Indian Journal Watch
21 October 2026
Peer-reviewed microbiology, infectious disease, AMR and infection-control papers from India and South Asia, added to PubMed from 19 to 21 October 2026.
Lead articles
TB · Clinical Infectious Diseases
Not All Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Is Equal: Site-Specific Mortality in a National Indian Cohort
Clinical Infectious Diseases · doi:10.1093/cid/ciag677 · PubMed 42896148
- What
- Site-specific in-treatment mortality among adults treated for extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in India, and how comorbidities relate to death at different disease sites.
- Design
- National Indian cohort of adults with EPTB, comparing mortality during treatment by anatomical site, with lymph node TB as the reference group. Authors include the Central Tuberculosis Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and AIIMS New Delhi.
- Key findings
- Among 777,512 Indian adults with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, “in-treatment mortality varied over tenfold by site”. Mortality was highest for tuberculous meningitis (adjusted odds ratio 12.48 vs. lymph node TB), miliary TB (5.17) and pericardial TB (3.86). Associations of HIV, diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use with mortality varied across sites.
- Limitations
- The published abstract is brief. It does not describe the data source, study period, how disease site was assigned or how complete the comorbidity data were. The outcome covers deaths during treatment only, and the design is observational.
- Relevance to India
- This is a national-scale analysis of EPTB outcomes drawn from Indian data. The authors conclude that “risk-stratified, comorbidity-aware care is warranted”.
Vector-borne · Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
Need-based Compared to Guidelines-based Fluid Administration in Dengue Patients with Warning Signs: An Open-label Randomized Study
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases · doi:10.4103/jgid.jgid_202_25 · PubMed 42899050
- What
- A comparison of individualised, haemodynamically guided fluid therapy with WHO guideline-based fluid therapy in adults with dengue and warning signs.
- Design
- Open-label randomised controlled trial at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi (December 2019 to October 2023). 80 adults were randomised 1:1. The intervention arm received need-based fluids guided by non-invasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM) and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The primary outcome was haemodynamic stability over 48 h.
- Key findings
- Mean pulse pressure was higher in the intervention arm at 8 h (45.2 ± 11.6 mmHg vs. 39.8 ± 8.7 mmHg), 12 h (45 ± 11.3 mmHg vs. 38.9 ± 8.1 mmHg) and 24 h (44.1 ± 9.6 mmHg vs. 39.1 ± 6.6 mmHg) (P < 0.05). Systolic blood pressure was higher at 8 h (P = 0.02). The arms were similar for progression to severe dengue (17.5% in both groups), hospital stay (5.4 vs. 5.5 days; P = 0.87) and mortality (none).
- Limitations
- Single centre, open label and small (n = 80). The trial was not powered for clinical endpoints, and the authors call for larger multicentre studies.
- Relevance to India
- Dengue with warning signs is a frequent reason for admission in India. This Indian trial found that the haemodynamic gains with NICOM/POCUS-guided fluids did not lead to measurable improvements in clinical outcomes.
More from the journals
Antimicrobial resistance & stewardship
- National antimicrobial consumption in Nepal, 2016–2023: antibacterials had the highest mean consumption at 48.6 DID. The apparent upward pattern for anti-TB drugs was not a statistically clear linear trend.Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy · PubMed 42899472
- Fleming Fund (Africa and Asia, 2018–2026): AMR surveillance data use was most evident at facility level. Co-authors are based in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, among other countries.Clinical Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42895836
- Fleming Fund: how AMR surveillance was put into practice in LMICs, and the barriers to generating actionable data.Clinical Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42895838
- Fleming Fund: lessons on One Health governance and implementation for AMR programmes in 25 countries.Clinical Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42895837
- One Health, Nepal: multidrug resistance in 71.7% of bacteria isolated from cattle cervico-vaginal mucus.Frontiers in Microbiomes · PubMed 42898518
Tuberculosis
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 Indian studies: median total delay in TB care 45.5 days. Pooled proportion experiencing total delay 39% (95% CI: 17%–64%).Journal of Global Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42899310
- RePORT India nested case-control study: a CXCL8, MMP-2 and CCL2 panel predicted unfavourable pulmonary TB outcomes (AUC ~0.90).Frontiers in Immunology · PubMed 42898291
- Sri Lanka case report: multifocal soft-tissue TB presenting as cold abscesses without respiratory symptoms.Cureus · PubMed 42894586
Vector-borne & zoonotic
- Leptospirosis in Eastern Uttar Pradesh: 550 of 2430 (22.6%) suspected cases were IgM positive, with peaks in the monsoon and post-monsoon period.Journal of Global Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42899296
- Editorial on leptospirosis beyond the coasts, with lessons from the humid subtropics.Journal of Global Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42899281
- Laboratory study (Varanasi/Delhi): dengue virus NS1 alters microRNA networks in human brain microvascular endothelial cells.Tissue Barriers · PubMed 42899509
Virology
- ICMR-NIV genomic characterisation of a recombinant clade Ib/IIb monkeypox virus from a travel-associated case in India.Nature Microbiology · PubMed 42897199
- Narrative review of HIV epidemiology in Pakistan, 1987–2026, covering key populations and recent paediatric outbreaks.Current HIV/AIDS Reports · PubMed 42900303
- GBD 2023 analysis of paediatric RSV-associated lower respiratory infection in G20 countries: India ranked highest and Australia lowest.iScience · PubMed 42894590
Infection prevention & HAI
- AIIMS Raipur case report: Bacillus cereus catheter-related bloodstream infection in a haemodialysis patient, confirmed on repeat paired cultures.Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology · PubMed 42896653
Mycology
- Cytology image report (Chennai): a fungal cause of biliary obstruction.Journal of Cytology · PubMed 42899282
Vaccines & other
- Cost-effectiveness of single-dose PCV20 vs. PCV13→PPSV23 for adults in India: ICERs of ₹110,790 (private) and ₹570,327 (government perspective) per QALY. The study was funded by Pfizer.Infectious Diseases and Therapy · PubMed 42895620
- Commentary (Manipal) on tropical infections and the limits of contemporary sepsis evidence.Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · PubMed 42895761
- Letter (Pune) on the immune mechanisms of coexisting leprosy and dermatophytosis.Journal of Global Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42899026
Items are summaries of published abstracts and are not clinical advice. Readers should consult the original article. Figures are quoted as reported in each abstract.
