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Microbiology

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About the department

The Department of Microbiology at Coimbatore Medical College, established in 1966 as the “Department of Bacteriology & Pathology,” is a pivotal center for clinical diagnostics, academic training, and research in infectious diseases. Led by Dr. S. Meenakshi, M.D., DNB, it offers MBBS, MD Microbiology, DMLT, and allied health sciences programs, with a robust infrastructure including lecture theaters, labs, and a hospital-integrated diagnostic facility. The department conducts cutting-edge research on antimicrobial resistance, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis, while providing public services like bacterial, fungal, serological, and molecular testing. Recognized as a referral lab for IDSP, NACO-SRL, and VRDL, it plays a key role in regional disease surveillance and outbreak response, with ongoing advancements in automation and plans for fluorescent microscopy and HLA typing labs.

Email-Id: [email protected]

HOD Desk

Dr.S.Meenakshi

Head of the department

Dr. S. Meenakshi, M.D., DNB (Micro), is the Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at Coimbatore Medical College, a position she has held since November 2023. With over two decades of experience, she has served in various roles, including Tutor (2005–2006), Assistant Professor (2006–2011), Associate Professor (2011–2021) across institutions like Govt. Thoothukudi, King Institute, Govt. Kilpauk, and Madras Medical College, and Professor at Govt. Vilupuram Medical College (2021–2023). A NABL Assessor and member of the Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists (IAMM), she has completed the ACME course and oversees critical portfolios such as TB Lab, NACO-SRL (HIV testing, CD4, viral load), AMR surveillance, VRDL, and UG/PG academics. Her contributions include delivering lectures on HLA typing and antibiotic care bundles in 2023, reflecting her expertise in medical microbiology and commitment to advancing diagnostic and educational initiatives.

Faculties

C. Hannah Ueno
Assistant Professor
Katherine Panagakos earned her M.A. in Classics from Tulane University and her Ph.D. in Greek and Latin from The Ohio State University. During her graduate work, she was a student at The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and was a field walker and camp manager at the Eastern Korinthia Archaeogical Survey (EKAS). Katherine spent three years in a rotating position at schools in the Associated Colleges of the South (Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Furman University in Greenville, SC; and Rhodes College in Memphis, TN).
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Thomas Fred
Associate Professor
Katherine Panagakos earned her M.A. in Classics from Tulane University and her Ph.D. in Greek and Latin from The Ohio State University. During her graduate work, she was a student at The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and was a field walker and camp manager at the Eastern Korinthia Archaeogical Survey (EKAS). Katherine spent three years in a rotating position at schools in the Associated Colleges of the South (Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Furman University in Greenville, SC; and Rhodes College in Memphis, TN).
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Jennifer Aarons
Professor of Art
Katherine Panagakos earned her M.A. in Classics from Tulane University and her Ph.D. in Greek and Latin from The Ohio State University. During her graduate work, she was a student at The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and was a field walker and camp manager at the Eastern Korinthia Archaeogical Survey (EKAS). Katherine spent three years in a rotating position at schools in the Associated Colleges of the South (Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Furman University in Greenville, SC; and Rhodes College in Memphis, TN).
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Professors
Michael McGarvey
Professor of Literature
Katherine Panagakos earned her M.A. in Classics from Tulane University and her Ph.D. in Greek and Latin from The Ohio State University. During her graduate work, she was a student at The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) and was a field walker and camp manager at the Eastern Korinthia Archaeogical Survey (EKAS). Katherine spent three years in a rotating position at schools in the Associated Colleges of the South (Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX; Furman University in Greenville, SC; and Rhodes College in Memphis, TN).
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Course Handling

MBBS

MD Microbiology

DMLT

Allied Health Sciences

Research and Publications

Ongoing research

The Department of Microbiology at Coimbatore Medical College is actively engaged in the following ongoing research activities:

