Vol. 24 No. 1 (2026): The Bulletin of the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists - 2026

Published: 2026-08-09

Articles

• Experience in Establishing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in a District General Hospital in Southern Sri Lanka Wijeweera KDDS¹, Priyanthi AAD² , ¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, ²Department of Microbiology, Teaching Hospital Rathnapura

Open Papers

• OP 1 - Incidence of peritonitis, associated factors, and microbiological spectrum among chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients at National Hospital, Kandy Kannangara SK, Abeywardena M, Abeykoon MNational Hospital, Kandy, Sri Lanka

• OP2 - Evaluating the contamination of organ preservation fluid by microorganisms in solid organ transplantation and its clinical relevance and its clinical relevance Fernando KDL, Kothalawala M , National Hospital of Sri Lanka

• OP3 - Characteristics of common bacterial pathogens and contributory factors causing acute gastroenteritis in children admitted to a tertiary care hospital, Sri Lankan children admitted to a tertiary care hospital, Sri Lanka. Dias KMGHH¹, Piyasiri DLB¹, Pathirage S²¹National Hospital, Galle, ²Medical Research Institute

• OP 4  Re-emergence of chikungunya: A demographic, clinical, and virological profile at Teaching Hospital Jaffna Apirami K¹, Murugananthan A¹, Sivansuthan S², Sathiadas MG³, Murugananthan K⁴¹Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, ²Teaching Hospital Jaffna, Jaffna, ³Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, ⁴Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna

• OP 5 - Infectious manifestations in Common Variable Immunodeficiency: a retrospective cohort from Sri Lankanka Palipane EG, Karunatilake RMCH, de Silva R, Dasanayake DDepartment of Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08

• OP 6 - Intestinal nematode infections in children: Molecular and microscopy evidence from contrasting endemic settingsettings Jayakody NK^1,4, Gordon CA², Ranasinghe JC³, Silva NKA⁴, Wickramasinghe ND⁵, Wickramasinghe WDSJ⁶, Collinson N², Wijayasekara AE¹, Karunarathne CB⁷, de Silva NR⁸, Weerakoon KG⁴  ,  ¹Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka,  ²QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Infection and Inflammation Program, Applied Tropical and Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, ³District General Hospital, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, ⁴Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, ⁵Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, ⁶Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, ⁷Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, ⁸Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Posters

• PP 1 -  Level of standard venipuncture practices at Teaching Hospital Peradeniya Udayarathna UDH¹, Sinthujan JS¹, Dissanayake DMKM¹, Yathusa R¹, Jayalath UANNP¹, Kudagammana HDWS² , ¹Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya²Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya

• PP 2 -  Epidemiology and clinical outcomes of Carbapenem-Resistant Gram- Negative Bacteremia: A retrospective study at Army Hospital Colombo A retrospective study at Army Hospital Colombo Liyanage SPM, Palliyaguruge PDGI, Udugama SGArmy Hospital, Colombo

• PP 3 - Onychomycosis among adults in a Grama Niladhari Division, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka Madhuwantha KC, Adhikari AMAC, Gunathilaka MGRSS, Jayaweera JAAS , Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Science, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

• PP 4 - Rational empirical antibiotic prescribing practices in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka: A clinical audit based on medical students’ reflective reports on medical students’ reflective reports Fernando TRP, Samaranayake KGMI, Jayawardhana HASDR, Heiyanthuduwa HPPD , Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

• PP 5 -  Audit on antimicrobial utilization using Days of Therapy as a metric over one month at a pediatric tertiary care hospital in Sri Lankae hospital in Sri Lanka Fernando KDL, Edirisooriya LS, Lakmali WS, Vidanagama DS , Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo

• PP 6 -  Evaluation of an In-House Gentamicin Blood Agar as a Selective Medium for Isolation of Streptococcus Species from Clinical Specimens in a Tertiary Hospital, Sri Lankarom clinical specimens in a tertiary care hospital, Sri Lanka Keeragala KADCK¹, Dissanayake DMBT², Chandrasiri NS³ , ¹Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, ²Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura,  ³Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila

• PP 7 -  Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) among medical and surgical ward patients in a base hospital in the Western Provincepital in the Western province Ranasinghe RATK¹, Adikari AMDR², Priyangika JMU² , ¹University of Sri Jayewardenepura, ²Colombo East Base Hospital

• PP 8 - Comparison of microbiological profile and associated factors between acute simple cystitis and acute complicated urinary tract infections including pyelonephritis among adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Sri Lankarinary tract infections including pyelonephritis among adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Sri Lanka Silva SCUM¹, Piyasiri DLB¹, Jayasekera PK¹, Gamlath NM² , ¹ National Hospital Galle, Sri Lanka, ²Family Health Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka

• PP 9 -  Antimicrobial consumption survey at a tertiary care center in Sri Lanka Jayanthan K¹, Francis VR², Devakanthan B ¹ , ¹Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa, ² Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Eastern University, Batticaloa

