Papers by Bharti Malhotra
International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2020
Background and Objectives: Presently world is facing Corona virus disease pandemic. This disease ... more Background and Objectives: Presently world is facing Corona virus disease pandemic. This disease was first identified in Wuhan city of China which spread rapidly to more than 200 countries including India. Rajasthan is a state affected badly with this disease. So this present study was conducted to find out the status of COVID-19 in state and to find out the effects of containment measures taken. Materials and Methods: This record base case series type of study was conducted from reports received of confirmed COVID-19 cases and reported to the IDSP, DMHS from March 2nd 2020 to May 25th 2020, from various reporting units of Rajasthan. Desired information's were collected, compiled and analyzed. Interpretation and Conclusion: There were 7351 laboratory-confirmed case including 4061 recovered cases and 166 deaths. Recovery rate and Case Fatality Rate were found 55.24% and 2.26% respectively. (2.4%) reported. Although patients of all ages were affected with this disease but majority (81.99%) were in 16-60 years of age group. In these positive cases male predominance was also observed with M:F ratio 2.11. Majority of district of Rajasthan were affected with this pandemic having about half of cases in three districts v.i.z. in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur districts. Average Doubling time has increased from 4 days to 18 days as a result of containment measures undertaken in Rajasthan. So these containment measures like social distancing, masking, washing hand frequently etc. Should be taken care of even after lockdown to prevent the COVID-19 infection.
Journal of Laboratory Physicians, 2020
Objective Infections due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing globally and may pres... more Objective Infections due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing globally and may present as drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB). In India, data on NTM prevalence and species diversity is limited. Present study was conducted to detect the prevalence and profile of NTM among patients suspected of DRTB using paraffin slide culture (PSC)and mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture methods for isolation of NTM.Material and Method A total of 2,938 samples suspected of TB/DRTB were cultured on PSC and MGIT960. Species identification of mycobacterial isolate was done by sequencing of 16s ribosomal RNA gene.Result Among 2938 samples, 35 (1.19%) were found positive for NTM by PSC and 9 (0.30%) were found positive by MGIT. The diversity of NTM species was high (13 species). Out of 35 NTM isolates by PSC, maximum 34.29% (12) isolates were found to be Mycobacterium fortuitum, followed by 11.43% (4) Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium chelonae, and 42.85% (15) were other...
RUHS Journal of Health Sciences, Mar 31, 2022
Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology
PURPOSE Suddenly, many cases of fever with jaundice were reported from Sodala area at Jaipur. Thi... more PURPOSE Suddenly, many cases of fever with jaundice were reported from Sodala area at Jaipur. This outbreak of acute hepatitis at Jaipur Rajasthan was investigated for aetiology and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 106 symptomatic patients of acute hepatitis and 39 pregnant females (with or without symptoms of hepatitis) during an outbreak at Jaipur. The samples were tested for hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) by serological and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]). Sequencing of nested PCR product was done for phylogenetic analysis. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs antigen), anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV), anti-Leptospira and anti-scrub typhus IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was done for patients negative for HEV and HAV. RESULTS Among 106 symptomatic patients, HEV IgM was positive in 84/106 (79.2%) patients and HEV RNA in 72/106 (67.9%) patients. Among pregnant women, 6/39 (15.4%) were HEV IgM positive and 5/39 (12.8%) for HEV RNA. One (2.5%) pregnant woman died due to hepatitis. All the isolates belonged to genotype 1A of HEV. All HAV, HEV-negative samples were negative for HBs antigen, HCV antibody, Leptospira and scrub typhus IgM ELISA. CONCLUSION The outbreak was due to HEV genotype 1A. The municipal water supply was contaminated and sanitary conditions and waste disposal were poor in the area. Boiling of drinking water, fixing the water supply pipes and frequent hand washing helped in controlling the outbreak.
Journal of Advanced Scientific Research
The main purpose of this study is the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and its drug ... more The main purpose of this study is the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and its drug resistance profile by molecular methods in pediatric patients suspected of pleural tuberculosis. Children ≤ 15 years of age suspected of pleuritis were enrolled in this study. Total 176 pleural fluid samples were collected from January to June 2018 and tested for AFB microscopy, GeneXpert and MGIT culture. Of 176 samples, total 14 (8%) samples were positive for MTB and 1 (7.1%) was observed MDR-TB. Smear microscopy detected AFB in 2 (1.1%) cases only. GeneXpert and MGIT culture showed 6 (3.4%) and 12 (6.8%) positive cases respectively, out of, 1 (16.7%) was found rifampicin resistant by GeneXpert. Of culture positives, 1 (8.3%) was MDR-TB 8 1 (8.3%) was found isoniazid mono-resistant by first line LPA. Sensitivity and specificity of GeneXpert by using MGIT culture as gold standard was found to be 33.3% and 98.8% respectively. MDR-TB observed by GeneXpert was 16.7%. Among 12 culture posit...
