Aims and objectives: Acinetobacter causes a wide spectrum of infections, including nosocomial pneumonia, secondary meningitis, surgical wound infections, skin and soft tissue infections, urinary tract infections, bacteraemia, and transmission via the hands of hospital personnel. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of Acinetobacter baumannii complex isolates and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated A. baumannii complex. in clinical samples among patients at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital. Introduction: In recent decades, Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections have also occurred outside the ICU or in trauma patients after natural disasters, and they have even affected patients after co-morbidities in the community. Materials and methods: All A. baumannii complex isolates (non-repetitive) from different clinical samples received in a clinical microbiology laboratory from inpatients and outpatients at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, were included in the study. Routine microscopy of the samples was done. Gram‘s staining was done on all samples except urine. All clinical samples were inoculated on blood agar and MacConkey agar and incubated at 370 °C for 18–24 hours. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolated A. baumannii complex was done by the VITEK2-AST Compact system. Results: Among 6483 samples, 157 (2.42%) A. baumannii complex isolates were culture-positive, 68.37% were sterile, and 29.19% were other culture-positive. The maximum sensitivity of A. baumannii isolates was seen to be Tigecycline (70%), followed by Minocyclin (29.9%), while maximum resistance was observed for Piperacillin/Toazobactam (97%), followed by Imipenem, Meropenem (96.8%), Ceftazidime (96%), Cefepime (91.7%), Cipropfloxacin (88%), and Gentamycin (87%). Conclusion: Based on this study, it could be concluded that, as antibiotic resistance increases, hardships will be experienced in A. baumannii complex treatment unless the necessary precautions are taken and new antibiotics are discovered. In order to prevent the spreading of resistant Acinetobacter strains, infection control measures should be taken, clinicians and laboratory workers should cooperate during antibiotic use, and hospital hygienic rules should be observed.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic put us in a very difficult situation and created a lot of challenges for both diagnostics and follow-up of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). We also had difficult problems understanding the virus-host interactions and the progression of the immune response. Objectives: We aimed to point out our experience in the diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 in patients admitted to Fundeni Clinical Institute. We have also investigated the healthcare personnel in order to have some epidemiologic data about the transmission of the new coronavirus in our institute. Methods: Three different real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were used to screen for the new coronavirus infection. The immunization rate against SARS-CoV-2 was detected by assessing the IgG antibodies in both patients and clinical staff. We have used the chemiluminescence method to assess the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Results: Most of the diagnosed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections were admitted to the surgery wards for hematology and gastroenterology. Our data showed that all the diagnosed patients developed IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, but we have noticed that the immunization against SARS-CoV-2 did not last. Conclusions: Our experience with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic emphasized that molecular diagnostics by RT-PCR was essential, together with the study of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, thus enabling us to better interpret PCR test results.

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem for the public health systems in many countries worldwide. According to the European Society for the Liver Study, more than 350 million people are diagnosed with hepatitis B virus infection. Chronic viral HBV infection could be caused by the inability of both the cellular and humoral immune systems to eliminate HBV. HLA genes control cellular and humoral immune responses and present the viral antigens to CD8+ (cytotoxic T cells) and CD4+ T (T helper cells). Aim: To look at the HLA allele polymorphisms in chronic hepatitis B-infected patients to search for significant HLA allele associations. Methods: We have included 240 patients with HBV infection from the Gastroenterology and Hepatology ward, at Fundeni Clinical Institute. As a control group, 300 unrelated healthy people with no hepatitis B infection were also included. We have genotyped the HLA class I and class II genes for both patients and the control group with Next Generation Sequencing Illumina (Immucor, Mia Fora NGS Flex, Norcross, GA, USA). Results: Our preliminary data showed that HLA-DQA1*01:02:02 and HLADRB5*02:02:01 alleles are associated with the risk of HBV infection persistence. Conclusions: Our study showed that a specific HLA genotype profile is associated with chronic HBV infection in our Romanian patients.

Ecological epidemiology is a distinct branch of the science of epidemiology that focuses on the complex interactions between environmental factors and population health. Instead of examining individuals in isolation, ecological epidemiology analyzes entire groups and the relationships among biological, social, and environmental factors. Its main concern is identifying the influence of the environment on the distribution of diseases within communities. In this review, we aim to analyze the main aspects of ecological epidemiology, covering everything from definition and methods to practical applications and specific challenges.

Patients who have experienced acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and have atrial fibrillation (AF) are often prescribed oral anticoagulants (OACs) to lower their risk of recurrent stroke or vascular embolism. This therapy is rarely advised as a preventive measure for reducing the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke associated with non-valvular atrial AF. The ideal timing for initiating oral anticoagulation in these patients remains uncertain. Methods. Research was conducted in the major medical databases containing articles. The following terms were used: atrial fibrillation, acute ischemic stroke, oral anticoagulants, stroke recurrence, and prevention. We excluded studies performed earlier than 10 years since the medical information was no longer valid in practice. Results. Information gathered from observational studies and control groups in randomized trials indicates that the early recurrence rate following an atrial fibrillation-related ischemic stroke falls within the range of approximately 0.5% to 1.3% per day during the initial two weeks. The research targeted adults (aged =18 years) with AF and a recent ischemic stroke (IS) (occurring within 72 hours of symptom onset) who satisfied the criteria for and were amenable to starting treatment with NOACs. Atrial fibrillation encompassed paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent forms, whether they were pre-existing conditions or diagnosed during the initial hospitalization. Observational studies indicate that the risk of recurrent stroke is seven times higher than the risk of hemorrhagic transformation during the early phase after a recent stroke. Conclusions. Early prevention treatments are critical because the acute phase after an ischemic stroke increases the risk of stroke recurrence. It is critical to balance the possible benefits of early oral anticoagulation against the dangers of developing intracerebral hemorrhage or hemorrhagic transformation of the ischemic injury at this critical time.