Indian Journal Watch
9 November 2026
Microbiology, infectious disease, AMR and infection-control papers from India and South Asia added to PubMed on 7 to 8 November 2026 and not covered in earlier issues (PubMed showed no new qualifying entries dated 9 November at the time of compilation).
Lead articles
Surgical prophylaxis · Antimicrobial stewardship · EClinicalMedicine
Single-dose/day versus extended antibiotic prophylaxis for elective urological surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial
EClinicalMedicine · doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2026.104303 · PubMed 42997755
- What
- A randomised controlled trial from the Department of Urology, AIIMS New Delhi, testing whether extending antibiotic prophylaxis beyond the immediate perioperative period gives additional protection against postoperative symptomatic urinary tract infection (sUTI) after elective urological surgery.
- Design
- Open-label trial of patients scheduled for elective urological surgery from March 2024 to September 2025, randomised 1:1 to single-dose or extended perioperative prophylaxis. The primary endpoint was sUTI within 30 days of surgery; secondary endpoints included one-week sUTI rate, asymptomatic bacteriuria at 7 and 30 days, 30-day readmission, antibiotic escalation, length of stay and subgroup analyses. Registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2024/03/063953).
- Key findings
- A total of 334 patients completed follow-up (single-dose group: n = 169; extended-prophylaxis group: n = 165). The 30-day sUTI rate was 7.1% (12/169) in the single-dose group versus 5.5% (9/165) in the extended-prophylaxis group (absolute risk difference 1.6%, 95% CI: -3.6% to 6.8%; p = 0.536). All secondary outcome parameters were comparable between the groups. No patient in either group developed septic shock or infection-related mortality.
- Limitations
- Single-centre, open-label design; the authors state the analysis was a test of difference and does not imply equivalence or non-inferiority.
- Relevance to India
- Prolonged perioperative prophylaxis is described by the authors as common practice driven by ingrained protocols; the trial adds Indian randomised data to stewardship discussions on surgical prophylaxis duration.
IPC · Hand hygiene · Infection Prevention in Practice
Implementation uptake and healthcare worker adherence following a World Health Organization-aligned multi-modal infection prevention and control intervention in Bangladeshi tertiary hospitals: a multi-centre comparative study
Infection Prevention in Practice · doi:10.1016/j.infpip.2026.100609 · PubMed 42999594
- What
- An icddr,b-led evaluation of ward-level implementation uptake and healthcare worker (HCW) adherence after a World Health Organization (WHO)-aligned multi-modal infection prevention and control (IPC) intervention in Bangladeshi tertiary hospitals.
- Design
- Post-intervention comparative study across six tertiary hospitals. Intervention wards received a multi-modal IPC package; non-intervention wards continued routine practice. Uptake was assessed through ward audits, supply checks and administrative records; HCW adherence (n = 1426) was measured by questionnaire and verified by direct observation of key IPC practices.
- Key findings
- IPC adherence scores were significantly higher in intervention wards (70.8% vs 59.4%; mean difference = 11.4 percentage points, 95% CI = 9.3-13.5; P < 0.001). Intervention wards showed greater availability of alcohol-based hand rub (90.9% vs 29.4%), supervision (90.9% vs 64.7%) and administrative engagement (95.5% vs 11.8%). Observed hand hygiene compliance was 35.8% vs 16.4%, substantially lower than self-reported rates in both groups. Working in an intervention ward was independently associated with an 11.85-point increase in IPC adherence (95% CI = 9.71-13.99; P < 0.001).
- Limitations
- Post-intervention design without a baseline comparison; the gap between reported and observed hand hygiene indicates self-report overstates practice.
- Relevance to India and South Asia
- The authors present bundled IPC implementation as feasible in resource-constrained settings and highlight the need for objective monitoring in IPC evaluation, relevant to hospital IPC programmes across the region.
