Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Volume:10 Issue: 4, Autumn 2022

COVID-19 infection can be complicated by coagulation derangement and a high risk of thromboembolic episodes. Our study aimed to investigate coagulation parameters in COVID-19 patients and their correlation with clinical severity.

We analyzed coagulation parameters PT, APTT, D-Dimer, and Fibrinogen in 98 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to the Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.

This study involved 69 males (70.50%), and 29 (29.5%) were females. The mortality rate was 6.12% (n= 06). Forty-six patients (46.94%) had comorbidities. Thirty-four patients had elevated PT, and 7 had high APTT, whereas D-dimer and fibrinogen levels were raised in 68 and 61 patients, respectively. Among all four parameters, D-Dimer levels were significantly associated with disease severity.

Derangement of D-dimer levels is significantly associated with disease severity in COVID-19 infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a significant health and financial issue in the current century. Despite significant attempts to manage the illness, the transmission routes of the virus and its widespread genomic mutations have led to an increasing number of new infections and mortality rates. In the absence of specific treatment for this new virus, identifying and managing factors affecting the prognosis of the disease is one of the critical strategies to reduce disease mortality. Patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), who account for an estimated half a billion people globally, are more prone to infections due to immune system disorders. Since they visit hospitals more frequently for follow-up care and diagnosis, they are more susceptible to becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2. Once infected with SARS-CoV-2, low hemoglobin (Hb) levels and compromised immune systems disrupt the restriction of infection in these individuals, ultimately leading to severe complications of COVID-19.

Enteric viruses are the most common cause of gastroenteritis or infectious diarrhea worldwide. The genera Rotavirus (RoV), astrovirus (AstV), and Norovirus (NoV) are predominant viruses causing acute diarrhea in children and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Apart from the enteric viruses, human papillomavirus (HPV), John Cunningham human polyomavirus (JCV), and human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are also significantly linked with gastrointestinal inflammation and gastric neoplasia. Moreover, recent studies demonstrated the direct induction of acute gut inflammation by Norovirus infection. Though mild inflammation occurs with astroviral infection, pro-inflammatory signaling pathways are also activated. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a significant tumor-causing pathogenic gammaherpesvirus, is also associated with diarrheal disease due to increased local and systemic inflammation. The association of EBV infection with ulcer colitis (UD), Crohn's disease (CD), inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD), peptic ulcers, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) indicates its potentiality for enhancing gut inflammation and gastric cancers. In the current scenario, extensive research is a prerequisite to understanding and achieving in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved with enteric and tumor viral antigen-induced gut inflammation and cancer progression. This review represents new insights into the current research linking enteric and other pathogenic viruses as a trigger for gut inflammation and gastrointestinal malignancies.

Filth flies can mechanically transmit pathogens, some of which can cause significant diseases in humans and animals.

This study aimed at isolating and identifying pathogenic fungi and intestinal parasites from flies sampled with sweep nets and fly traps from different dumpsites in a tertiary institution. Dumpsites at the various halls of residence were designated A, B, C, and D.

Pathogens were mostly isolated from the body surfaces of the flies. The 605 captured filth flies belonged to the two families, Calliphoridae (77.69%) and Muscidae (22.31%). Three genera of fungi were identified, with Aspergillus (91.69%) as the most predominant, followed by Penicillium (5.23%) and Rhizopus (3.08%). The intestinal parasites identified from only the external body surfaces of the sampled flies were protozoans, Cryptosporidium parvum (95%), and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (0.83%), as well as helminths including Ascaris lumbricoides (3.34%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (0.83%). The percentage occurrence of fungi (57.54%) and intestinal parasites (85.83%) isolated from flies caught at dumpsites D and B were higher than those isolated from flies caught in any of the other study sites.

This study confirms filthy flies as mechanical transmitters of pathogens and emphasizes adopting control measures to prevent the possible spread of infections within the university community.

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infections. In this bacteria, several mechanisms contribute to resistance against antimicrobial agents. The present study investigated the prevalence of adeS and adeH genes and the role of efflux pumps in imipenem and colistin-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates.

This study included 60 A. baumannii isolates collected from medical centers affiliated with the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern was examined using the broth microdilution MIC method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Also, the adeS and adeH genes were amplified by PCR.

The isolates were 100% imipenem-resistant and 86.7% colistin-resistant. All isolates were positive for the 51-blaOXA gene. The adeH and adeS genes were detected in 95% and 80% of the isolates.

The high frequency of adeS and adeH efflux pump genes and the high drug resistance in A. baumannii clinical isolates indicated that adeS and adeH efflux pump genes contribute to antibiotic resistance in this species. Therefore, our results provide essential information about high drug resistance in A. baumannii clinical isolates that can help limit the horizontal and vertical transmission of efflux pump genes in antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii isolates that causes nosocomial infections in susceptible strains.

Mutans Streptococci are significant pathogens isolated from dental plaques. Due to the increasing frequency of antimicrobial resistance among pathogens causing dental caries, more studies have focused on using natural agents against them. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial effects of Trachyspermum ammi essential oil against Streptococcus mutans isolated from dental plaques.

Twenty human dental plaque samples were collected, and eight S. mutans isolates were detected using biochemical and molecular tests. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates were determined by the disc diffusion method. Also, T. ammi essential oil antibacterial activity was investigated using the disc diffusion method and determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization identified S. mutans in 40% of the samples. The antibiotic susceptibility assay revealed the highest resistance patterns against cefotaxime (100%), ceftriaxone (100%), and penicillin (87.5%). The T. ammi essential oil demonstrated 20 µg/ml MIC and 80µg/ml MBC against S. mutans.

The present study revealed a potent antibacterial activity for T. ammi essential oil against S. mutans isolates.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease in humans and animals and is a worldwide public health problem. Changes in inflammatory cytokines levels might be deployed as markers for diagnosing infectious diseases from non-infectious medical conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in pediatric brucellosis.

The present case-control study included 40 brucellosis patients and 40 matched healthy controls. Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA, and the independent student t-test was used to compare the levels in the brucellosis and healthy group. Serum cytokine levels before and after treatment were compared by the paired samples t-test.

The serum TGF-β level was significantly lower in the patients compared to the control group (90.21 ± 24.44 vs. 125.63 ± 23.28 pg/mL, P<0.nv001), and the serum interleukin-17 level was significantly higher in the case group (83.74 ± 23.57 vs. 25.95 ± 17.80 pg/ml, P<0.001). After treatment, serum IL-17 levels significantly decreased in the case group.

In brucellosis patients, the serum IL-17 levels decreased significantly, whereas TGF-β increased significantly in these patients. Hence, the serum levels of these inflammatory cytokines can be indicators for diagnosing pediatric brucellosis.

While the COVID-19 pandemic affects millions, other infectious diseases might be overlooked. One of these crucial diseases is tuberculosis (TB), a highly infectious bacterial respiratory disease. According to WHO, TB is among the top 10 causes of death globally, with about one-quarter of the world's population infected. COVID-19 has emerged as a potential risk factor for TB in highly prevalent countries because of immunosuppression. This case report highlights a female patient who presented with swelling over the left supraclavicular region, which was very slow in progression. Following COVID-19 infection, a significant increase in swelling within a short time occurred, which was associated with easy fatigability, loss of appetite, generalized weakness, and significant weight loss. Based on investigations, a TB diagnosis was made. Few studies are available regarding the exacerbation of activated latent tuberculosis following COVID-19. Hence, this case report could help in screening and managing such cases.