Department of Microbiology

Faculty and Staff

Academic Course

MD (Microbiology)

Patient Care Services

Bacteriology and Serology Unit

Annual investigation report for the year 2022 (1st Jan to 31st Dec)

TIER 1 & TIER 2 EQAS (IAMM & CMC VELLORE)

Protozoology Unit

Routine clinical & diagnostic service to the patient - the unit provides diagnostic & clinical service to the patient throughout the year on Malaria, Kala-azar and other protozoan infections. It also serves as a referral unit for protozoan infections.

Incidence of malaria detected and treated (2022)

Routine diagnostic service to the patients of Kala-azar / rk-39 test (2022)

Entomology Unit

Daily activities:

1. Entomological survey of dengue vectors
2. Maintenance of Aedes sp. colony
3. Insecticide susceptibility bioassay of adult and larvae of mosquito vectors

Helminthology Unit

Filaria OPD attendance (2022): 1656

Unit Laboratory (2022)

Mycology Unit

Number of investigations (2022)

Virology Unit

Routine Activities of Virology Unit

• Arbo viruses
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. Dengue NS1 detection by ELISA
    2. Anti-Dengue IgM ELISA
    3. Anti-Dengue IgG ELISA
    4. Anti-Chikungunya IgM ELISA
    5. Anti-Japanese encephalitis IgM ELISA
  • Molecular Diagnosis of
    1. Chikungunya virus RNA detection
    2. Dengue virus RNA detection
    3. Dengue serotyping
• Hepatitis viruses
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. Anti-HCV antibodies ELISA / RAPID
    2. Hepatitis B s antigen ELISA/ RAPID
    3. Anti-HAV IgM ELISA
    4. Anti-HEV IgM ELISA
    5. Hepatitis B e antigen ELISA
    6. Anti HBs antibody titre ELISA
    7. Anti HBc Antibody ELISA
• Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Serological diagnosis of
    1. HIV 1 and 2 by RAPID, ELISA and Western blot test (as per NACO guideline)
  • ICTC - Routine testing of HIV among patients referred from STI clinic
  • NRL -
    1. Conducts proficiency testing and panel sera distribution (HIV EQAS) to the HIV State Reference Laboratories (SRL) of West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Chhattisgarh
    2. Confirmation of Indeterminate and discordant samples by Western Blot test
    3. Confirmation of HIV 2 by Western Blot test (NRL is also designated as Referral Lab for the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Sikkim and Jharkhand for HIV 2 diagnosis)
• SARS CoV2
  1. Molecular diagnosis (RT-PCR) - Almost 100000 (One lac) SARS CoV-2 RT-PCR test has been done.
  2. Rapid Antigen Test (Lateral flow assay)
  3. SARS CoV 2 IgG by ELISA testing
  4. Regular QC test of different RAT kit, RNA Extraction kit and RT-PCR kit done.
  5. Acting as State nodal Center for Whole Genome Sequencing of SARS CoV-2 virus.
• Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Panel (other than Arbo viral causes)
  • Molecular testing of
    1. Scrub typhus
    2. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2
    3. Leptospira
    4. Streptococcus pneumoniae
    5. Hemophillus influenzae
    6. Neisseria meningitides
  • Serological testing (IgM) of
    1. Scrub typhus
    2. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2
    3. Leptospira
• Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Panel
  • Molecular testing of
    1. Influenza A + B Flu typing
    2. Sub typing of Influenza A H1N1, pdm009,H3N2
    3. Para Influenza (1,2,3&4)
    4. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
    5. Adeno virus
    6. Entero virus
    7. Rhino virus
    8. Human Metapneumo virus (HMPV)
    9. Human Boca Virus
• Others
  • Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
  • Cytomegalo virus (CMV)
• Next Generation Sequencing

Since January 2020, Virology unit is designated as one of the State Reference Laboratories of NVHCP programme for several Health districts of West Bengal.

Yearly testing details (2022)

