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Genus Malassezia consists of 14 species of yeast like fungi that commonly causes superficial mycoses. It is a topic of intense interest but its fastidious nature restricts its research. Speciation gives us better treatment strategies especially with global concern over high Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) to anti-fungal agents and emerging resistance. Aim of the study was to speciate Malassezia using phenotypic methods and to analyse the risk factors and its clinical correlation. The study was conducted at our university teaching hospital in south India over a one year period after approval by the Institutional Ethics Committee. A total of 105 patients, who had skin lesions resembling diseases caused by Malassezia, were included. The skin scrapings were subjected to 10% KOH wet mount. Culture was put up on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA), with and without olive oil overlay (SDA-O) and modified Dixon's agar. Gram's stain, catalase test, aesculin hydrolysis, Tween assimilation, temperature tolerance and Tween 40-based precipitate production were done to characterise Malassezia species. The most common age was 20-40 years, with a slight female predominance (58.1%). Among the study group (n = 105), 87 had the prototype disease - pityriasis versicolour (PV). Out of 105 patients, 62.9% were fresh cases and 37.1% came with recurrences. The most common site to be affected by PV was the back, followed by chest. M. globosa was the most common species in both the hypopigmented and hyper pigmented groups. In three patients, two species were isolated from the same lesion. A sequential use of these simple tests helps greatly in a financially constrained set up for speciation of Malassezia in the laboratory.

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Aim: This study was conducted to find out the bacterial aetiological agents of burn wound infections with antimicrobial testing of the bacterial isolates. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study of 203 patients with burn wound infections at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram during the period January 2010 to April 2011. The specimens were cultured using aerobic microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to different agents was carried out using the disc diffusion method. Results: Cultures from burn wound revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most common organism followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. There was a high rate of multidrug-resistant organisms. However, all the staphylococci were susceptible to Vancomycin and the gram negatives were susceptible to Carbapenems. Conclusion: Collection of appropriate specimens for culture before starting of antibiotics helps in better management, along with isolation precautions. However close follow-up and repeat specimens are necessary for appropriate change in antibiotics. For empiric treatment Vancomycin and Imipenem appear to be a good combination in this hospital.

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Otitis externa caused by Scedosporium apiospermum is extremely rare. We report a case of otomycosis in a chronic alcoholic who presented at the Otorhinolaryngology Outpatient Department with complains of right ear discharge and hearing loss. Scedosporium apiospermum (Pseudallescheria boydii) was isolated repeatedly from ear discharge. The patient was treated with surgical debridment and topically with Clotrimazole.

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Members of the genus Brucella are aerobic, small, Gram-negative coccobacilli, which include seven species, of which four are human pathogens, namely Brucella melitensis, Br. abortus, Br. suis and Br. canis. Brucellosis, a zoonosis continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. We report a case of acute brucellosis caused by Br. melitensis in a 25-year-old male working in Middle-East, who presented with fever of 3 weeks duration. He was empirically treated as a case of enteric fever. Br. melitensis was isolated from his blood culture using automated blood culture system and the serology was positive for Brucella IgM antibody. The patient responded well to injection streptomycin 0.75gm IM and doxycycline 200mg daily for a period of three weeks.

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Fifty multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates were tested for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC β-lactamase enzyme production. Cefoxitin (30 μg) resistance was used as the screening test for AmpC enzyme detection. Phenotypic confirmation was done by conventional three-dimensional enzyme extract test (TDET), AmpC disc test and modified three-dimensional test (MDT). A total of 45 (90%) strains were AmpC positive by the screening test. Out of these 45 strains, 40 strains were positive by AmpC disc test, 39 strains by TDET and 38 strains by MDT. Cefoxitin resistance can be used as the screening test. AmpC disc test is simple to perform and gives rapid result. So, it can be used as a phenotypic method for detection of AmpC enzyme production in resource-limited settings where genotypic detection methods are not available.

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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common intra-uterine and peri-natal viral infection. CMV infections in neonates are acquired by aspiration of cervico-vaginal secretions during birth, through breast milk and from exposure to blood products. Most of the infections in neonates are asymptomatic. Pre-term infants tend to show higher susceptibility to peri-natal and post-natal infections. We report CMV infection in a pre-term low birth weight infant who presented with fever, and respiratory distress due to pneumonitis and was successfully treated with Ganciclovir.

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We report a case of invasive sinonasal Scopulariopsis that mimicked mucormycosis in a 63-year-old diabetic patient. The isolated fungus from functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) specimen was identified as Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The patient was treated with Amphotericin B followed by Itraconazole. Aetiological identification of the fungus is very essential for preventing recurrence.

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Rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) are notorious for chronic infections and non-healing surgical wounds. There are reports of infections of implants by RGM, particularly Mycobacterium fortuitum. These conditions necessitate wound exploration to find out the actual pathogen. Herein, we report three cases of M. fortuitum infection following inguinal hernia repair with mesh.

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Dirofilaria is a common parasite of domestic and wild animals. Man gets infected accidentally by inoculation of arthropods infected with the microfilariae during their blood meal. Human infection with Dirofilaria repens results in coin lesions in the lungs, subcutaneous mass anywhere in the body or ocular lesion that may be sub-conjunctival or periorbital. Human dirofilariasis is prevalent in several regions of the world and is on the rise in many parts of India, particularly in Kerala. We hereby report a case of ocular dirofilariasis that presented as lid abscess with periorbital cellulitis.

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