EC Microbiology

Nosocomial infections, also known as hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and continue to pose a substantial global public health menace. These infections usually occur in patients after 48-72 hours of admission to the hospital or health-care centre, and remain a major source of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure worldwide [1-3]. A number of factors, such as the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms, inadequate infection control practices, overcrowding in hospitals, and increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients contribute significantly to the upsurge of nosocomial infections in developing as well as developed nations of the world. Nosocomial infections can occur in sporadic as well as in the form of an outbreaks affecting people of both sexes, and all age groups [1,4,5].

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