularly the laboratory diagnosis is confusing, this study was conducted to evaluate the different laboratory test methods and to compare their respective efficacy, timing, advantages and disadvantages.Methods: This study was done in the Department of Microbiology in collaboration with the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics in two tertiary care medical colleges and hospitals in eastern India. Blood samples from 319 patients with clinical features suggestive of Dengue fever were included in this study. Laboratory investigations were done which included immunological assays that were performed using commercially available kits - SD dengue duo NS1Ag + Ab combo rapid test, NS1 Ag capture ELISA, IgM capture ELISA, IgG capture ELISA test for dengue and other routine tests -full blood cell count, coagulation tests, routine biochemical and lipid profile were also done. Ethical considerations were taken care of and statistical evaluations were done.Results: An increased detection of IgM antibody (46.15%) was seen in the early febrile period (1-5 days) as compared to the mid-febrile period (6-10 days), and late febrile period (6-10 days) when it is 6.89%. IgG antibody is much less in early febrile period (4.16%). Compared to mid-febrile period (24.13%), and late febrile period (62.5%). IgM antibodies were detected in 44.5% of the samples, IgG antibodies were detected in 43.5% of the samples, Rapid test was positive in 36.9% and NS1AG ELISA was detected in 43.5% of the samples in the study.Conclusions: It can be inferred from our study that for detection of dengue in the early febrile period (1-5 days), estimation of dengue-specific serum IgM is the most sensitive antibody detection method.

Background: Dengue fever is currently the most important arthropod borne viral disease. During recent outbreaks in India, the clinical manifestations which were shown by the patients were slightly different from those in previous years. The present study was done to analyze the clinical features of all pediatric cases admitted for dengue to three tertiary care teaching hospitals in eastern India, to facilitate early treatment and better outcome.Methods: A direct history and clinical examination-record based descriptive study was conducted on pediatric patients admitted with signs and symptoms suggestive of dengue fever to two hospitals in West Bengal and one in Bihar, during the period between January 2016 and December 2017. The data obtained were analyzed with correlative studies.Results: Total 200 patients of Dengue viral infected pediatric patients were included in the study. All these 200 children presented with fever. 126(63%) children had myalgia and arthralgia, 111 (55.5%) had headache, 58 (29%) presented with gastrointestinal infections, 51 (25.5%) had rash and 26 (13%) had hemorrhagic manifestations. Features of shock were present in 14 (7%) children, retro-orbital pain in 13 (6.5%) children and generalized swelling in 9 (4.5%) children.Conclusions: Increased awareness about the changing clinical features of dengue in pediatric cases in the present scenario as observed in recent epidemics, at least in eastern India is needed to further reduce mortality and complications of dengue cases.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease causing millions of cases worldwide. Though pulmonary TB is the most common form of infection, extrapulmonary cases are also very rampant and are responsible for a large number of cases. But the diagnosis of extrapulmonary cases is quite difficult because of varied manifestations and the paucibacillary nature of the infection. Cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) is a simple, rapid test that is very efficient in the early diagnosis of these extrapulmonary cases [extrapulmonary TB (EPTB)]. Aim: A study was done to establish the usefulness of CBNAAT in the early diagnosis of EPTB cases. Materials and methods: A comparative study was conducted in a rural tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India, for 8 months (July 2021–February 2022). Samples were collected from different sites like pleural fluid, lymph nodes, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), pus, ascitic fluid, and tissue aspirate and subjected to both CBNAAT and smear staining and examination under a fluorescent microscope. Positive samples were cultured, examined, and compared. Result: From 593 samples collected from different sites in suspected cases of EPTB—52 samples were positive by CBNAAT, and six cases showed rifampicin resistance (RIF resistant). Smear staining of the samples by auramine-rhodamine stains and examined under the fluorescent microscope for acid-fast bacilli identifying 33 samples; the rest were negative. Slides showing acid-fast bacilli were cultured on Lowenstein–Jensen media. Conclusion: Cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) is a very useful assay for the early diagnosis of extrapulmonary cases as it can accurately identify false negative samples by smear microscopy

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