1. **Phenotypic Characterization & Colistin Susceptibility of Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacterales**: Investigating the resistance patterns and susceptibility to colistin in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
2. **Phenotypic Characterization of Clinical Ralstonia Strains and Their Antibiotic Resistance Pattern**: Studying the characteristics and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Ralstonia species in a tertiary care hospital.
3. **Isolation, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Neisseria gonorrhoeae**: Analyzing isolates from patients attending sexually transmitted infections clinics to determine their resistance patterns.
4. **Clinico-Bacteriological Profile of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs)**: Examining the bacterial causes, antimicrobial susceptibility, and clinical profiles of CAUTIs in surgical and medical ICUs.
5. **Isolation of ESKAPE Organisms and Their Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern**: Investigating the prevalence and resistance profiles of ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter) from clinical specimens.
6. **Clinico-Mycological Profile of Invasive Candidiasis in Immunocompromised Patients**: Studying the fungal etiology and clinical characteristics of invasive candidiasis in a tertiary care setting.
7. **Microbiological Surveillance of Operation Theatres and Special Units**: Conducting environmental surveillance to monitor microbial contamination in operation theaters and specialized hospital units.

Publications

  1. S. Meenakshi, K. Kavitha, and P. Shanthi, “A case Series on Rhizopus homothallicus: An emerging zygomyces causing mucormycosis,” Natl. J. Lab. Med., vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1–5, 2025. [Indexed in DOAJ, Google Scholar].

  2. V. Vijayashree, “A Comparison of Rapid Screening Test and ELISA for the Diagnosis of HBs Ag in patients attending a Tertiary Care Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India,” Natl. J. Lab. Med., 2022. [Indexed in DOAJ, Google Scholar].

  3. V. Vijayashree, “Awareness on Biomedical waste Management & Needle Stick Injury among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital,” Int. J. Acad. Med. Pharm., vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 323–329, 2024. [Indexed in Embase].

  4. N. Bharathi Santhose, “Protocol for establishing a model for integrated influenza surveillance in Tamil Nadu,” Front. Public Health, vol. 11, Article ID: 1236690, 2023. [Indexed in Scopus, PubMed].

  5. N. Bharathi Santhose, “Evaluation of Influenza, SARS CoV 2 and its Co-Infection at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Coimbatore,” Pariplex – Indian J. Res., vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 1–4, 2024. [Indexed in Scopus, PubMed].

  6. N. Bharathi Santhose, “Faster & Cost-Effective Extraction Free Method for SARS CoV 2 Detection by RT-PCR,” Int. J. Adv. Res., pp. 298–302, 2024. [Indexed in Scopus, PubMed].

Achievments

Faculties

Dr. S. Meenakshi (HOD):

  • Conducted a CME on “Care Bundle Approach” in January 2023, delivering a talk on the Antibiotic Bundle.
  • Speaker on “Molecular Methods in HLA Typing” at Govt. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, in May 2023.
  • Delivered a talk on “Microlymphocytotoxicity Test in HLA Typing” for MEDRANALIN at Govt. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, in August 2023.
  • Presented a lecture titled “An Insight into the Intricacies of HLA System for Bird’s Eye View on Molecular Methods in HLA Typing” at Govt. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, in May 2023.
Students
  • Dr. T. Karthiga:
    • Awarded 3rd Prize in the Mycology Quiz at the 5th Advanced National Workshop on Medical Mycology, JIPMER, Pondicherry, in December 2024.
    • Presented an oral paper titled “Salmonella Typhimurium – A Formidable Cause of Disease and Food Poisoning in an Infant” at PSG MICROCON, PSG IMSR, in August 2024.
  • Dr. D. Vimesh:
    • Presented a poster titled “Vibrio cholerae – A Silent Wildfire” at PSG MICROCON, PSG IMSR, in August 2024.
  • Dr. P. Vidyalakshmi:
    • Presented a poster titled “Current Bacteriological Profile and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in CSOM” at PSG MICROCON, PSG IMSR, in August 2024.
  • Dr. Vinodhini:
    • Presented a poster titled “Contact Lens Associated Rhizopus Keratitis Rare Case Report” at PSG MICROCON, PSG IMSR, in August 2024.
  • Dr. B.R. Shanmathi:
    • Presented a poster titled “Seroprevalence of Scrub Typhus and Dengue Co-Infection in a Tertiary Care Hospital” at the National Conclave on Vector-Borne Diseases – Updates and Advances, AIIMS Madurai, in October 2024.
  • Dr. J. Gayathri:
    • Presented a poster titled “Analysis of Liver Biochemical Profile in Patients with Leptospirosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital” at the National Conclave on Vector-Borne Diseases – Updates and Advances, AIIMS Madurai, in October 2024.
  • Dr. Madhumita Anbazhagan:
    • Presented a poster titled “Demographic Characteristics and Laboratory Profile of Dengue Infection” at the National Conclave on Vector-Borne Diseases – Updates and Advances, AIIMS Madurai, in October 2024.

