Seven human and seven chicken strains of Campylobacter jejuni/coli were tested for enterotoxigenicity in ligated ileal loops of rats. Both live cells and culture filtrates of all the strains caused fluid accumulation in rat loops indicating production of enterotoxin by them. However, 2 human and 5 chicken strains required 1-3 consecutive passage(s) to do so. Ligated rat ileal loop is, therefore, a good experimental model for testing enterotoxigenicity of C.jejuni/coli. The enterotoxic activity of C.jejuni/coli in rat loops was completely neutralized by cholera antitoxin upto 1 in 80 dilution indicating immunobiological similarity between C.jejuni/coli enterotoxin and cholera toxin.

An evaluation of the Gonozyme test as a rapid screening test for the detection of gonococcal antigenemia in genital secretions in comparison to the conventional diagnostic methods like isolation or detection of the organism by Gram stained smear has been carried out. Gonozyme test was found to be highly specific with a sensitivity of 85.7% and 91.3% for the make and female patients respectively. In addition it was able to detect 9.85% male and 36.58% females cases of gonorrhoea which were negative by conventional tests. The false negative rate of Gonozyme test was 15.15% in male and 7.31% infemale patients. Gonozyme test is recommended for the rapid diagnosis of gonorrhoea not as a single test but in combination with the Gram stained smear examination for the males and culture in female patients.

During the period of 1983-90, 339 strains of Salmonella were isolated from Kashmir valley. S, typhi was the commonest serotype among typhoid causing serotypes and S. typhimurium among gastroentritis causing serotypes. Only 8 strains of S.typhi were multi drug resistant. Phage type A was the commonest in this region. S.typhimurium strains had a high degree of multiple drug resistance. Multiple drug resistance was not encountered among other serotypes.

A total of 4131 pregnant women were screened for HBsAg and Rh blood group during July 1987 to December 1989. One hundred and eight (2.6%) women were HBsAg positive. There was no significant difference in the HBsAg carriage in Rh positive women (2.5%) and Rh negative women (3.7%). From this data, it appears that Rh blood group has no role in the pathogenesis of HBsAg carriage during pregnancy.

Bacterial, mycological and drug sensitivity study in sputum of cotton textile mill workers with byssinosis in Rajasthan was carried out in Ajmer. Study revealed a significant prevalence of both bacterial and mycotic infections superimposed on the chronic byssinosis associated with bronchitis. Bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics gave more or less widely agreed patterns. Mycological sensitivity test were not conducted due to non availability of systemic antifungal agents.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) and West (WN) viruses were grown on porcine stable (PS) cells and radiolabelled with tritiated amino acids and analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE). Two large molecular weight polypeptides were detected in cells infected with JE virus. One was of molecular weight 324000 and was detected during early phase of JE virus replication, (6-10 hours post Infection). Another polypeptide had molecular weight 174000 and was detected during late phase of JE virus replication (after 17 hours of post infection). The nonstructural polypeptide P71 of JE and WN viruses was found to differ in size. The P71 polypeptide of JE virus was of larger molecular weight as compared to that of WN virus.

Isolation of Fasciolopsis buski is reported in a female child aged 5 years presenting with pain abdomen, constipation, abdominal distension and fever. She had signs of acute intestinal obstruction for which a laparotomy was performed revealing necrotizing enteritis involving 30cm of mid jejunum. On second post-operative day, she passed flukes through surgical stoma which were identified as F.buski. Clinical improvement and parasitological cure was obtained with a single dose of 15mg/kg body weight of praziquantel. Necrotizing enteritis as a manifestation of fasciolopsiasis has not been reported in the literature previously.

Ninety three subjects with a mean age of 31.92 years were selected for the present study to detect total and Giardia specific IgA in serum and duodenal aspirates. History of pain abdomen was given by 94.44% subjects in group A (giardiasis without malabsocrpiton), 100% subjects in group B (giardiasis with malabsocrption) 100% subjects in group C (malabsocrption without giardiasis). Formol-ether concentration method of stool examination gave a significantly higher isolation rate (100%) as compared to direct smear (80.33%) examination (P>0.001). Overall cure rate with oral metronidazole was found to be 100 per cent. Malabsorption of fat, D-xylose and Vitamin B12 was observed in 88%, 48% and 24% respectively. No IgA deficiency was noted in sera of Giardia infected cases with or without malbsorption. Following infection the total IgA level in duodenal aspirates was low as compared to IgA level from aspirates of those suffering from malabsorption. This level came back to normal after treatment. Low level of specific serum IgA was noted in group A subjects as compared to other groups. Following treatment a significant rise in specific IgA was noted. Similarly, specific IgA in duodenal aspirates was extremely low in infected subjects without malabsorption and it showed recovery after treatment.

Reverse CAMP test was evaluated for the rapid identification of Clostridium welchii from a total of 760 clinical specimens. There was a good correlation between reverse CAMP and Nagler reaction. As it gives correct result directly from the specimen even within 6 hours of incubation, this test is most helpful in favour of patient care.