Pub Date : 2022-07-26DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8437
M. Mehndiratta, R. Kar, E. A. Almeida, A. Goel, R. Mehndiratta
Background and objectives: Nosocomial human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are common occupational hazards transmitted through infected needle-stick injuries. Younger medical students are at a higher risk of exposure mainly because of their inexperience and ignorance. Both these infections are preventable if standard precautions and protocols for post-exposure prophylaxis are followed. The present study assesses the knowledge, and risk perception among medical students and interns towards HIV and HBV infections, to guide instructors in planning appropriate training programmes. Methods: Following approval of to respond to an indigenously designed questionnaire regarding HIV and HBV infections. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The students were assessed vertically. Results: There was a gradual increase in the awareness regarding HIV and HBV infection with each passing academic year. The percentage of total questions answered correctly was highest (91.1%) in internship and lowest (71.5%) in the first semester. Awareness regarding HIV was greater as compared to HBV infection in all the groups. Interns had maximum awareness of post exposure prophylaxis available for both HIV and HBV infections. Ninth semester students scored the highest on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HBV infection. the interns may provide an opportunity to improve awareness, to reduce infection and subsequent morbidity. The students have greater awareness of HIV than HBV, though the risk of transmission is higher for the latter. Thus, shortcomings in imparting knowledge about hepatitis B must be identified and rectified.
{"title":"Knowledge and risk perception towards human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B infections among medical students","authors":"M. Mehndiratta, R. Kar, E. A. Almeida, A. Goel, R. Mehndiratta","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8437","url":null,"abstract":"Background and objectives: Nosocomial human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are common occupational hazards transmitted through infected needle-stick injuries. Younger medical students are at a higher risk of exposure mainly because of their inexperience and ignorance. Both these infections are preventable if standard precautions and protocols for post-exposure prophylaxis are followed. The present study assesses the knowledge, and risk perception among medical students and interns towards HIV and HBV infections, to guide instructors in planning appropriate training programmes. Methods: Following approval of to respond to an indigenously designed questionnaire regarding HIV and HBV infections. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The students were assessed vertically. Results: There was a gradual increase in the awareness regarding HIV and HBV infection with each passing academic year. The percentage of total questions answered correctly was highest (91.1%) in internship and lowest (71.5%) in the first semester. Awareness regarding HIV was greater as compared to HBV infection in all the groups. Interns had maximum awareness of post exposure prophylaxis available for both HIV and HBV infections. Ninth semester students scored the highest on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HBV infection. the interns may provide an opportunity to improve awareness, to reduce infection and subsequent morbidity. The students have greater awareness of HIV than HBV, though the risk of transmission is higher for the latter. Thus, shortcomings in imparting knowledge about hepatitis B must be identified and rectified.","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89833606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8430
M. M. Ahamad, H. Nandasena
Objective: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led the world's public health systems to face a lot of challenges. One of the main effective ways to control the spread of this disease is to break the chain of infection by adhering to preventive practices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the preventive health behaviour related to COVID-19 among adults using the Health Belief Model (HBM).
{"title":"Application of the Health Belief Model to understand behaviour related to preventing COVID-19 among adults in the Weligama MOH area, Matara district, Sri Lanka","authors":"M. M. Ahamad, H. Nandasena","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8430","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led the world's public health systems to face a lot of challenges. One of the main effective ways to control the spread of this disease is to break the chain of infection by adhering to preventive practices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the preventive health behaviour related to COVID-19 among adults using the Health Belief Model (HBM).","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78518768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8427
K. Gunasekera, R. Batuwanthudawa, C. Senaratne
{"title":"Knowledge on cervical cancer, human papilloma virus and vaccine, and attitudes towards immunisation following the introduction of vaccine to the National Immunisation Programme, Sri Lanka","authors":"K. Gunasekera, R. Batuwanthudawa, C. Senaratne","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8427","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"68 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72589361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8471
P. A. S. L. Wijesuriya, M. Muthugala, H. Herath
Real time RT-PCR is considered as the gold standard test to detect COVID-19. The use of sample pooling strategy increases testing capacity and spares resources. However, the effectiveness of sample pooling should be evaluated in the setting before being implemented. Forty five samples including 20 high positives (Ct<20), 20 low positives (Ct 20-40) and 05 negative samples were used to prepare 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5 simulated sample pools which were then subjected to viral RNA extraction followed by real time RT-PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of sample pooling technique in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was 100% without significant variation of Ct values. According to our results, pooling of up to 6 samples will not have an effect on the final result in clinical samples and hence can be adopted in the given context for the diagnosis of COVID-19 by RT-PCR.
