Urinary Tract Infection is alarming problem worldwide due to the intensity of antimicrobial resistance. Escherichia coli is the most predominant organism in UTI. This study was planned to evaluate demographic parameters, the prevalence of E. coli, and antimicrobial resistance patterns among E. coli isolates from UTI patients in Nishtar Hospital of Multan from January to June 2018. A total of 350 mid-stream urine samples were collected from different patients having age group from 25 to 60 years and processed by standard laboratory procedures. Out of 350 samples, 100 samples were observed as critical bacteremia. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia were the most persistent (47 % and 19 % individually) among the Gram-negative pathogens followed by S. aureus (14 %), Enterobacter spp. (11 %) and Candida (9 %) respectively. The incidence of UTI was found higher in 25-35 age groups. The prevalence of UTI with E. coli as an infectious agent was 72 % in females, and 28 % in males. The prevalence of E. coli was more in rural areas (70 %) than in urban areas (26 %). The antimicrobial testing against E. coli showed the highest resistance to amoxicillin (65.9 %) and ciprofloxacin (38.2 %), whereas highly sensitive rate observed against Fosfomycin (FOS) (95.7 %), Gentamicin (GEN) (89.3 %), and Nitrofurantoin (NIT) (85 %) respectively. The increased resistance against ampicillin and ciprofloxacin was observed in Multan have a great emerging problem so there is a need for effective prevention strategies for the E. coli drug resistance and successful surveillance required to be improved.

Objective: To evaluate the association of Vibrio cholera infection with age and gender. To develop the antibiotic sensitivity pattern for Vibrio cholera against commercially available preparations in market. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional Place and duration: Study was conducted at department of Pathology, Nishtar Medical University and Hospital Multan, in the months from April to September, 2022. Methodology: Total 191 Stool samples were sent to Microbiology laboratory, Pathology department of hospital which was included in this study. These samples were from Nishtar Hospital various wards and from CEO office. After successful isolation of bacteria the antibiotic sensitivity were tested by Kirby-Baur Disc Diffusion Method. Results: During the outbreak of Vibrio cholera in our area, 10.99% cases were detected in whole diseased population. Mean age of patients who developed Vibrio cholera was 7.68 + 0.66 years. Gender showed no discrimination as both males and females were almost equally affected. Age and gender were not found statistically significant (p=0.740 and p=0.329). The sensitivity was measured for three antibiotic drugs (Ampicillin, Erythromycin and Tetracycline). Among them only Ampicillin showed 50% sensitivity whiles other two antibiotics were 100% sensitive. Conclusion: Unhygienic environment especially in pediatrics group has showed to be the main risk factor in the outbreaks of cholera. Proper disposal of waste, especially from infected persons, to keep it segregated from drinking water along with awareness programs are the need of hour to prevent further outbreaks. Keywords: Kirby-Baur Disc Diffusion Method, Vibrio cholera, Outbreak, Pediatrics, Ampicillin, Erythromycin and Tetracycline

A new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 named Omicron induced a swift increase in COVID-19 cases across the world. Omicron variant-associated cases had a substantial impact on people's mental health. A cross-sectional social media-based survey was conducted (13-December-2021 to 25-Dec-2021) after the first case of Omicron variant has been reported in Pakistan. A designed questionnaire was used to gather data. The first part of the questionnaire contained demographic characteristics and second section comprised seven questions regarding fear toward the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Statistical analysis was performed by Graph Pad Prism version VII and MS-Excel. A total of 375 people were engaged in this survey. About 98.9% of participants had heard about the Omicron variant. Social media was found as the enormous source of Omicron variant information. The fear score was collectively high about 84.5%. Partakers who belong to urban areas had a significantly high fear score than the people who live in rural areas. Participants aged 21 - 40 had remarkably greater fear scores than other ages especially among healthcare workers in comparison with non-healthcare workers. Females were found eminently on a high fear level as compared to men. On an educational basis, post-graduates partakers had significantly high fear scores than the other graduates and high school/diploma holder participants. The current study provides a compact screening of the fear among the people of south Punjab Pakistan towards the Omicron variant of COVID-19. There is a need for development of strategies to overcome the fear by imparting new policies and awareness programs.