• PP 10 - Point-prevalence survey of antibacterial use in selected public hospitals in Sri Lanka: Findings and implications for practiceplications for practice Wickramasinghe  SS^1,2, Wijayaratne GB^1,2, Bodinayake  CK^2.3,15, Weerasinghe SA², Thabrew HHPMJ^1,2, Dharmaratne GSK⁴, Priyarangani WKAP⁵, Priyanthi AAD⁶, Devakanthan B⁷, Francis VR⁸, Ranasinghe T⁹, Patabendige G ¹⁰,  Kothalawala M ¹⁰, Abeywardena M¹¹, Abeykoon M¹¹, Ramachandran R¹², Suganthan N¹³, Wickramasuriya U¹⁴, Obale A¹⁵, Ramanayake SV², Ubeysekara H¹⁶,  Kurukulasooriya MRP², Anderson D¹⁷,  Woods CW¹⁵,¹⁷, Tillekeratne LG^2,3,15,17, Nagahawatte ADS^1,2,15  , ¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, ²Duke-Ruhuna Collaborative Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, ³Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, ⁴Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, ⁵District General Hospital, Hambantota, Sri Lanka, ⁶Base Hospital, Tangalle, Sri Lanka, ⁷Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, ⁸Faculty of Healthcare Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka, ⁹Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka, ¹⁰National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, ¹¹National Hospital Kandy, Kandy, Sri Lanka, ¹²Teaching Hospital Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, ¹³Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, ¹⁴Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, ¹⁵Duke Global health Institute, NC, USA, ¹⁶Provincial Director Office, Sabaragamuwa province, Sri Lanka, ¹⁷Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, NC, USA

• PP 11 - Clinical and epidemiological profile of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia in a tertiary care hospital, Southern Sri Lankathern Sri Lanka Piyasiri DLB, Jayasekera PK, Withanaarachchi K, Liyanaarachchi N, Mahesh WK, Jayathilleke W, Dias KMGHH, Silva SCUM , National Hospital, Galle

• PP 12 - Microbiological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns in wound infections: A comparative analysis in a base hospital settingase hospital setting Ranasinghe RATK¹, Adikari AMDR², Sandamali RMI²  ,  ¹University of Sri Jayewardenepura, ²Colombo East Base Hospital

• PP 13 -  Molecular confirmation of cutaneous leishmaniasis species in Sri Lanka: Evidence from genetic sequence analysis Karunarathna TD¹, Dewasurendra R², Pathirana S³, Samaranayake N⁴  , ¹Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, ²The PDRU Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo,³Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, ⁴The PDRU Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

• PP 14 - Prevalence of bacterial enteropathogens and antibiogram among children admitted to a leading children’s hospital with gastroenteritisospital with gastroenteritis  to Lady Ridgeway Hospital for children and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns Ranaweera KKPT, Pathirage S.  , Medical Research Institute

• PP 15 - Genetic diversity and clonal relationships of clinical Listeria monocytogenes isolates in Sri Lankae sequencing Pathirage S, Kaushalya RH, Arachchige NDS, Sandeepani SAN, Sandeepani LAD, Gunathilaka HMGU  , Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08

• PP 16 - Evaluation of microbiological properties of bee honey found in Sri Lanka among microbial species isolated from non-healing woundsnon-healing wounds Ramasundara CM, Wickramasinghe A , Sewwandi H , Udayanga S , Wimalaweera R  , Department of Microbiology, District General Hospital, Nuwara Eliya

Case reports

• CP 1 -  From contaminant to culprit: Corynebacterium striatum causing prosthetic valve endocarditis in a paediatric patientic patient Priyaranganie WKAP, Denipitiya DTU, Abeysinghe SK  , District General Hospital, Hambantota

• CP 2 - Pulmonary tuberculosis presenting as pyopneumothorax in a correctional facility: A case reportooked domain Vilochani DC, Jayasekera PK, Piyasiri DLB, Solangaarachchi SASN, Umayangana MWT  , National Hospital Galle

• CP 3 -  Fatal Aeromonas hydrophila bacteraemia following floodwater exposure – A case report Balasooriya A¹, De Silva AKL¹, Thadshaini G¹, Karunarathne M², Janaka KVC¹, Jayatilleke K¹ , ¹Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, ²National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Sri Lanka

• CP 4 -  Oligella ureolytica urosepsis in an elderly woman: A rare case report Shanthakumara WDDI, Marikkar FTN, Edirisooriya Arachchi PS, Rathnayaka S, Sulaimalebbe AS  , Department of Microbiology, Colombo South Teaching Hospital

• CP 5 - STAT1 gain-of-function mutation presenting as chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis in childhood: a case report report. Palipane EG, Karunatilake RMCH, de Silva R, Dasanayake D , Department of Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Colombo 08

• CP 6 - Cerebral Vasculitis and Multi-infarct Stroke: A Catastrophic Complication of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease- A Case Report Mathew EA, Liyanage NS, Manampery RN, Kalubowila DN  , Department of Microbiology, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama