Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Group B Streptococcus Vaccine Update: A Crucial Public Health Initiative for India.","authors":"B Joel, Vijay Moses, Balaji Veeraraghavan, Sridhar Santhanam, Manisha Madhai Beck, Nisha Dhar, Gaurav Kwatra, Rani Diana Sahni","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100917","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100917","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infections and infant mortality worldwide. Global epidemiological studies highlight the increasing maternal rectovaginal GBS carriage rates posing a major risk for increasing neonatal infections. An estimated one-fourth of pregnant women are colonized with GBS. Various preventive measures have been implemented, including screening strategies for GBS during pregnancy and the introduction of intrapartum antimicrobial prophylaxis (IAP). While IAP has effectively reduced early-onset GBS disease (EOD), the late-onset disease (LOD) and invasive infections remain a growing concern, highlighting the urgent need for a GBS vaccine.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This review examines global GBS epidemiology, serotype prevalence, potential vaccine targets and current progress in vaccine development.</p><p><strong>Content: </strong>This review focuses on maternal carriage rates, neonatal disease burden and screening strategies and underscores the importance of maternal screening and IAP administration in mitigating neonatal infections. Additionally, it summarizes the distribution of major GBS serotypes worldwide, facilitating comparisons of serotype prevalence and vaccine candidate coverage. The study further explores virulence factors associated with GBS colonization and invasion and the current vaccine development efforts emphasizing the critical need for investment in GBS vaccine research to reduce neonatal infection rates globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"100917"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144626077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applicability of cascade reporting among the uropathogens from a tertiary healthcare center : A pilot study targeting antimicrobial stewardship intervention.","authors":"Maitrayee Narayan, Sarita Mohapatra, Bimal Kumar Das, Hitender Gautam, Seema Sood, Benu Dhawan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100921","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100921","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a mounting global health problem underlining the need for an effective antimicrobial stewardship program (AMSP). Cascade reporting holds a major role in AMSP. The recent introduction of a tier system for cascade reporting in CLSI 2023 suggests restricted reporting for second-line or broader-spectrum antimicrobial agents .</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this pilot study, Tier 1 and Tier 2 antibiotics were identified for different group of uropathogens based on available antibiogram data. Uropathogens with significant bacteriuria were identified over a period of 10 months (March-December, 2023) and their antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) pattern was analyzed as per the tier system.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cascade reporting was done in 10.6% of samples with significant bacteriuria and a majority of these isolates belonged to the in-patient department (IPD) with high susceptibility to four different classes of antibiotics in Tier 1.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study emphasizes the scope of cascade reporting in antimicrobial stewardship at a tertiary healthcare center in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"100921"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144617399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, typing, peripheral blood immune factor expression and vaginal microenvironment balance in cervical cancer screening population - correspondence","authors":"Yan-Ru Xiao ,&nbsp;Huai-An Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100919","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 100919"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144614824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utility of multiplex PCR for rapid diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis: A North Indian tertiary care experience","authors":"Debasish Biswal ,&nbsp;Hitender Gautam ,&nbsp;Varun Kumar ,&nbsp;Sonu Tyagi ,&nbsp;Yogesh Kumar ,&nbsp;Sarita Mohapatra ,&nbsp;Seema Sood ,&nbsp;Benu Dhawan ,&nbsp;Bimal Kumar Das","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100915","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100915","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) remains challenging. This study evaluated multiplex PCR versus conventional methods. A total of 1248 cerebrospinal fluid samples from suspected ABM patients were tested using Gram stain, culture, and multiplex PCR targeting <em>Streptococcus pneumoniae</em>, <em>Haemophilus influenzae</em> type b, <em>Neisseria meningitidis</em>, <em>Streptococcus agalactiae</em>, and 16S rRNA gene. Multiplex PCR detected pathogens in 9.3 % of samples, compared to 2.3 % by culture and 1.5 % by Gram stain. PCR identified <em>H. influenzae</em> (13), <em>S. pneumoniae</em> (7), <em>N. meningitidis</em> (1), <em>S. agalactiae</em> (1). With 90 % sensitivity and 92.6 % specificity, multiplex PCR is a valuable complementary diagnostic tool for ABM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 100915"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144597106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Commercial real-time PCR kit results for the detection of Helicobacter pylori and clarithromycin resistance in stool samples","authors":"Neşe İnal ,&nbsp;Tevhide Şahin ,&nbsp;H. Yasemin Balaban ,&nbsp;Cem Şimşek ,&nbsp;Halis Şimşek ,&nbsp;Yakut Akyön","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div><em>Helicobacter pylori</em> (<em>H. pylori</em>) is a bacterium that infects half of the world's population, and, unless treated, colonization usually persists throughout the lifespan. Noninvasive tests for the detection of <em>H. pylori</em> infections have indeed been valuable because of their ease of use and reduced discomfort. However, many noninvasive tests primarily focus on identifying the presence of bacteria rather than determining antimicrobial susceptibility. The purpose of this work was to use real-time PCR on stool samples to identify <em>H. pylori</em> infections and the point mutations that resulted in clarithromycin resistance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 63 patients attending to Gastroenterology Department of Hacettepe University Hospital were included between January 2021 and July 2022. Gastric biopsy culture, rapid urease test, histopathological analysis, stool antigen test, gastric biopsy and stool real-time PCR (RT-PCR) procedures were performed for the diagnosis of <em>H. pylori</em>. As the study's reference standard, a combination of two positive procedures were used.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the 63 patients included in the study, 42.9 % tested <em>H. pylori</em> positive, while 57.1 % tested <em>H. pylori</em> negative. When the reference standards were compared to stool RT-PCR; for <em>H. pylori</em> detection, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy were determined 66.6 %, 100 %, 100 %, 80.0 %, 85.7 % respectively. In the detection of clarithromycin point mutations from stool samples with RT-PCR, the overall agreement was 65 % when compared to the results obtained from gastric biopsy RT-PCR.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In conclusion, the outcomes of this study indicate that utilizing RT-PCR from stool samples holds potential as a diagnostic tool for detecting <em>H. pylori</em>. This is particularly relevant in circumstances where invasive tests present challenges. However, further studies are recommended to validate and refine the method for clarithromycin resistance detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 100920"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Central Line associated Blood Stream Infection in PICU of a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India.","authors":"Manjinder Kaur, Sophia, Rajwinder Kaur, Charu Guleria, Shashi Vig, Suresh Kumar Angurana, Manisha Biswal, Muralidharan Jayshree","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are common healthcare-associated complications, especially in low-middle-income countries. We aimed to study the impact of certain quality improvement (QI) initiatives in reducing these infections from baseline rate of 10.5 per 1000 central line days.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective interventional study was conducted in phases over 14-month period in level 3, 15-beds Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. During Phase 1, existing practices were observed and documented as baseline data. In Phase 2, QI initiatives were formulated, infrastructure was ramped up and staff was trained followed by implementation in Phase 3. Data was compared in pre and post- QI phases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The insertion site changed from femoral to internal jugular vein in 7/21(33%) to 14/21(67%), which was statistically significant (p= 0.030). The days of Central Line (CL) in situ were reduced (p= 0.038). The availability of single-use alcohol swabs, use of peripheral cannula for intermittent medication, and self-reported 'scrub the hub' also improved (p<0.001). Central line associated blood stream infection rate decreased by 32% from a baseline rate of 10.5 to 7.1 per 1000 CL days. During the later three months, it further dropped by 74% to 2.7 per 1000 CL days, followed by 'CLABSI-free six months' post study period.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Implementation of Quality improvement interventions resulted in progressive decline in central line associated blood stream infection rates from baseline of 10.5 to 7.1 per 1000 CL days and further to 2.7, followed by 'CLABSI-free six months.The factors that promoted success included all stakeholder participation, providing necessary infrastructure, training, audit and feedback.</p>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"100922"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144617398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CLINICO-LABORATORY profile of scrub typhus cases among adults presenting with acute febrile illness","authors":"Kevin Joseph R ,&nbsp;Rohit Chawla ,&nbsp;Sumeet Singla ,&nbsp;Sonal Saxena","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100916","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100916","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To determine the frequency and clinico-epidemiological profile of patients with scrub typhus and to assess the performance characteristics of an ICT based rapid assay for its diagnosis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted on 175 adults ≥18 years of age presenting with acute onset of fever (temperature &gt;38 °C) for &lt;14 days with any of the following features: eschar, rash, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice and multi-organ involvement. Immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV/AIDS, malignancy, patients on cytotoxic drugs and on systemic corticosteroid therapy were excluded from the study. Cases were recruited from medicine wards of Lok Nayak Hospital. Serum from the cases was tested for <em>Orientia tsutsugamushi</em> specific IgM antibody by ELISA and rapid assay. The performance characteristics of rapid assay was evaluated by comparing it with ELISA as the reference standard.