Catheter-related Infections in Pediatric Patients Due to a Rare Pathogen: Herbaspirillum huttiense.

Background: Herbaspirillum species are nonfermenting, aerobic, helical or curved, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the class Betaproteobacteria, order Burkholderiales. To date, only a few studies have reported on the epidemiology, clinical symptoms, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, treatment and outcomes of Herbaspirillum huttiense -related infections in pediatric patients.

Methods: The aim of this study was to present 3 years of H.

Twins with meningitis due to .

Introduction: The incidence of invasive meningococcal disease is highest in infants and young children.

Case Report: Twin infants diagnosed two days apart with meningitis due to serogroup B are presented.

Conclusions: There has never been a report of concurrent meningococcal meningitis in twin brothers.

Evaluation and follow-up of antibody formation after CoronaVac vaccine.

Objective: The aim of this study was to monitor the time-dependent change by evaluating the antibody levels at the 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, and 16th weeks after the second dose of the CoronaVac vaccine.

Methods: The study group (n=65) were between 21 and 60 years old and received two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine. Blood samples were collected after 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, and 16th weeks of the second dose of the vaccine administration.

Possible Role of Endocannabinoids in Olfactory and Taste Dysfunctions in COVID-19 Patients and Volumetric Changes in the Brain.

Introduction: COVID-19 infection develops neurologic symptoms such as smell and taste loss. We aimed to determine the volumetric changes in the brain and correlation of possible related biochemical parameters and endocannabinoid levels after COVID-19 recovery.

Methods: Brain magnetic resonance images of recovered COVID-19 patients and healthy volunteers, whose olfactory and gustatory scores were obtained through a questionnaire, were taken, and the volumes of the brain regions associated with taste and smell were measured by automatic and semiautomatic methods.

Prognostic value of neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels for geriatric patients with COVID-19.

Aim: In this study it was aimed to evaluate the prognostic factors for the geriatric patients with confirmed COVID-19 in a tertiary-care hospital at Kastamonu region of Turkey.

Method: Patients (≥65-year-old) who had PCR positivity for COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2020 in our center were recorded retrospectively. A p value less than 0.

Pathogenicity determinants and antibiotic resistance profiles of enterococci from foods of animal origin in Turkey.

In this study, the presence of genes responsible for the pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance profile of enterococci isolated from various foodstuffs of animal origin was investigated. The percentage prevalence of enterococci was 54.1% (203/375) and the average count was found to be 3.

[National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (NAMRSS) external quality assessment studies: 2011-2016].

Establishment of sustainable and evidence-based surveillance systems are recommended for prevention of microbial resistance by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a necessity of these surveillance systems, participants are recommended to implement an external quality assessment (EQA) program. In this scope, National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (NARSS) has been established within the Public Health Institute of Turkey (PHIT) in our country since 2011.

Comparison of in-house biotin-avidin tetanus IgG enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with gold standard in vivo mouse neutralization test for the detection of low level antibodies.

Background: Detection of anti-tetanus antibody levels is necessary for both determination of the immune status of individuals and also for planning preventive measures. ELISA is the preferred test among in vitro tests however it can be affected by the cross reacting antibodies. A previously developed in-house ELISA test was found not reliable for the antibody levels ≤1.

[Serological evaluation of Bordetella pertussis infection in adults with prolonged cough].

Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that is transmitted from infected to susceptible individuals by respiratory route. Bordetella pertussis infection may occur at any age as neither vaccine nor natural infection induced immunity lasts life-long. This study was planned to demonstrate the serological evidence of infection among adults, to raise awareness among clinicians and to provide data for the development of strategies to protect vulnerable infants.

Comparative analysis of phenotypic and genotypic detection of methicillin resistance among Staphylococcus aureus.

Aims: Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen causing a wide range of infections ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections to severe, life-threatening infections. Accuracy in the detection of methicillin resistance is important to avoid treatment failures. The aim of this study was to compare the results of phenotypic and genotypic test methods to detect methicillin resistance and also to determine the antimicrobial susceptibilities.

[Investigation of carbapenemases in carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated in 2014 in Turkey].

Carbapenems are the choice of treatment in infections caused by multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In recent years carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates due to carbapenemases have been increasingly reported worldwide. Multicenter studies on carbapenemases are scarce in Turkey.

Low pertussis antibody levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples in Turkey.

Pertussis continues to cause significant mortality and morbidity in many countries despite high vaccine coverage, especially among young infants. The aim of the study was to determine pertussis antibody levels in paired maternal and cord blood samples, to evaluate the placental transfer of these antibodies, and to assess whether newborn infants have adequate antibody levels against pertussis. Antibody titers to pertussis toxin (anti-PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (anti-FHA) were measured by in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 251 paired maternal delivery and cord blood samples.

Pertussis serosurveillance study in Izmir, Turkey.

Pertussis is a life-threatening, vaccine-preventable infection. Adults who can be asymptomatic may infect infants. The aim of this study is to determine the IgG antibody levels against pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin from 6 months to ≥60 years in Izmir, Turkey.

