The Department undertakes academic activities and Diagnostic Laboratory work.

Academic Work : is mainly teaching of MBBS students in their second year for a period of 18 months. The teaching – learning process is through lectures, seminars, practicals, problems solving exercises, etc.

The curriculum involves basic microbiology, sterilisation and disinfection, clinical microbiology including immunology.

Diagnostic Work : The department caters to the hospital. The services available are bacteriology, virology (mainly serological), mycology, parasitology and mycobacteriology.

A Consultant Microbiologist is in-charge of the diagnostic work. Between 1500 and 1750 samples are processed every month.

Research Work : Facilities are available in the department to do clinically relevant, hospital based studies of infections of importance to this region.

Article Title : Ovarian Cyst Infected with Salmonella Typhi

Author : Malini J., George Varghese, Jose Paul, Betty Thomas

Case Report : (Accepted for publication)

A case of right ovarian cyst infected with salmonella typhi in a pregnant woman is presented. The condition was diagnosed by ultrasonography and the aspirated pus was received in the laboratory for investigation.

There were plenty of pus cells and gram negative bacilli in Gram’s smear. Culture yielded sal. typhi. The antibiotic sensitivity showed that organisms were sensitive to ceprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, cotrimoxazle, ampicillin – sulbactum combination.

The patient received ceftriaxone, metrogyl and amikacin intravenously as empirical therapy. The treatment after sensitivity was obtained was ciprofloxacin, 500 mg, twice daily for 10 days.

The patient had an uneventful recovery.

Project Works : Two projects have been completed by students undergoing M.Sc. Microbiology course. The manuscripts are ready and shall be published soon.

One is on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and the other is on, Vancomycin Resistance among Enterocci isolated from our Hospital.