Events and Services

Academic events

The Department of Microbiology at Coimbatore Medical College has conducted the following academic events over the past five years:

  1. Seminars: Regularly organized to facilitate in-depth discussions on various microbiology topics.
  2. Journal Clubs: Conducted to review and discuss recent scientific publications, fostering critical thinking among students and faculty.
  3. Small Group Discussions: Held to encourage interactive learning and deeper understanding of complex concepts.
  4. Guest Lectures: Arranged to bring external experts to share insights on specialized topics in microbiology.
  5. Death Audit Meetings: Organized to analyze clinical outcomes and improve diagnostic and treatment protocols.
  6. Symposiums: Conducted to provide a platform for presenting research and discussing advancements in the field.
  7. CME on Care Bundle Approach (January 2023): Dr. S. Meenakshi, HOD, was a speaker on the topic of “Antibiotic Bundle,” focusing on strategies to optimize antibiotic use.
Community Services

The Department of Microbiology at Coimbatore Medical College provides the following services to the public, focusing on infectious disease diagnostics and public health support:

  1. Bacterial Culture & Sensitivity Testing: Includes testing of urine, blood, stool, sputum, exudates, and body fluids to identify bacterial pathogens and determine antibiotic susceptibility.
  2. Fungal Culture: Identification and culturing of fungal pathogens from clinical specimens.
  3. Serological Testing:
    • HBsAg ELISA and Rapid Card for Hepatitis B detection.
    • HCV ELISA and Rapid Card for Hepatitis C detection.
    • HIV Rapid Card for HIV screening.
    • Dengue NS1 and IgM ELISA for dengue diagnosis.
    • Leptospira IgM ELISA for leptospirosis detection.
    • Scrub Typhus IgM ELISA for scrub typhus diagnosis.
    • WIDAL Test for typhoid fever.
    • RPR and TPHA for syphilis screening.
    • CD4 Count for HIV disease monitoring.
  4. Latex Agglutination Tests: For ASO (Anti-Streptolysin O), CRP (C-Reactive Protein), and RA Factor (Rheumatoid Arthritis).
  5. Microscopy: Includes Gram’s Stain, AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Stain for tuberculosis, KOH Study for fungal infections, and Slit Skin Smear for leprosy.
  6. Molecular Testing:
    • HIV, HBV, and HCV Viral Load Tests for monitoring viral suppression.
    • COVID-19 PCR testing.
    • H1N1, H3N2, Influenza B, and RSV testing.
    • Meningitis Panel for rapid diagnosis of meningitis-causing pathogens.
  7. CBNAAT & Line Probe Assay: For detecting first- and second-line drug resistance in tuberculosis.
  8. Specialized Public Health Programs:
    • Referral Laboratory for IDSP: Since 2003, conducts outbreak investigations for nearby districts.
    • Sentinel Surveillance Centre: Diagnoses vector-borne diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, and Japanese Encephalitis since 2009.
    • NACO-SRL for HIV: Provides HIV testing, sentinel surveillance, and EQAS workshops since 2009.
    • State Reference Centre (SRC) for STI/RTI: Offers diagnostic services and training for 23 STI clinics since 2015.
    • Viral Research Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL): Identifies and responds to viral outbreaks with BSL-3 containment since 2017.
    • HIV Viral Load Lab: Monitors viral suppression in HIV patients since 2018.
    • NARS-NET for AMR: Tracks antimicrobial resistance trends via WHONET database since 2021.
    • National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP): Screens high-risk groups and monitors HBV/HCV treatment since 2021.
    • National Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Programme (NVHSP): Enhances surveillance of viral hepatitis infection rates since 2022.
    • Intermediate Reference Laboratory (IRL) for TB: Diagnoses drug-resistant tuberculosis since 2022.
    • HAI Surveillance: Monitors healthcare-associated infections since 2024.
    • Automated Diagnostic Systems: Upgraded under EDSS for accurate and timely diagnostics since 2025.

These services support the community by providing critical diagnostic capabilities, contributing to disease surveillance, and aiding in the management of infectious diseases and outbreaks in Coimbatore and surrounding districts.

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