Indian Journal Watch
28 October 2026
Peer-reviewed microbiology, infectious disease, AMR and infection-control papers from India and South Asia, published or added to PubMed from 26 to 27 October 2026.
Lead articles
IPC & HAI · Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
The Unusual Outbreak of Sepsis in a Cancer Hospital Caused by Intrinsically Contaminated Heparin Injection Vials
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention · doi:10.31557/APJCP.2026.27.10.3629 · PubMed 42935053
- What
- An investigation of a hospital-acquired outbreak of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in cancer patients caused by intrinsic contamination of a heparin injection vial with New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (blaNDM)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae, from the Departments of Microbiology and Medical Oncology, MPMMCC/HBCH, Varanasi (Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai).
- Design
- Outbreak investigation at a cancer centre in North India after a cluster of sepsis cases in patients with chemoports was noted in July 2024. Blood cultures underwent automated identification and susceptibility testing, the Carba-R test and molecular testing. Environmental samples were collected from high-touch surfaces, intravenous medications, saline and heparin; isolates were compared by ERIC-PCR, and a causality assessment was performed.
- Key findings
- A cluster of 10 sepsis cases with culture-confirmed BSIs was identified in the medical oncology department: 5 (50%) were admitted after visiting the central venous access device (CVAD) clinic and 5 (50%) presented to the emergency department after recent chemotherapy. All cases had K. pneumoniae in blood cultures; all isolates were multidrug-resistant, sensitive to ceftazidime-avibactam and tigecycline, and carried blaNDM. The heparin vial was the primary cause and single source, and the contamination was intrinsic to a new batch from the manufacturer.
- Limitations
- A single-centre report of 10 cases; strain relatedness was assessed by ERIC-PCR rather than whole-genome sequencing, and the abstract does not report patient outcomes.
- Relevance to India
- The authors describe HAI surveillance linked to pharmacovigilance that identified the source within a few days of the outbreak alert in a low-resource setting. The regulatory authorities (CDSCO and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission) were notified.
AMR · Microorganisms
Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals the Resistome, Virulome, Pan-Genome Architecture, and Phylogenomic Diversity of Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi in Pakistan
Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms14102225 · PubMed 42943463
- What
- A phenotypic and genomic study of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi from patients with suspected typhoid fever in Peshawar, Pakistan, from Islamia College Peshawar and the University of Peshawar.
- Design
- Cross-sectional study, January to December 2021, of 252 culture-confirmed S. Typhi isolates. Susceptibility testing followed CLSI guidelines, with MDR and XDR classified by WHO criteria. Fourteen non-duplicate XDR isolates underwent Illumina whole-genome sequencing with MLST, resistome, virulome, pan-genome and core-genome phylogenetic analysis.
- Key findings
- Of the 252 isolates, 152 (60.3%) were XDR, 73 (29.0%) were MDR and 27 (10.7%) were susceptible. Resistance was highest to ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone and co-trimoxazole, whereas azithromycin and meropenem showed high in vitro activity. All sequenced isolates belonged to ST1. The resistome included blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1, catA1, sul1, qnrS1, aac(6′)-Iy and dfrA7, with mutations in gyrA, parC, soxS, pmrA and pmrB.
- Limitations
- Only 14 XDR isolates from one city were sequenced. The authors state that the high genomic relatedness does not by itself establish ongoing transmission or clonal expansion, and that larger, more geographically diverse datasets are needed.
- Relevance to India
- The abstract describes Pakistan as a major hotspot for XDR typhoid. The resistance determinants reported are relevant to enteric fever surveillance across South Asia, including India. The authors call for continued genomic surveillance, typhoid conjugate vaccination and effective infection-control measures.