More from the journals
AMR & antimicrobial discovery
- ACORN-HAI cohort across 19 Asian countries, including South Asian sites: early best available therapy within 24 h was associated with lower 14-day mortality in MDR Gram-negative bloodstream infections (18.5% vs 25.6%); findings for carbapenem-resistant infections were uncertain.EClinicalMedicine · PubMed 42997807
- Index Medical College, Indore: among 171 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, resistance was 44.4% to imipenem and 40.4% to meropenem, and 2.3% to polymyxin B.Cureus · PubMed 42997367
- Kolkata: authors’ response to comments on their study of multidrug-resistant neonatal sepsis in a level III NICU (letter).Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology · PubMed 42998722
- Graphic Era University, Dehradun: review of quorum sensing and biofilm regulation in ESKAPE pathogens as therapeutic targets.Current Microbiology · PubMed 42998103
- Saveetha, Chennai: silver-doped bioglass/graphene oxide/PCL-collagen dermal patch showed in vitro activity against S. aureus and E. coli in a preliminary rat study.Transfusion and Apheresis Science · PubMed 42998533
- VIT Vellore: recombinant acidic phospholipase A2 from Naja naja venom inhibited E. coli, K. pneumoniae and B. cereus in vitro.Molecular Biology Reports · PubMed 42998189
TB, virology & vaccines
- ICMR-NIE Chennai: monitoring and evaluation framework for a statewide differentiated TB care initiative in southern India to reduce TB deaths.BMJ Global Health · PubMed 42998882
- Southern Afghanistan 2024-2025: of 4379 suspected measles cases, 3346 were laboratory-confirmed and 80.9% of all cases lacked a measles-containing vaccine record.IJID Regions · PubMed 42999640
- IIT Guwahati and Jamia Hamdard: paper-based electrochemical aptasensor detecting African swine fever virus p30 protein (LOD 1.09 ng/mL).Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications · PubMed 42998580
Vector-borne, parasitic & zoonotic
- AIIMS Deoghar: knowledge, attitude and practice survey of 546 adults on vector-borne diseases; 60% had inadequate knowledge and 84% suboptimal preventive practices.Cureus · PubMed 42999884
- Sylhet Agricultural University: enteric parasite-compatible stages found by microscopy in 14 of 100 ready-to-eat salad samples from Sylhet, Bangladesh.Journal of Parasitology Research · PubMed 42999760
- ICMR-National Institute of Health Research, Bhubaneswar: systematic review and meta-analysis of leptospirosis incidence, seroprevalence and risk factors in low- and middle-income countries (46 studies).One Health · PubMed 42997638
- Khanewal, Punjab, Pakistan: Brucella abortus detected by IS711 PCR in 48% of cattle and 5 of 11 farm workers during a dairy-farm brucellosis outbreak.Veterinary Medicine and Science · PubMed 42998262
- University of Agriculture, Faisalabad: review of haemorrhagic septicaemia (Pasteurella multocida B:2 and E:2) in cattle and buffalo, including AMR and control strategies.Archives of Razi Institute · PubMed 42996932
Clinical infection & mycology
- Pune: first reported periprosthetic knee joint infection caused by Candida viswanathii, identified by MALDI-TOF MS.Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports · PubMed 42997088
- Ahmedabad: chronic thumb osteomyelitis in which tissue GeneXpert detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis despite negative Ziehl-Neelsen staining.Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports · PubMed 42997086
- Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi: distal femoral physeal separation secondary to septic arthritis in a child with cerebral palsy.Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports · PubMed 42997073
- Pakistan: enteric fever presenting with acute bilateral lower limb weakness from parainfectious myopathy, with blood cultures positive for Salmonella sp.Clinical Case Reports · PubMed 42999533
- AIIMS Mangalagiri: melioidosis in a sibling following a complex index case (letter).Indian Journal of Pediatrics · PubMed 42998197
- Sri Ramachandra, Chennai: orbital myositis following streptococcal pharyngitis (letter).Indian Journal of Pediatrics · PubMed 42998196
- Sylhet, Bangladesh: Helicobacter pylori, betel quid chewing and endoscopic pathology in 211 dyspeptic patients; neither showed a significant independent association after adjustment.Public Health Challenges · PubMed 42997599
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.
