Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an acute respiratory disease mainly affecting infants and children and is caused by Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis. The aim of this study was to investigate the share of Bordetella species from potential whooping cough cases during 2005-2009. Eight hundred and two samples from suspected pertussis cases were collected, mainly from 2 provinces of Pakistan. Bacterial culture, identification, DNA extraction and routinely used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods using IS1001, IS1002 and IS481 were used to identify the Bordetella species. The results were unexpected, because all of the isolates collected from the different cities were identified as B. parapertussis (7.4%); B. pertussis was not isolated from any sample. However, PCR results indicated the presence of a small percentage (0.6%) of B. pertussis among the total cases studied. This study suggests that vaccines to protect against both B. pertussis and B. parapertussis should be considered.
BackgroundPrevious studies report association of contraceptives with moderate increase in urinary tract infection among sexually active premenopausal women. The aim of our study was to find out whether the use of hormonal contraceptives has any effect on microbiota of the vagina in the contraceptives users in Khairpur Sindh Pakistan.MethodsA prospective study in woman population of Khairpur Sindh Pakistan aged 20–30 years and 31–40 years, using Hormonal contraceptives was carried out. High vaginal swab samples (n = 100) were collected from the test populations as well as control group (n = 100) and investigated for vaginal microbial flora using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques.ResultsVaginal swabs culturing from hormonal contraceptives users in the age group 20–30 years showed statistically insignificant Candida sp (10% samples), and statistically significant (p < 0.05) Staphylococcus saprophyticus. (18% samples), Streptococcus agalactiae (23% samples), Escherichia coli (28% samples) and Lactobacillus fermentum (32% samples). In the age group 31–40 years, statistically significant percentage of samples (p < 0.05) showed Lactobacillus fermentum (28%), Candida sp (24%), and E. coli, (24%) where statistically insignificant samples showed Staphylococcus saprophyticus (13%) and Streptococcus agalactiae (11%).ConclusionsThe use of hormonal contraceptives alters the normal microbiota of vagina in women according to the age. Lactobacillus fermentum appeared as the predominant species followed by E. coli among the age group of 20–30 years and, Lactobacillus fermentum, Candida sp and E. coli as predominant among women of age group 31–40 years when compared to corresponding control groups. An inverse relationship between E. coli and Lactobacillus fermentum was observed in the women aged 20–30 years.
Detection of microbial contaminants of faecal origin is a major priority in the control of drinking water quality. The presence of faecal contamination is most often evaluated using members of coliform group 1 . Waters from different sources, i.e., rivers, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater aquifers are subjected to varying degrees of faecal pollution, and consequently freshwater is a vector of transmission of many pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa [2][3][4] . Despite the world-wide efforts and modern technologies utilized for the production of safe water, the transmission of waterborne diseases is still a matter of major concern. For decades the faecal coliform groups of bacteria has been used as an indicator of water quality with respect to the presence of human pathogens, because rapid and reliable routine monitoring of the microbiological quality of water, therefore, will remain of fundamental importance in the control of waterborne diseases, and ideally the occurrence and levels of all human pathogens should be monitored 5 .A great work has been done for the identification of contaminants of drinking water to prevent the water borne diseases throughout the world [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . In Pakistan, the research work has been done on drinking water in different parts of country, but in interior part of Sindh province such work on drinking water quality has not been done so far. The Khairpur City was selected for present work in order to estimate the microbiological load, pH and chlorine disinfection of drinking water supplied to community. This city has the population of 1,20,000 and large number of people has been poured in city from rural areas. As the waterborne diseases are reported and people are unaware of problem of drinking water contamination, therefore this study is an attempt to asses the quality of drinking water at source point and change in quality during distribution. This investigation also involves forecasting of drinking water quality for people of area, the data would be a useful tool for creating awareness amongst the residents, planers and decision-makers for future water supply scheme.Ninety samples in total, thirty samples from each site, i.e., main reservoir, distribution line and consumer taps, were collected. All sites were supplied from same water network that distributes water originating from surface water sources. Samples were collected in sterilized screw cap 500-ml white glass flasks (Pyrex), after a flow time of 5 min to eliminate any contaminant present. In order to neutralize the residual free chlorine, 10% solution sodium thiosulfate was added in sterile bottles 17 after collection. Samples were placed in ice boxes and brought to laboratory. Water pH and residual chlorine were determined at the time of collection using pH PAL high accuracy electrochemistry test pen and residual chlorine was determined by employing HI 3831 free chlorine test kit. Microbiological samples were analyzed within 4 h of collection by membrane filtration metho...
To assess the bacteriological quality 768 drinking water samples were collected from different locations in Khairpur City, Sindh, Pakistan over a period of two years from January 2006 to December 2007. The study reveals that out of 768 drinking water samples 567 (73.83%) samples were found to be contaminated with total coliform among them 85 (11.06%) found in the January-March period, 182 (23.70%) in April-June period, 188 (24.47%) in July-September, 112 (14.58%) in October-December period. Faecal coliform was found in 351 (45.70%) water sample, in which 49 (15.80%) occurred during January-March, 137 (17.83%) during April-June, 136 (17.71%) during July-September and 69 (8.98%) during September-December. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that bacteriological quality of two-third drinking water in Khairpur City is not safe as the water is the potential source of diarrhoeal disease agents. Keywords: Drinking water; Khairpur City; Faecal pollution; DiarrhoeaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v25i1.4862 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 25, Number 1, June 2008, pp 69-72
When baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells are allowed to spread on fibronectincoated substrata in the absence of serum and the presence of agents which elevate intracellular 3': 5'-cyclic AMP (CAMP) levels they adopt an abnormal, stellated morphology. T o determine whether the invasive adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin of Bordetella pertussis induced the same response, cell extracts were prepared from several B. pertussis strains. They were characterized for AC toxin production by enzymic assay and by immunoblotting with an ACtoxin-specif ic monoclonal antibody. Extracts of strains producing AC toxin induced elevated levels of intracellular cAMP in BHK cells and promoted a stellation response during cell spreading. Extracts prepared from strains defective in AC toxin production showed no effect. Using image analysis to quantify the morphological change, we have demonstrated that the effect of AC toxin on cell spreading is dose dependent. This technique is a rapid and sensitive assay for the invasive AC toxin.
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