Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medicine

Parainfluenza is a highly contagious disease of animals which affects mainly the respiratory system of the body. The disease is caused by the Parainfluenza viruses which are the enveloped viruses belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family under order Mononegavirales. These viruses affect the respiratory system of bovine, canine and murine species. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or by aerosols produced through exhalation, coughing or sneezing. After inhalation, the virus invades the respiratory epithelium and affects the alveolar macrophage which increases susceptibility to secondary infection. The infection is transmitted rapidly among stressed animal. It is manifested by an increase in body temperature, lacrimation, and serous discharge from the nasal opening, coughing, depression, and dyspnoea. Diagnosis of this viral infection can be done on the basis of various serological assays, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR methods. Treatment against it is mainly symptomatic and directed primarily towards combating the secondary bacterial infections. Vaccination is the best prevention strategy against the disease occurrence and various combined vaccines are available in the market.

Background Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a virulent pathogen that is currently the most common cause of infections in hospitalized patients. Health care workers (HCWs) play a significant role in the epidemiology of Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infection. HCWs act as a vector for transmission of MRSA as they work at the interface between hospital and the community. Transmission of MRSA in health care environment is usually by contact between patients through hands, cloths or equipment of HCWs. Objectives To determine the percentage of HCW’s having MRSA carriage at a tertiary care hospital in Rawalpindi Pakistan. Materials and methods Nasal swabs from anterior nares of HCWs were cultured on Blood agar and Macconkey Agar and Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) and incubated at 35°C for 24-48 hours. S. aureus growth was confirmed by colony morphology, gram staining and biochemical tests. MRSA were identified by observing zone of inhibition around Cefoxitin disc on Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) according to CLSI guidelines. Results The frequency of nasal carriage of MRSA was 6.5%. High nasal carriage was seen in ITC among the nursing staff. Conclusion High frequency of MRSA nasal carriage in ITC staff reflects poor hand hygiene and urgent need for infection control measures.