Background Earlier serosurveys in India revealed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of 0.73% during May-June and 7.1% during August-September 2020. We conducted the third serosurvey during Dec 2020 and Jan 2021, to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among general population and healthcare workers (HCWs) in India. Methods We conducted the serosurvey in the same 70 districts selected for the first and second serosurveys. From each district, we enrolled at least 400 individuals aged ≥ 10 years from general population and 100 HCWs from sub-district level health facilities. Sera from general population were tested for presence of IgG antibodies against nucleocapsid (N) and spike protein (S1-RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, whereas sera from HCWs were tested for anti-S1-RBD. We estimated weighted seroprevalence adjusted for assay characteristics. Results Of the 28,598 sera from general population, 4585 (16%) had IgG antibodies against N, 6647 (23.2%) against S1-RBD and 7436 (26%) against either. The weighted and assay characteristic adjusted seroprevalence against either of the antibodies was 24.1 (95%CI: 23.0%-25.3%). Among 7385 HCWs, the seroprevalence of anti-S1-RBD IgG antibodies was 25.6% (95% CI: 23.5%-27.8%). Conclusions Nearly one in four individuals aged > = 10 years from general population as well as HCWs in India were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by December 2020.

Background: Intestinal parasitic infestations cause a variety of clinical conditions, ranging from asymptomatic infestations to life-threatening situations. This study will highlight the importance of screening for intestinal parasites in immunosuppressed patients and increasing awareness of occurrence of intestinal parasites in this population. Objective: To understand the prevalence and demonstration of intestinal parasitic infestations among the immunosuppressed patients and determine the association of intestinal parasite and clinical presentation among these patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 149 immunosuppressed patients were included in the study. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was diagnosed by microscopic examination of stool specimens. Smears were stained by Kinyoun's modified acid-fast stain. Stool samples were also examined after Sheather's sugar floatation and formol-ether concentration techniques. Result: Of the 149 patients included in the study, parasitic infestation was present in 53.02%. The highest prevalence of parasitic infestation was found in patients with cancers 80% (12 of 15). Overall, 106 (71.1%) patients showed gastrointestinal symptoms, of which 63(59.4%) patients were positive for intestinal parasites. The most common parasite isolated was Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar. The parasite prevalence with use of routine method was found to be 37% and with Sheather's sucrose floatation and formal-ether sedimentation method was found to be 43% and 52.3%, respectively. Conclusion: This study thus highlights the importance of testing for intestinal parasites in immunosuppressed patients and emphasizes the necessity awareness among clinicians regarding the occurrence of these parasites in this population and health education of the population for food hygiene.

Introduction: Myroides spp. are aerobic, yellow-pigmented, non-fermentative Gram-negative rods considered to be low-grade opportunistic pathogens. However, their intrinsic resistance to commonly used antibiotics necessitates prompt identification and evaluation. Case presentation: Here, we report a case of septicaemia caused by Myroides sp. A 36-year-old pregnant female was admitted to the intensive care unit at week 18 of gestation with a diagnosis of hydatidiform mole with acute renal failure and anaemia. Blood culture under aerobic conditions showed growth of round, smooth, convex, yellow-pigmented colonies on blood agar but which failed to grow on MacConkey agar, and the organism was identified as Myroides sp. Susceptibility testing showed that it was susceptible only to piperacillin+tazobactam and, following treatment, the patient recovered. Conclusion: Myroides spp. has, until now, been regarded as an opportunistic pathogen and a rare cause of serious disease in immunocompromised subjects. However, it may cause serious disease, even in immunocompetent hosts, and its intrinsic resistance warrants appropriate testing and timely intervention.

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Introduction: Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a leading cause of mortality in critically ill patients. The mortality directly attributable to BSI has been estimated to be around 16% and 40% in general hospital population and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) population, respectively. The detection rate of these infections increases with the number of blood samples obtained for culture. The newer continuous monitoring automated blood culture systems with enhanced culture media show increased yield and sensitivity. Hence, we aimed at studying the role of single and multiple blood specimens from different sites at the same time in the outcome of automated blood culture system. Materials and Methods and Results: A total of 1054 blood culture sets were analyzed over 1 year, the sensitivity of one, two, and three samples in a set was found to be 85.67%, 96.59%, and 100%, respectively, which showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001). Similar findings were seen in few more studies, however, among individual organisms in contrast to other studies, the isolation rates of Gram-positive bacteria were less than that of Gram-negative Bacilli with one (or first) sample in a blood culture set. In our study, despite using BacT/ALERT three-dimensional continuous culture monitoring system with FAN plus culture bottles, 15% of positive cultures would have been missed if only a single sample was collected in a blood culture set. Conclusion: The variables like the volume of blood and number of samples collected from different sites still play a major role in the outcome of these automated blood culture systems.