More from the journals
Antimicrobial resistance & stewardship
- Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh: Acinetobacter baumannii was found in 37% of cats, 26.1% of veterinary hospital environmental samples and 21.3% of veterinary waste samples; all isolates were imipenem resistant.Veterinary Research Communications · PubMed 42944944
- NIPER Hyderabad: of 25 clinical A. baumannii isolates, 23 were multidrug resistant and 13 formed strong biofilms; comparative proteomics identified 42 differentially regulated proteins.Microbiology Spectrum · PubMed 42937325
- Datta Meghe Institute, Wardha: mini review of inoculum-dependent activity of contemporary β-lactams against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales; ceftazidime-avibactam appeared comparatively stable in several studies.Frontiers in Microbiology · PubMed 42936378
- Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata: systematic review of 36 studies found no study reporting a verified high-dose tigecycline regimen in confirmed resistant Serratia infection with an organism-specific outcome.Cureus · PubMed 42928831
- Jahangirnagar University, 450 college students in Dhaka: self-medication was reported by 37.8% (95% CI 33.4-42.3), and antibiotics were used by 36/170 (21.2%) of those self-medicating.Health Science Reports · PubMed 42936600
- Dental students at ten schools in several countries, including Dr D. Y. Patil, Pune: awareness of ESE guidelines on antibiotic use in endodontics was 49.1% among undergraduates and 82.6% among postgraduates.International Endodontic Journal · PubMed 42935264
IPC & healthcare-associated infection
Tuberculosis
- BRIC-NII, New Delhi, and BRIC-RGCB, Thiruvananthapuram: PPE1 identified as a voltage-gated outer-membrane porin that facilitates isoniazid uptake in M. tuberculosis; analysis of 38,038 clinical isolates linked ppe1 mutations with isoniazid resistance.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · PubMed 42945251
- University of Hyderabad: recombinant M. tuberculosis putative oxidoreductase Rv1714 enhanced IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 production in macrophage cell lines, associated with NF-κB activation.Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Proteins and Proteomics · PubMed 42946291
Vector-borne & parasitic disease
Virology & One Health
- BRIC-THSTI, Faridabad: upper respiratory virome of 143 SARS-CoV-2-positive adults and 96 controls; Human mastadenovirus C increased with severity, and a model of key viral taxa classified critical versus post-recovery samples (AUC 0.91).Frontiers in Microbiology · PubMed 42936086
- ICMR-NITVAR, Pune: narrative review of aircraft and airport wastewater surveillance, noting that signals are aggregate and should not be read as individual-level diagnosis or attributed to a specific flight.Viruses · PubMed 42944088
- IISER Kolkata: a lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccine encoding multimerised M2e significantly reduced viral shedding in chickens challenged with H9N2 avian influenza virus, by intramuscular or intranasal routes.Vaccine · PubMed 42933243
- Bhutan, 377 people living with HIV: 53.1% were willing to distribute HIV self-testing kits to partners; HIVST awareness was 38.7%, and social stigma was associated with lower comfort (AOR 0.13).AIDS Care · PubMed 42945182
Mycology
Diagnostics
- PGIMER, Chandigarh, 494 stool samples: real-time LAMP for Entamoeba had a sensitivity of 99.3%, equal to real-time PCR, against 39.4% for microscopy, with a 60-minute turnaround.Frontiers in Parasitology · PubMed 42935919
- GLA University, Mathura: a duplex PCR (IS1081/IS900) for M. bovis and M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis detected 10² CFU/g in spiked faeces, with a pilot on 114 specimens from 57 cattle.Pathogens · PubMed 42931207
Maternal & child health
- WHO Global Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance, 31 LMICs (2017-2022): rotavirus was the leading cause of hospitalised diarrhoea in children under 5 (AF 32.5%), but Shigella was the leading aetiology in South Asia in 2021-2022.PLOS Global Public Health · PubMed 42945288
- CHAMPS, seven countries including Bangladesh (icddr,b): congenital infections caused 9% (228/2492) of stillbirths, with group B Streptococcus, E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis the most common pathogens.PLOS Global Public Health · PubMed 42945338
- Nine Asian PICUs, including Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and PGIMER, Chandigarh, 544 children with severe CAP: antibiotic initiation more than 6 h after PICU admission was associated with higher PICU mortality (aOR 5.19, 95% CI 1.94-13.88).Pulmonary Therapy · PubMed 42944981
Other
- Systematic review of 37 studies on pyrexia of unknown origin in South Asia (about 54% from India): tuberculosis, enteric fever and scrub typhus were the most commonly reported infectious causes.BMC Infectious Diseases · PubMed 42934547
- Manipal, exploratory cohort of 16 supplemented and 16 reference patients with diabetic foot infection: vitamin D raised serum vitamin D, VDR and LL-37, but was not significantly associated with ulcer healing.Pharmaceuticals · PubMed 42943205
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.