Infectious Diseases

Biography

Biography: Goutam Chowdhury

Abstract

Acute diarrheal disease is still a major health problem and second most common cause of death world-wide in children under five years of age. Most of the morbidity occurs in low-income countries, where the aetiologies and epidemiology of gastroenteritis remain incompletely understood. Diarrhea can be caused by a range of pathogens, including several bacteria. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as culture, biochemical tests, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), are laborious and time consuming. We used SYBR-Green real time PCR assay targeting 10 uncommon diarrheagenic bacterial pathogens (S.aureus, Enterotoxigenic B.cereus, C. perfringens, C. difficile, L. monocytogenes, P. shigelloides, Y. enterocolitica, Enterotoxigenic B. fragilis, A. hydrophila, P. alcalifaciens) directly in fecal specimens from patients admitted infectious diseases hospital with acute diarrhea in Kolkata, India. The products formed were identified based on melting point temperature (Tm) curve analysis. The assay was first validated with reference strains or isolates and exhibited a limit of detection of 103 to 105 CFU/gm of stool for each pathogen. A total of 1184 clinical fecal specimens from individual with diarrhea, previously cultured for enteric pathogens were evaluated. Enterotoxigenic B. fragilis was detected highest number about 80 (6.75%) followed by enterotoxigenic B. cereus 60 (5.06%), C. perfringens 46 (3.88%), A. hydrophila 45 (3.80%), P. alcalifaciens 44 (3.71%), P. shigelloides 39 (3.29%), C. difficile 39 (3.29%), L. monocytogenes 38 (3.20%), S. aureus 23 (1.94%), and Y. enterocolitica 14 (1.8%) respectively. We found SYBR-Green real time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of 10 target pathogens to be comprehensive, rapid, inexpensive and accurate, of high selectivity and is well suited for surveillance or clinical purpose.