Asian Journal of Medicine and Health, 2021
Background: Congenital infections are transmissible in utero and it can lead to serious foetal ou... more Background: Congenital infections are transmissible in utero and it can lead to serious foetal outcomes. These infections can be early detected in pregnant women with bad obstetric history for better foetal outcomes. Aim of the Study was to evaluate the association of TORCH infection with bad obstetric history among pregnant women. Study Design: Observational and comparative study Place and Duration of Study: Central laboratory, Department of Microbiology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur between April 2020 and September 2021. Methodology: 260 blood samples of pregnant women (130 with bad obstetric history and 130 pregnant women without bad obstetric history) were collected. and tested for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus by Chemiluminescence and Herpes simplex virus using ELISA kits. Results: Overall TORCH IgM seropositivity in high-risk pregnant women was 17.19%. In pregnant women with bad obstetric history, IgM Seropositi...
Indian journal of applied research, 2016
Background: The aim of this study wasto assess the susceptibility of Rubella virus in pregnant wo... more Background: The aim of this study wasto assess the susceptibility of Rubella virus in pregnant women and provide scientific evidence for implementation of cost effective immunization guideline and policy for childbearing age women and adolescent girls. Methods: This descriptive study involved 50 pregnant women attending Gangori Bazaar hospital,Jaipur.Blood samples were collected for serological testing by Elisa Method. Results: Out of 50 pregnant women, 4% were found susceptible to Rubella Virus, among which 3.1% belonged to urban area and 5.5% belonged to rural area.
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 2019
SETTING: Patients with presumed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and undergoing MDR-TB t... more SETTING: Patients with presumed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and undergoing MDR-TB treatment from Rajasthan, India.OBJECTIVE: To compare the GenoType® MTBDRsl v.1.0 (MTBDRsl) assay capacity to detect resistance to ofloxacin, amikacin, capreomycin, kanamycin and ethambutol in Mycobacterium tuberculosis with phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) using MGIT™960™ in sputum samples and isolates.DESIGN: Fifty-three smear-positive sputum samples were tested directly by MTBDRsl and 205 MDR-TB isolates were processed using MTBDRsl and DST for five drugs on MGIT960. DNA sequencing was performed in isolates with discordance in the results between the two methods for the gyrA, gyrB and rrs genes.RESULT: Sensitivity and specificity of MTBDRsl was found to be respectively 93.1% and 100% for fluoroquinoline, respectively 75–78% and 100% for aminoglycosides/cyclopeptides, respectively 70% and 92% for ethambutol and respectively 92.3% and 100% for extensively drug-resistant (XDR)...
Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology
Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2020
Background & objectives: An outbreak of respiratory illness of unknown aetiology was reported fro... more Background & objectives: An outbreak of respiratory illness of unknown aetiology was reported from Hubei province of Wuhan, People's Republic of China, in December 2019. The outbreak was attributed to a novel coronavirus (CoV), named as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 and the disease as COVID-19. Within one month, cases were reported from 25 countries. In view of the novel viral strain with reported high morbidity, establishing early countrywide diagnosis to detect imported cases became critical. Here we describe the role of a countrywide network of VRDLs in early diagnosis of COVID-19. Methods: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, established screening as well as confirmatory assays for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 13 VRDLs were provided with the E gene screening real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. VRDLs were selected on the basis of their presence near an international airport/seaport
PLoS ONE, 2014
Inflammation is part of self-limiting non-specific immune response, which occurs during bodily in... more Inflammation is part of self-limiting non-specific immune response, which occurs during bodily injury. In some disorders the inflammatory process becomes continuous, leading to the development of chronic inflammatory diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer etc. Several Indian tribes used the bark of Odina wodier (OWB) for treating inflammatory disorders. Thus, we have evaluated the immunotherapeutic potential of OWB methanol extract and its major constituent chlorogenic acid (CA), using three popular in vivo antiinflammatory models: Carrageenan-and Dextran-induced paw edema, Cotton pellet granuloma, and Acetic acid-induced vascular permeability. To elucidate the possible antiinflammatory mechanism of action we determine the level of major inflammatory mediators (NO, iNOS, COX-2-dependent prostaglandin E2 or PGE2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6, and IL-12). Further, we determine the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), nuclear factor kappa-B cells (NF-kB), and NF-kB inhibitor alpha (IK-Ba) by protein and mRNA expression, and Western blot analysis in drug treated LPS-induced murine macrophage model. Moreover, we determined the acute and sub-acute toxicity of OWB extract in BALB/c mice. Our study demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory activity of OWB extract and CA along with the inhibition of TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-12 expressions. Further, the expression of TLR4, NF-kBp65, MyD88, iNOS and COX-2 molecules were reduced in drug-treated groups, but not in the LPS-stimulated untreated or control groups, Thus, our results collectively indicated that the OWB extract and CA can efficiently inhibit inflammation through the down regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-kB signaling pathway.
