Background: In spite of the ongoing Universal immunization program (UIP), National family health survey data shows declining trend in the number of children fully immunized in Maharashtra. Hence this study was undertaken to determine immunization status in 12-23 months age children admitted to pediatric wards of a tertiary care hospital and factors affecting it.Methods: A prospective, cross sectional study was carried out in which children between 12-23 months age admitted to paediatric wards of a tertiary care hospital were included. Immunization history for Universal immunization program vaccines and socio-demographic information was collected and analysed to find the immunization status and its correlation with various demographic factors.Results: Of total 418 children, 70.3% were completely immunized, 27.8% incompletely immunized and 1.9% unimmunized. Majority were immunized in government centers. 83.3% subjects were of 1st/2nd birth order, 90.4% were delivered institutionally and 76.1% were delivered vaginally. Around half of the children’s fathers and mothers were illiterate. Only father was employed in 75.4% while both parents were employed in 23.4%. Birth order, place of delivery, mode of delivery, father and mother’s education and employment status were statistically associated with immunization while gender, presence of immunization card, migrant status and place of immunization were not associated. Reasons for incomplete immunization included lack of knowledge about immunization and ‘child not well’ at time of immunization.Conclusions: Even in a population with health seeking behaviour almost one third of the children were incompletely immunized. Special efforts are required for finding groups of children with high chances of being incompletely immunized.

Springs are essential components of the freshwater resources in the North Western Ghats yet they are not well studied and are under threat from ecological degradation. This study surveyed ecology and hydrogeology of five springs. Observations included geology, flora, fauna and impact of human pressures. The goal was to describe the range of ecological conditions to improve baseline understanding. Results show that spring recharge and discharge areas were found to hydrologically connect separate parts of the landscape, sometimes spanning different watersheds. While spring discharge is likely controlled in large part by catchment size and aquifer characteristics, impacts from human pressures may reduce spring discharge or water quality. Reduction in spring discharge may reduce biodiversity, particularly at the spring outlet where natural ponds or wetlands may dry up and destroy freshwater habitat. Grazing, fire, construction, pumping and fuel wood collection were common human pressures effecting nearly all springs. Discussed are refined definitions of a spring shed and recommendations for future assessment, conservation and management efforts.

A 25-year-old transgender patient came with complaints of watery discharge, red eye and photophobia in the left eye since 2 days. The patient had a history of wearing colored contact lenses since 4 years and cleaning the lens with tap water. Culture of lenses on Mac Conkey and blood agar yielded Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sabouroud's agar showed yeast cells and double-walled cysts of Acanthamoeba species. On further incubation of Sabouroud's agar, the cysts transformed to trophozoites. Parallel results were obtained on tap water agar. The previous therapy of moxifloxacin was changed to local Neosporin application.

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Introduction: Infections caused by Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are associated with increased morbidity, longer antimicrobial therapy, etc. First option for treating invasive MRSA infections is glycopeptide vancomycin. Daptomycin, a lipopeptide rapidly bactericidal invitro against MRSA, is an acceptable alternative. Aim: To identify MRSA isolates from clinical specimens and assess their vancomycin and daptomycin susceptibility pattern. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months (January 2019 to June 2019) on 90 clinical samples in a rural teaching hospital in Pune, Maharashtra, India, including all samples except sputum received in the Microbiology laboratory. MRSA isolates were tested for vancomycin and daptomycin susceptibility by Epsilometer (E) test Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method. Results: Among 90 MRSA isolates, most were from pus (51) followed by Urine (23), Blood (9), followed by Miscellaneous samples (7). Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 software. All MRSA isolates in this study were susceptible to daptomycin with MIC in the range of 0.25-1 μg/mL with maximum isolates (39) with MIC of 0.38 μg/mL. Vancomycin MIC creep phenomenon was observed in 68 isolates. All these isolates also showed reduced susceptibility to daptomycin. Conclusion: MRSA in hospital set up mandates strict infection control practices in place. Daptomycin can be a good therapeutic alternative to treat infections caused by MRSA keeping in mind its therapeutic limitations and prior vancomycin usage in the same patient. Empirical therapy should always be based on antibiogram pattern. Adherence to hospital antibiotic policy and constant surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is the need of the hour.