Comparative Analysis of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Immunochromatography for Rotavirus and Adenovirus Detection in Children below Five Years with Acute Gastroenteritis

Introduction The most frequent etiologies of viral gastroenteritis among young children are rotavirus and enteric adenovirus. The clinical signs and symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are not distinct enough to allow for diagnosis. For the diagnosis and treatment of acute gastroenteritis, it is preferable to use quick, simple, and low-cost procedures. This study was undertaken to determine efficacy of immune-chromatography test (ICT) in comparison with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect rotavirus and adenovirus antigen in fecal specimen among children less than 5 years of age with acute gastroenteritis. Materials and Methods In a cross-sectional observational study, 314 fecal samples were collected from children aged less than 5 years with acute gastroenteritis attending or admitted to a tertiary care hospital during the 1 year study period. Samples were tested for rotavirus and adenovirus antigen using ICT and ELISA. Results Among the 314 children evaluated, 112 (35.66%) had rotavirus infection, nine (2.86%) had adenovirus infection, and three (0.95%) had both rotavirus and adenovirus infection. This study found that ICT is 98.20% sensitive and 100% specific for the diagnosis of rotaviral diarrhea and 100% sensitive and 99.7% specific for adenovirus diarrhea, compared to ELISA. Conclusion Immunochromatography tests used for the detection of rotavirus and adenovirus in the fecal sample showed a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The ICT is easy to perform and rapid, and it does not require any special equipment. Hence, the ICT could be used as an alternative method for detecting viral pathogens in clinical practice

DETECTION OF METALLO BETA - LACTAMASES AMONG ENTEROBACTERIACEAE ISOLATES AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, SOUTH INDIA

Background: The spread of carbapenem resistant bacteria has caused grave concern due to the limited choice in antibiotics for treating infections caused by them. The emergence of  metallo beta-lactamse (MBL) producing  gram negative bacilli poses a therapeutic challenge and is of serious concern for infection control in hospital environment. Materials & Methods: A total of 475 non repeat clinical isolates of family Enterobacteriaceae were included in the study. Resistance to imipenem was determined in isolates by disc diffusion & minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. Imipenem resistant  isolates  were tested for MBL production by combined disc diffusion test and modified Hodge test. Results: Out of the 475 Enterobacteriaceae strains,  20 showed resistance to imipenem. MBL activity was detected in all 20 (4.2%) isolates by combined disc diffusion test, in 18 isolates by modified Hodge test. The MBL producing isolates included clinical strains of Klebsiella spp (45%), E. coli (40%), Citrobacter spp (15%).  Majority of the MBL isolates were from Intensive care unit (65%), from patients with comorbid conditions and with invasive devices.  MBL producing isolates showed high level of resistance to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones but all were susceptible to colistin. Conclusion: The need of the hour is to detect MBL producing isolates for better patient outcomes, to execute prompt infection control measures and decrease the escalation of resistance