{"title":"Evaluation of sample pooling method for SARS CoV-2 RNA detection; a laboratory based simulated study","authors":"P. A. S. L. Wijesuriya, M. Muthugala, H. Herath","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8471","url":null,"abstract":"Real time RT-PCR is considered as the gold standard test to detect COVID-19. The use of sample pooling strategy increases testing capacity and spares resources. However, the effectiveness of sample pooling should be evaluated in the setting before being implemented. Forty five samples including 20 high positives (Ct<20), 20 low positives (Ct 20-40) and 05 negative samples were used to prepare 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5 simulated sample pools which were then subjected to viral RNA extraction followed by real time RT-PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of sample pooling technique in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was 100% without significant variation of Ct values. According to our results, pooling of up to 6 samples will not have an effect on the final result in clinical samples and hence can be adopted in the given context for the diagnosis of COVID-19 by RT-PCR.","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85741032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-20DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8473
K. Abeywardana, M. Muthugala
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused resource depletion and a shift in priorities in the public health system, impacting the control of other communicable diseases of public interest. Hepatitis A virus is a notifiable disease transmitted through faeco-oral transmission. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with a clinical diagnosis of hepatitis whose specimens were submitted to the Virology Laboratory of the National Hospital, Kandy, from January 2019 to December 2021. During pre-pandemic time 28 (4.4%) were positive for hepatitis A, while it was 86 (10.2%) during the pandemic. There was a statistically significant difference in incidence between the two cohorts (p < 0.0001). The majority of patients in 2021 (25 patients;64.1%) resided in Badulla. Our data shows an increased incidence of hepatitis A cases during the pandemic, and residents in Badulla were predominantly affected in 2021. Strategies should therefore be undertaken to prevent further cases in the central part of the country.
{"title":"Viral hepatitis A infection amidst Covid-19 outbreak in central part of Sri Lanka","authors":"K. Abeywardana, M. Muthugala","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8473","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused resource depletion and a shift in priorities in the public health system, impacting the control of other communicable diseases of public interest. Hepatitis A virus is a notifiable disease transmitted through faeco-oral transmission. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with a clinical diagnosis of hepatitis whose specimens were submitted to the Virology Laboratory of the National Hospital, Kandy, from January 2019 to December 2021. During pre-pandemic time 28 (4.4%) were positive for hepatitis A, while it was 86 (10.2%) during the pandemic. There was a statistically significant difference in incidence between the two cohorts (p < 0.0001). The majority of patients in 2021 (25 patients;64.1%) resided in Badulla. Our data shows an increased incidence of hepatitis A cases during the pandemic, and residents in Badulla were predominantly affected in 2021. Strategies should therefore be undertaken to prevent further cases in the central part of the country.","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90182209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-02DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8468
P. Samarakoon, S. Ganesan, R. Senarathne, N. Chandrasiri
Streptococcus pyogenes is a pathogen capable of causing a wide spectrum of diseases including pharyngitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, with a range of complications and outcomes. Even though it is not an uncommon pathogen, reports of scarlet fever are scarce in Sri Lanka. We describe a case of scarlet fever in a seven-year-old boy with typical features. The child presented with high fever, body aches, vomiting, loss of appetite and a rash and developed pharyngitis and a strawberry tongue during the ward stay. A pure growth of group A Streptococcus was isolated from a throat swab taken on admission. He improved with appropriate treatment and recovered without complications. The importance of throat swab culture and clinical correlation
