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

Introduction: Viruses are spread from one individual to another. In respect to the mode of transmission, the majority of them enter the human body by the inward breath of infective respiratory beads. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI) are infections of the body’s respiratory tract, which include the sinuses, nose, throat, airways, and lungs. The influenza virus has four key structural antigens: the internal Ribonucleoprotein (RNP), the viral envelope Matrix (M), and two surface Glycoproteins (GP), Neuraminidase (NA) and Haemagglutinin (HA). A respiratory virus called swine flu/H1N1 evolved and spread widely around the world. H1N1 outbreaks with various virus strains were noted before the most recent severe pandemic, which occurred in 2009. Seasonal outbreaks that are extremely infrequent since the 2009 pandemic the influenza strain have occurred. Aim: To assess the prevalence and level of cytokines in H1N1- infected patients with signs and symptoms of respiratory distress. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of viral molecular, immunological and epidemiological parameters. The study was done at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the Department of Health Research (DHR), Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), Department of Microbiology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (BMCH), Burdwan, India. The duration of the study was seven months, from January 2022- July 2022. Samples in Viral Transport Medium (VTM) were collected from suspected influenza patients with mild or severe Acute Respiratory Distress Symptoms (ARDS) and Influenza Like Symptom (ILS). The RNA samples were isolated and the nucleic acid purified from samples was screened by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The extracted clinical Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) samples are then converted into Complementary Deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA). The HA gene sequences of endemic swine influenza A virus (H1N1) and sequences from a panel of human and avian type A influenza virus strains, including the type A human seasonal strains, were retrieved from the GenBank database in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) portal. The Enzymelinked Immunoassay (ELISA) method was used to measure the proinflammatory cytokines Interleukin (IL)-8, IL2 and antiinflammatory cytokine IL10, as well as the IL3 concentration level in severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) +Immediate Life Support (ILS) positive H1N1 infected patients. Analysis of all the data was performed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Results: In this study, all samples (n=120) were examined using RT-PCR, which revealed that 53 samples were infected with the Influenza A Virus (IAV). Among the total positive 24 were males and 29 were females. the average concentration of IL3 was 1749.49 pg/mL. The increase in IL8 was not as big as the increase in IL2 and IL3. IL8 was identified as a significant proinflammatory factor during angiogenesis, or uncontrolled cell growth. Conclusion: The prevalence of H1N1 infection was found to be high in children under the age of ten. The concentration of IL-3 in H1N1-infected patients’ samples was higher than the concentrations of the other three cytokines.

Background: Proper hand hygiene practices by healthcare providers are critical to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). This study aimed to assess the hand hygiene knowledge and practices of nursing students in various departments and operation theatres of a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey based on WHO questions was conducted in March-April 2022 to evaluate the hand hygiene knowledge and practices of 105 nursing students. The study included nursing students from different departments, including medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, eye, different ICUs (adult, NICU, and PICU), and different OTs. The collected data were analyzed according to the STROBE guidelines. Results: Of the 105 nursing students, 42.86% had no training in hand hygiene practices, highlighting the need for additional training. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most students (86%) were familiar with using alcohol-based hand rubs. Most students preferred hand rubbing before giving an injection (65.74%), while hand washing was preferred after vacating a bedpan (91.42%) or being exposed to blood (89.52%). Comparing the pre-and post-workshop questionnaires showed a significant improvement in hand hygiene knowledge. However, more training is required to understand the importance of infection spread from the infected hands of HCWs. Additionally, gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene practices, and wearing jewelry and artificial nails should be avoided. Regular training and workshops can increase awareness among nursing students. Conclusion: The findings indicate a need for ongoing training to improve hand hygiene practices among nursing students. Regular training and workshops can increase awareness and knowledge, leading to decreased incidence of HCAIs.

Background: Candidemia is a life-threatening bloodstream infection caused by Candida species and is a major concern in pediatric patients, particularly in developing countries like India. Therefore, the goals of the current study are to isolate and identify several Candida species from blood samples, link various risk factors with candidemia, and ascertain the antifungal sensitivity pattern of each species. Methodology: This study is an observational, cross-sectional study conducted to determine the prevalence, distribution, and antifungal susceptibility of Candida species among pediatric patients with candidemia. The current study collected blood samples in BACT/ALERT 3D Pediatric bottles for fungal blood culture. After positive growth was obtained from Blood agar and Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA), a range of biochemical reactions, including Gram staining, Germ tube test, CHROM agar Candida Medium, and Sugar fermentation, were carried out. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used for conducting the antifungal susceptibility test. Results: Among the total of 156 different species of Candida, the maximum isolates were Candida albicans (CA) (42.9%), followed by Candida tropicalis (23.1%) and Candida parapsilosis (14.7%). The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) had the most Candida isolates, and catheterization was a leading risk factor. Susceptibility to Amphotericin B, Caspofungin, and Voriconazole was 84.6%, 81.4%, and 76.9%, respectively. Our study observed that the azole group of antifungals revealed pretty high resistance to Non-Candida albicans (NCA). Conclusion: The prevalence of candidemia was higher in the pediatric ICU and neonatal ICU, and the incidence rate was highest among neonates and infants. The study concludes that NCA species are gradually replacing C. albicans as an important pathogen, and clinicians need to be aware of the antifungal resistance patterns of the different Candida species.

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