Purpose: To standardize in-vitro antifungal susceptibility testing by agar dilution method to find out the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amphotericin B, fluconazole and ketoconazole on ocular fungal isolates. Methods: A total of 180 ocular fungal isolates (130 filamentous fungi and 50 yeasts) were included. The antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B (0.0625-8 µg/mL), fluconazole (0.2-819.6 µg/mL) and ketoconazole (0.025-6.4 µg/mL) were incorporated in doubling dilutions in the yeast nitrogen base medium. The MIC was determined as the lowest concentration of the antifungal drug preventing growth of macroscopically visible colonies on drug containing plates when there was visible growth on the drug -free control plates. Results: All 50 ocular isolates of yeast were susceptible to amphotericin B, while two (4%) and five (10%) strains were resistant to fluconazole and ketoconazole respectively. Of the 130 filamentous fungi tested, six (4.6%) were resistant to amphotericin B, 49 (37.7%) and 10 (7.6%) were resistant to fluconazole and ketoconazole respectively. Percentile 50 (MIC 50) and Percentile 90 (MIC 90) for all the three antifungal agents were calculated. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus and Candida krusei were found to be resistant to fluconazole and ketoconazole. Conclusion:This technique was found to be reliable, cost effective and easy to perform with consistent results.

PCR-based DNA sequencing technique is a rapid, reliable, and valuable tool to identify 54% of NSM as newer potential pathogens of fungi causing ocular mycoses.

PCR-based DNA sequencing is a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool to identify the aetiological agents of neonatal sepsis. This is the first case series of emerging Rickettsial neonatal sepsis in India .

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, which are notable nosocomial pathogens, have greatly increased the mortality rate of septicemic patients due to treatment failure. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of P. aeruginosa strain VRFPA02, a human bloodstream isolate that has phenotypically proven to be resistant to a broad spectrum of antibiotics.