{"title":"A case report of scarlet fever: An uncommon diagnosis for fever and rash","authors":"P. Samarakoon, S. Ganesan, R. Senarathne, N. Chandrasiri","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8468","url":null,"abstract":"Streptococcus pyogenes is a pathogen capable of causing a wide spectrum of diseases including pharyngitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, with a range of complications and outcomes. Even though it is not an uncommon pathogen, reports of scarlet fever are scarce in Sri Lanka. We describe a case of scarlet fever in a seven-year-old boy with typical features. The child presented with high fever, body aches, vomiting, loss of appetite and a rash and developed pharyngitis and a strawberry tongue during the ward stay. A pure growth of group A Streptococcus was isolated from a throat swab taken on admission. He improved with appropriate treatment and recovered without complications. The importance of throat swab culture and clinical correlation","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84960086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-06-02DOI: 10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8436
S. Elumalai, G. Muthu, E. Selvam, S. Thiagarajan, S. Seetharaman
Background: Salmonella spp. has rapidly gained resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, and tetracycline (ACCoT) which necessitated the use of fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. However, there are reports on emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella isolates in various parts of Asia and low resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) in India increased in the 1990s. After a decade, studies showed reduced MDR percentage. Hence this study was performed to detect antibiotic resistance patterns and associated genes among clinical isolates of Salmonella. Methods: A total of 171 clinical isolates of Salmonella isolates collected between 2011 to 2016 from a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, India were included. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and screening for extended-spectrum β-lactamase production was performed. Genes encoding resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M), chloramphenicol (cat, cmlA, and floR), co-trimoxazole (sul1, sul2, sul3, and dfr), and tetracycline (tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(D), tet(E), and tet(G)) were detected using PCR and nucleotide sequencing analysis. Results: The majority of the isolates were susceptible to ACCoT antibiotics, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Most of the isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and 1.7% were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. All the isolates (n=171) were negative for ESBL. Multidrug resistance was seen in 4.1% isolates and all the MDR Salmonella isolates were found to contain blaTEM-1(TEM-1-type β-lactamase), cat, dfrA17, sul1, and tet(B) genes.
{"title":"Detection of multidrug resistance and associated genes among Salmonella species from enteric fever cases","authors":"S. Elumalai, G. Muthu, E. Selvam, S. Thiagarajan, S. Seetharaman","doi":"10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/sljid.v12i2.8436","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Salmonella spp. has rapidly gained resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, and tetracycline (ACCoT) which necessitated the use of fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. However, there are reports on emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella isolates in various parts of Asia and low resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The incidence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) in India increased in the 1990s. After a decade, studies showed reduced MDR percentage. Hence this study was performed to detect antibiotic resistance patterns and associated genes among clinical isolates of Salmonella. Methods: A total of 171 clinical isolates of Salmonella isolates collected between 2011 to 2016 from a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, India were included. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and screening for extended-spectrum β-lactamase production was performed. Genes encoding resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M), chloramphenicol (cat, cmlA, and floR), co-trimoxazole (sul1, sul2, sul3, and dfr), and tetracycline (tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(D), tet(E), and tet(G)) were detected using PCR and nucleotide sequencing analysis. Results: The majority of the isolates were susceptible to ACCoT antibiotics, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Most of the isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and 1.7% were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. All the isolates (n=171) were negative for ESBL. Multidrug resistance was seen in 4.1% isolates and all the MDR Salmonella isolates were found to contain blaTEM-1(TEM-1-type β-lactamase), cat, dfrA17, sul1, and tet(B) genes.","PeriodicalId":32303,"journal":{"name":"Sri Lankan Journal of Infectious Diseases","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87880630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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