Step by Step Managing HIV-Positive Pregnant Mothers, 2006
Viruses, 2022
Due to the failure of virus isolation of the Omicron variant in Vero CCL-81 from the clinical spe... more Due to the failure of virus isolation of the Omicron variant in Vero CCL-81 from the clinical specimens of COVID-19 cases, an initial in vivo and subsequent in vitro approach was utilized for the isolation of the virus. A total of 74 oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from SARS-CoV-2 positive international travellers and a contact case at Delhi and Mumbai, India. All the specimens were sequenced using next-generation sequencing and simultaneously inoculated onto Vero CCL-81 cells for virus isolation. Subsequently, two omicron positive specimens were inoculated into Syrian hamsters for two passages. The initial passage of the positive hamster specimens was inoculated onto Vero CCL-81 cells. The clinical specimens, hamster specimens, and Vero CCL-81 passages were sequenced to assess the mutational changes in different host species. The replication of the Omicron variant in hamsters was confirmed with the presence of a high viral load in nasal turbinate and lung spec...
Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2018
Background & objectives: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a major cause of childhood hepatiti... more Background & objectives: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a major cause of childhood hepatitis, prevalent worldwide. HAV is classified into seven genotypes I-VII; genotypes III and I are the most common among humans. The present work was carried out to identify the genotypes prevalent in children suspected to have acute viral hepatitis (AVH), hospitalized at a tertiary care centre in northwest India. Methods: A total of 1269 blood samples from children (0-15 yr of age) clinically suspected of viral hepatitis were screened for anti-HAV IgM. Acute phase serum was processed for RNA extraction and amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing of representative samples. Results: Among the 1269 samples tested, 642 (50.59%) were positive for anti-HAV IgM; among the positive samples, 171 patients having a history of less than seven days were tested by PCR, of whom 141 (82.45%) were found to be PCR positive. Nucleotide sequencing of a representative 44 samples showed high homology; all the samples were found to be of genotype IIIA. Interpretation & conclusions: Hepatitis A was prevalent during July to September and in predominantly children less than five years age. Only genotype IIIA was detected in all the samples.
Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2012
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute viral hepatitis. Majority of the documented studies on hepat... more Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute viral hepatitis. Majority of the documented studies on hepatitis E have been focused on the incidence of this disease in northern and south central India. Limited data are available on HEV infection among acute sporadic hepatitis cases in north western India. The present study was undertaken to investigate the contribution of hepatitis E virus infection in sporadic hepatitis cases in Rajasthan and neighbouring States. Seven hundred and thirty six patients suspected to have viral hepatitis were screened for the hepatotropic viral markers, hepatitis A, B, C and E by using commercial enzyme immunoassay kits with a high sensitivity and specificity. The acute nature of HEV infection was also confirmed by the detection of HEV RNA by nested RT-PCR. Hepatitis E was found to be the major cause of acute sporadic viral hepatitis (49.7%) in this region of India. Mixed infections of HEV-HAV (1.2%), HEV-HBV (6.1%), and HEV-HCV (1.7%) were also detected. No vir...
The Indian journal of tuberculosis, 2011
BACKGROUND In developing countries like ours with a large number of tuberculosis (TB) cases and l... more BACKGROUND In developing countries like ours with a large number of tuberculosis (TB) cases and limited resources, the diagnosis of TB relies primarily on smear microscopy for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) but its sensitivity is limited in paucibacillary cases. AIM To evaluate the increase in efficacy of smear microscopy when smears are prepared from clinical samples after concentration by Petroff's method and stained by Auramine O (AO) fluorescent dye as against Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining of similar taking culture as the gold standard. METHODS Smears were prepared from 393 clinical samples both by direct and after Petroff's concentration and examined by fluorescent microscopy and Ziehl Neelsen method .The concentrated material was also cultured on Lowenstein Jensen media and the results of the two microscopy methods were compared with the culture results taken as the gold standard. RESULTS Mycobacterial growth was detected in 137 (35.77%) specimens, out of which three were non-t...
Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2020
Introduction Incidence of Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing in past few years... more Introduction Incidence of Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) has been increasing in past few years. Treatment of NTM differs from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. For proper treatment, it's important to carry out Drug Susceptibility Testing of NTM. Method of DST for NTM is different from MTB and is not available in most laboratories. Method We performed DST on 122 isolates of NTM. Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Trimethoprim, Doxycycline, Moxifloxacin, Clarithromycin, Minocycline and Cefoxitinwere used for Rapid Growing Mycobacteria (RGM) and Rifampicin, Clarithromycin, Ethambutol, Isoniazid and Moxifloxacin for Slow Growing Mycobacteria (SGM). M. avium Complex (MAC) was tested against Clarithromycin. Minimum inhibitor concentration was calculated as recommended by standard Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and Resazurin Microtitre Assay (REMA). Result Most of Rapid Growing Mycobacteria were sensitive to Amikacin (76.1%) and Moxifloxacin (46.47%) while Slow Growing Mycobacte...
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Papers by Bharti Malhotra