Ongoing Research Projects

Recent Publications

1. Biswas M,Gupta B,Rakshit A,Pramanik N,Chakrabarty B,Kundu PK.The bane of enterobacterales in hospital infection control: a tertiary carebased study.European Journal Of Pharmaceutical And Medical Research, 2022; 9(1), 302-306.
2. Biswas M, Biswas, Gupta B, Mascellino M, Rakshit A, Chakraborty Banya. Changing Paradigms in Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella Species with Focus on Fluoroquinolone Resistance: A 5-Year Retrospective Study of Enteric Fever in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kolkata, India. Antibiotics. 2022. 11. 1308. 10.3390/antibiotics11101308.
3. Sikdar Rahul, Gupta B, Chakraborty D, Chakraborti R, Chowdhury A, Mondal S, Chakraborty B, Bandyopadhyay B. A Clinico-Epidemiological Study on Leptospirosis in West Bengal: A Neglected Cause of Acute Febrile Illness. Paripex Indian Journal of Research. 2022. 42-45. 10.36106/paripex/1401432.
4. Sardar AA, Saha P*, Maji D, Guha U, Maji AK, Guha SK. Impact of Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) of synthetic pyrethroid (alphacypermethrin) on sand fly population in the Kala-azar endemic areas of Malda district, West Bengal, India. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science. 2022. 42, 3290-3302.
5. Chatterjee R, Pramanick N, Ghosh S*, Ghosh T, Mondal T, Maji A. Multiple protozoal infections in a single immunocompromised patient – A case report. Indian Journal of Tropical Parasitology. 2022.
6. Bose S, Chakrabarty A*, Ghosh T, Maji A. Rare Presentation of Ocular Enterobiasis-Case Reports. Indian Journal of Tropical Parasitology. 2022.
7. Haldar R, Das (Sarkar) Munmun, An Observational Study on Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences, October 2022, Vol 3 Issue 2: 05-12
8. Dey A, Biswas AK, Jana K, Maji AK, Saha P*. Assessment of knowledge about malaria and LLIN ownership and its use in Bankura, West Bengal. Journal of Vector Borne Diseases (In Press). 2022
9. Acharya A, Saha P, Chaudhury A, Guha SK, Maji AK*. Prevalence of histidine‑rich protein 2 deletion among the clinical Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from urban area, Kolkata. Tropical Parasitology (In Press).2022.
10. Sikdar R, Gupta B, Chakraborty D, Chakraborti R*, Chowdhury A, Mondal S, Chakraborty B, Bandyopadhyay B. A clinico-epidemiological study on leptospirosis in west bengal: a neglected cause of acute febrile illness, Indian Journal of Research. October 2022 Volume - 11 | Issue - 10 | 2 | PRINT ISSN No. 2250 - 1991 | DOI : 10.36106/paripex
11. Ravi V, Hameed SKS, Desai A, Mani RS, Reddy V, Velayudhan A, Yadav R, Jain A, Saikia L, Borthakur AK, Sharma A, Mohan DG, Bandopadhyay B, Bhattacharya N, Inamdar L, Hossain S, Daves S, Sejvar J, Dhariwal AC, Sen PK, Venkatesh S, Prasad J, Laserson K, Srikanti P. An algorithmic approach to identifying the aetiology of acute encephalitis syndrome in India: results of a 4-year enhanced surveillance study. Lancet Glob Health. 2022 May;10(5):e685-e693. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00079-1.
12. ChitraP,Pramada Prasad, SampadaSudarshan, Anson George, Darshan S, Risha Ashraf, Ayushman Ghosh, Ananya Pal, ,Shafeeq K, Shahul Hameed, Bhaswati Banerjee, Anita desai, Ravi V. Identification and genomic characterization of Parvovirus B19V genotype 3 viruses from cases of meningoencephalitis in West Bengal, India. has been accepted by Spectrum. MicrobiolSpectr 2022 Apr 27;10(2):e0225121. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02251-21. Epub 2022 Apr 12
13. Singh AK, Laskar R, Banerjee A, Mondal RK, Gupta B, Deb S, Dutta S, Patra S, Ghosh T, Sarkar S, Ghosh S, Bhattacharya S, Roy D, Chakraborty A, Chowdhury M, Mahaptra S, Paul A, Mazumder A, Chowdhury A, Chatterjee SS, Sarkar A, Ray R, Pal K, Jana A, Barik G, Ganguly S, Chatterjee M, Majhi D, Bandopadhyay B, Das S, Maitra A, Biswas NK. Contrasting Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages across Multiple Rounds of Pandemic Waves in West Bengal, the Gateway of East and North-East States of India. American Society for Microbiology. 19 July 2022 by 2405:201:8013:f9d0:dc28:b9c8:4419:2761.
14. Deb S, Chattopadhyay S, Gupta B, Chakraborti R, Guha SK, Bandyopadhyay B. Evaluation of Antigen Based Rapid Diagnostic Test in Comparison to RT PCR in Diagnosis of SARS CoV2 with Respect to Duration of Illness and CT Value of Corresponding RT PCR. Accepted For Publication 2.9.2022 International Journal Of Health And Clinical Research
15. Bose S, Palchowdhury P, Acharya A, Chakraborti R*, Bandyopadhyay B, Mandal S. Influenza amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic : A Declining Trend, International Journal Of Scientific Research, Volume 11, Issue – 05, May – 2022, PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8179 | DOI : 10.36106/ijsr
16. Chakraborty A, Rakshit A, Palchowdhury P, Chakraborty B*. High Prevalence of Fluoroquinolone Resistance among Drug-Sensitive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: An Imminent Peril. Global journal of Research Analysis. Apr 1, 2022