Aims: Nosocomial infection is a major problem in the world today. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, usually resistant to several antibiotics and also intrinsic resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics, shows a particular ability to spread in hospitals and now present in most of the countries. The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of MRSA and their rate of resistance to different antistaphylococcal antibiotics. Materials and methods: Between April 2007 and December 2009, the clinical specimens submitted at the microbiology laboratory were processed and all Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates were included in this study. All isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically by standard laboratory procedures and antibiotic susceptibility pattern including oxacillin was determined by modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: Out of a total of 348 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from various clinical samples, 138 (39.6%) were found to be Methicillin-resistant. Among MRSA isolates, 86(62.3%) were from different inpatient departments, whereas, 52(37.7%) of the isolates were from outpatients. All MRSA were resistant to penicillin. More than 70% of the MRSA strains were resistant to cephalexin, ciprofloxacin and cloxacillin, while less than 10% of them were resistant to azithromycin, amikacin and tetracycline. Many MRSA strains were multidrug resistant. However, no strains were resistant to vancomycin. Conclusion: This preliminary report showed a high prevalence of MRSA in our hospital. To reduce the prevalence of MRSA, regular surveillance of hospital acquired infection and isolation is the need of the hour. Key words: Nosocomial infection; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); multidrug resistant. DOI: 10.3126/jcmsn.v6i1.3595 Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2010, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1-6

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported on 31 December 2019 in Wuhan City, China. The first case of COVID-19 was officially announced on 24 January, 2020, in Nepal. Nine COVID-19 cases have been reported in Nepal. We aim to describe our experiences of COVID-19 patients in Nepal.Keywords: COVID-19; experience; Nepal

Telemedicine (TM) services a process in which expert medical advice from afar is provided using electronic signals to transfer the medical data from one site to another. As a pilot project to assess the efficacy of TM in developing countries like India, a telemedicine center was set up at the main hospital of Mahakumbh mela--a grand religious fair, at Prayag, a city in north India. The daily reporting of the in-patient and outpatient cases at the fair revealed a surge of diarrhea cases among the pilgrims at the fair. This information was communicated to the referral center at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), which, with the help of its microbiology department, conducted microbiological examinations of stool samples and rectal swabs of patients along with various water samples. Vibrio cholerae was isolated in 22.6% (7/31) of the samples. This information was immediately relayed to the Main Hospital at the fair online, and then to the health authorities, who took strict and prompt measures to improve hygiene. Subsequently, the number of diarrhea cases decreased considerably in a matter of a few days, and thus an epidemic disaster was averted, which could have created havoc in such a large gathering.

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