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 175 cases, 36 (20.6 %) were reactive for scrub typhus IgM ELISA, while 139 (79.4 %) were non-reactive. Maximum number of scrub typhus cases were in the age group of 21–30 years (41.7 %) with both genders affected equally. Majority of the scrub typhus cases resided in urban areas (69.4 %), belonged to lower middle class (38.9 %) and were seen between the monsoon months of July and October (75 %). Eschar, lymphadenopathy, jaundice, ascites, ARDS, myocarditis, DIC, raised LDH, raised ALP, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypoalbuminemia and leucocytosis were found to be significantly associated with scrub typhus. The sensitivity and specificity of the scrub typhus IgM rapid assay when compared to IgM ELISA was 22.2 % and 100.0 %, respectively, with low kappa value of 0.312.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The frequency of scrub typhus in AFI was found to be 20.6 %. In view of the poor sensitivity, the RDT used in our study cannot be recommended as the screening assay for serodiagnosis of scrub typhus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 100916"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stenotrophomonas maltophilia meningitis: to look for in post-neurosurgical state","authors":"Sanjana Kumari ,&nbsp;Hitender Gautam ,&nbsp;Neha Nityadarshini ,&nbsp;Santanu Kumar Bora ,&nbsp;Shivani Bhatia ,&nbsp;Sarita Mohapatra ,&nbsp;Seema Sood ,&nbsp;Benu Dhawan ,&nbsp;Bimal Kumar Das","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100918","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100918","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</em> is a less frequently reported pathogen associated with meningitis but it's involvement cannot be ignored in nosocomial settings, especially post interventional procedures. Managing these cases is difficult, owing to the organism's intrinsic resistance to large number of antibiotics. Here, we report three cases in which patients presented with meningitis caused by <em>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</em> post neurosurgical procedure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 100918"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The case for a Klebsiella pneumoniae vaccine: A public health priority","authors":"Sowmya Murugan ,&nbsp;Jobin John Jacob ,&nbsp;Kamini Walia ,&nbsp;Gaurav Kwatra","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> is a significant opportunistic pathogen responsible for a range of infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains poses a critical challenge to public health, necessitating the development of effective vaccines. Traditional vaccine strategies have been limited by the pathogen's genetic diversity and the presence of virulent serotypes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This review aims to evaluate current advancements in vaccine development against <em>K. pneumoniae</em>, focusing on innovative approaches such as multiepitope subunit vaccines, reverse vaccinology, and the use of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) as key targets. We also discuss the importance of identifying conserved antigens to ensure broad protection across diverse strains.</div></div><div><h3>Content</h3><div>The review covers several key areas of vaccine development, including conjugate vaccines, nanovaccines, and bioconjugate approaches, which have shown potential in eliciting immune responses. Conjugate vaccines, which couple polysaccharides with carrier proteins, have been explored to target capsular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides, two critical components of <em>K. pneumoniae's</em> virulence mechanisms. Nanotechnology-based vaccines offer innovative solutions by enhancing antigen stability and immune response. Additionally, reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics have been used to design multiepitope vaccines targeting conserved antigens. The review underscores the challenges in advancing these vaccines through clinical trials and emphasizes the need for ongoing research to develop effective, broad-spectrum vaccines to combat <em>K. pneumoniae</em> infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 100909"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144560028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Present and future prospects of vaccines: protecting humanity against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases","authors":"Basavaraj Neelappa Gonal ,&nbsp;Nagarjuna Prakash Dalbanjan ,&nbsp;Arihant Jayawant Kadapure ,&nbsp;K.R. Shubham ,&nbsp;S.K. Praveen Kumar ,&nbsp;Suresh B. Arakera","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijmmb.2025.100908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Vaccines have proven to be one of the most effective tools for controlling infectious diseases worldwide, significantly lowering illness and death rates caused by various pathogens. However, the emergence of new and re-emerging infectious diseases highlights the critical need for advanced vaccine technologies that can respond to dynamic, evolving health threats.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>This review examines recent advances in vaccine science, with a particular emphasis on the development of next-generation platforms such as mRNA and viral vector-based vaccines, as well as advancements in formulation and delivery systems. These advances have helped overcome immune escape mechanisms, which pathogens use to avoid immune detection and reduce vaccine efficacy. The review provides an historical perspective showing how each breakthrough has influenced current strategies, such as those used during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how cumulative progress has shaped today's rapid vaccine development and deployment capabilities.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Lessons from recent vaccine innovations, combined with historical perspectives, point to a bright future in which pathogen-specific vaccine designs, personalized immune responses, and global access will all play important roles in public health. Together, these findings lay the groundwork for future progress in pandemic preparedness and global health security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13284,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 100908"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}