We describe a strain of Shigella dysenteriae serotype 7 which had novel biochemical and genetic characters. Unlike other S. dysenteriae, it produced gas, fermented mannitol, was a late-lactose fermenter and harboured the set 1A and set 1B genes. The significance of such atypical strains is that they are difficult to identify. If such strains are missed, they could prove to be a serious public health problem because the infectious dose is very low and they may harbour integrons contributing to drug resistance.
Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination plays an important role in controlling the current pandemic. This may have an impact on other healthcare workers in understanding the importance of COVID-19 vaccination. Aim: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) towards COVID-19 vaccination among medical students in a Tertiary care hospital, Southern India. Materials and Methods: This was an observational crosssectional questionnaire based study done in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India. The study period was from April 2021 to September 2021. The study evaluated KAP on COVID-19 vaccination amongst medical students. After the content validity of the questionnaire, a google form was created and circulated among the I, II, III, IV-year students and interns, which was assessed by a scoring system for KAP. The results of the qualitative variables were tabulated as frequency and percentages. The statistical analysis was done using JASP software and the correlation between KAP was calculated using Spearman’s Correlation. Results: A total of 400 participants were included in the study. Their mean±SD age was 20.3±1.3 years. The second- and third-year students actively participated in the study. Adequate knowledge was observed in 33% of the medical students, moderately adequate knowledge in 61% and minimum knowledge in 6%. Spearman’s correlation between KAP showed a significant p-value. Conclusion: The majority of the medical students opined that their main source of information was social media. This indicates that social media campaigns had helped them gain adequate knowledge about vaccination. This knowledge might help them encourage their relatives and friends to get vaccinated against COVID-19, which will in turn help in breaking the chain of this pandemic.
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