DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY

1.      Faculty members and their research interests:

2. No. of Postgraduate admissions per year

                                i.            M.D- 4

                              ii.            Ph.D – 2

                            iii.            M.Sc(MLT)-4

3. Highlights of patient care

·         Total no. of investigations undertaken:1,00,000 per annum

·         Different diagnostic tests available in the different sections of the department:

o        Diagnostic Bacteriology – Microscopy and culture of body fluids, pus, swabs, tissues, stool, urine, blood and other body fluids.  Antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacterial isolatesand MIC(Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) testing

o       Screening for MRSA,VISA,VRE,ESBLs

§      Exudate Section-Staining Procedures-Gram staining,Albert staining

-    Culture for sterile body fluids like CSF,peritoneal fluid and other exudates

-    Susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates

§      Blood Culture Section-Blood culture-conventional and BacTAlert

-    Dark ground microscopy for spirochetes,Fontana staining for spirochetes

-    Leptospira culture maintenance

§   Urine culture section

-    Urine samples direct microscopy

-    Culture of urine samples and susceptibility testing

§   Stool culture section-Culture and sensitivity

§   Anaerobic Bacteriology

-     Culture of obligate anaerobic bacteria with the Anoxomat System

o Parasitology section :

-          Stool microscopy for intestinal parasites

-          Acid-fast stain of  stool smears for coccidian parasites, microscopy of hydatid fluid, microscopy of hydrocele fluid and urine for microfilaria and of corneal scrapings for free living amoebae

-          microscopy and culture of liver pus for amoeba, stool culture for Entamoeba

-          Multiplex PCR for identification of Entamoeba species

-          IHA for filariasis, cystic echinococosis, invasive amoebiasis

-          IgM ELISA for cysticercosis, Co-agglutination test for cysticercus antigen in serum and CSF in cysticercosis

-          EITB for cysticercosis and cystic echinococcosis

-          IgM ELISA for cystic echinococcosis,Co-agglutination test for hydatid antigen in serum in cystic echinococosis

-          Peripheral Smear and QBC for malaria parasite.

-          Immunochromatographic  test  for malaria parasite

o       Immunology  Section:

-          Tests for syphillis- VDRL test, TPHA

-          Febrile agglutination tests- Widal test,Standard Agglutination Test(SAT),Weil Felix Test,Paul Bunnel Test

-          Acute phase reactants- ASLO test, RA factor test, C-reactive protein test(Nephelometry)

-          Tests for leptospirosis-IgM ELISA for leptospirosis,MAT for leptospirosis

-          Antinuclear antibodies-IFA test for ANA,ELISA for dsDNA antibodies

o       Virology Section

-          ELISA for HbsAg,ICT test for HbsAg,AntiHBsAg antibodies ELISA,

-          IgG ELISA for HCV, IgM and IgG ELISA for EBV

-          IgM ELISA and IgG ELISA for antibodies against Dengue

-          IgM ELISA for antibodies against Rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV)   and herpes simplex virus (HSV 1 and HSV 2)

-          Real-time PCR for diagnosis of seasonal flu and novel Influenza virus

o         HIV section –

-          HIV testing facilities

-          CD4 count using Flowcytometry

-          ICTC Centre-provides counselling for general clients

-          State Reference Lab for ICTC,Blood bank and PPTCT

o       Mycology section –

-          KOH  mount for direct detection of fungi in clinical specimens

-          Fungal culture and antifungal susceptibility testing

-          India ink stain for Cryptococcus neoformans, gram stain for candidiasis, culture for fungi

-          Antigen detection for  C. neoformans in CSF and serum by  latex agglutination.  

o       Mycobacteriology section – Microscopy and culture of sputum and other clinical specimens for mycobacteria.

-          Designated microscopy center for mycobacteria

-          ZN staining and Fluorescent staining technique for mycobacteria(Auramine phenol staining)

-          BacTAlert system for rapid diagnosis of mycobacterial infections

-          Nested PCR  for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sterile body fluids

o       Water analysis-

-          Presumptive  coliform count and differential count

-           

o       Hospital infection control

-          Culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria

-          OT surveillance

-          Quality control of disinfectants

o       Molecular biology

-          Nested PCR for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

-          Multiplex PCR for diagnosis of Entamoeba species

-          PCR for diagnosis of Leptospira species

4. Special  equipments/facilities available:

-          Equipment for conventional PCR(Thermocycler,UV transilluminator)

-          Real time PCR

-          Flowcytometer(FACS)

-          Lyophillizer

-          Microscan Walkaway System

-          Western blotting unit

-          Nephelometer,turbidometer

-          Dark ground and Fluorescence microscope

5. Major Research Projects

·         Detection of specific antigen in serum and other body fluids in neurocysticercosis.

·         Molecular diagnosis of neurocysticercosis

·         Phenotypic and molecular characterization of ESBL producing enterobacteriaceae (UGC funded)

·         Molecular diagnosis of amoebiasis

·         Mechanism of ciprofloxacin resistance in Salmonella

·         Utility of Urine dipstick test for the screening of Urinary tract infections in catheterized women following Gynaecological surgeries.

·         Resistance and serotyping of Shigella spp.

6. Other notable achievements/contributions to health sciences

·         The department of Microbiology conducts a hands –on training workshop on “Simple diagnostic methods  in infectious diseases” every year in the month of November. The 8^th 5 day National workshop on “Simple Diagnostic Methods in Clinical Microbiology was conducted by the department  from 27^th Nov to 1^st Dec 2009. The main objective of the workshop was to demonstrate through hands -on training, the various rapid, simple and inexpensive diagnostic techniques suitable for application and adaptive in a low cost laboratory.

·         A CME programme on HIV and associated infections is organized every year by the department in the month of Feb-March. CME on opportunistic infection in HIV for postgraduate residents of JIPMER and other  medical colleges in and around Puducherry on 16/03/2010 organized by dept. of microbiology with the support  of NACO

·         A CME on Influenza A H1N1/2009 was held jointly by the departments of Microbiology and Preventive and Social Medicine on 27^th November 2009

·         WHO supported “Regional Influenza Laboratory” for the surveillance of human, avian and swine influenza was started iin the Department of Microbiology on 27^th November 2009.

·         Flowcytometer inauguration for CD4 Count on 16^th March 2010.

·         Text book of Microbiology authored by Dr SC Parija and published by Elsevier  publications

·         Text book of Microbiology and Immunology authored by Dr SC Parija and published by Elsevier Publication.

·         Short Review Series in Microbiology authored by Dr SC Parija and published by Elsevier Publication.

·         Dr.S.C. Parija contributed to the “Hypersensitivity” Chapter in the text book of Immunology. Editor Dr. S.K. Gupte.

·         Dr.S.Sujatha contributed to the   - Laboratory Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in text book of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS 2^nd Edu. Editor Vinod K. Sharma

·         Dr. S C Parija, Director Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology has been conferred the fellowship of Royal college of Parasitologists ( FRCPath) by the Royal College of Parasitology , London, U.K in recognition of his contributions to the field of Microbiology.

·         Dr. S.C. Parija Professor and Head, Dept. of Microbiology, JIPMER has been conferred D.Sc by the University of Madres in recognition of his contributions to the field of Parasitology.

·         EQAS workshop for Medical officer and technician for HIV of Puducherry was held on 05/03/2010-06/03/2010 in the department.

·         Refresher training for technicians of Puducherry was held on 30/03/2010-01/04/2010 by the Dept of microbiology with the support of NACO.

·         World TB Day was observed on 24^th March 2010 in the dept. of Microbiology, JIPMER