[Evaluation of antibiotic susceptibilities and VISA-VRSA rates among MRSA strains isolated from hospitalized patients in intensive care units of hospitals in seven provinces of Turkey].

The aim of this study was to determine whether vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) and vancomycin intermediate susceptible S.aureus (VISA) strains were present among methicillin-resistant S.aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from patients hospitalised at intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals located at different regions of Turkey and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, quinupristin-dalfopristin and daptomycin, which are alternative drugs for the treatment of MRSA infections.

[Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis virus in a rural area of Samsun, Turkey].

Lyme disease or lyme borreliosis is a zoonosis caused by Borrelia burgdorferi transmitted by ticks, especially Ixodes species. Lyme borreliosis is a multi-systemic disease that invades the skin, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an important arboviral infection caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV).

[Detection of Bordetella pertussis infection by culture, real-time polymerase chain reaction and serologic tests among children with prolonged cough].

Pertussis is a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. It attacks all age groups. It has significantly higher mortality and morbidity among newborns and children.

[The presence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase, KPC-type carbapenemase and plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase in E.coli and K.pneumoniae strains isolated from blood cultures].

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), KPC-type carbapenemase and plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase (pAmpC) which have increased in incidence in recent years in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from the blood samples causing serious infections. Ninety nine E.coli and 114 K.

Panton-Valentine leucocidin gene carriage among Staphylococcus aureus strains recovered from skin and soft tissue infections in Turkey.

Objectives: Regardless of methicillin resistance, Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive Staphylococcus aureus isolates are associated with various types of infections and outbreaks. Limited data exist about the PVL content of S. aureus strains in Turkey.

[Establishment of an algorithm for serological testing of syphilis identification].

Serological methods are widely used for the laboratory diagnosis of syphilis or for screening purposes. The aim of this study was to determine an algorithm for the application of laboratory tests that will provide accurate diagnosis of syphilis in a cheap, fast and practical way. A total of 162 serum samples were evaluated by the following tests: VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory; Omega Diagnostic, UK), TPHA (Treponema pallidum Hemagglutination Test; Omega Diagnostic, UK), ELISA IgG + IgM (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay; DiaPro Diagnostic Bioprobes, Italy), FTA-ABS (Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption; IgG, Euroimmun, Germany) and WB (Western Blot; IgG Euroimmun, Germany).

[Pertussis seroprevalence and vaccination status in three selected provinces of Turkey].

The aim of this community-based seroepidemiological survey was to assess the immune status against pertussis among the healthy population in three selected provinces with different geographical and socioeconomical status (Antalya, Diyarbakir and Samsun, located at Mediterrenean, Southeast Anatolia and Black Sea regions of Turkey, respectively) in relation with DwPT (whole cell pertussis vaccine combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids) vaccination status. A total of randomly selected 2085 subjects ages between 6 months to > 50 years were included to the study. Serum samples have been screened for the presence of pertussis antibodies by an in house ELISA method with the use of pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) antigens.

The presence of tick-borne encephalitis in an endemic area for tick-borne diseases, Turkey.

The aim of this study was to indicate the presence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in an endemic area for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Turkey. Of 39 CCHF suspected cases, one was found to be TBE virus immunoglobulin M positive and seven were TBE virus immunoglobulin G positive. It is important to report this first appearance of the TBE virus in Turkey since 1967.

[A field survey carried out on the confirmation of a pertussis case in a village of Kirikkale Province, Turkey].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence and the rate of pertussis infection in December 2002 among the symptomatic contacts in Konurhaciobasi village of Kirikkale province (placed in middle Anatolia, Turkey, with a population of 500 people), where a laboratory-confirmed pertussis case was defined by culture positivity. Sixty contacts with cough history of more than two weeks have been interviewed and their nasopharyngeal swabs have been collected together with the serum samples from 47 of them. "Probable case" definition included cough lasting longer than two weeks together with at least one of the following symptoms: paroxysms of cough, inspiratory "whooping" and post-tussive vomiting without other apparent cause.

[The comparison of the concentration techniques used in investigation of feces for parasitosis].

In coproparasitological examination, there is need to perform concentration methods in order to increase the probability of finding helminth eggs and protozoa cysts in addition to the widely used direct examination, especially when they are low in number. In this study, seven concentration methods were investigated on 134 fecal specimens as to their conformity of test results, difficulties in performing the test or interpretation, the time required and the cost. The methods compared were flotation methods using ZnSO4, modified ZnSO4, saturated NaCl and Sheather's sugar flotation and sedimentation methods using Ritchie formalin-ether, modified Telemann and simple sedimentation.

Tetanus immunization status among women of childbearing age in Turkey.

In order to assess the effect of the neonatal tetanus elimination program in Turkey, tetanus antibody prevalence among women of childbearing age from three selected provinces was evaluated in relation to vaccination doses of the single-type tetanus vaccine. A combined method of in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and particle agglutination test was used to determine tetanus antibody titers. Among 205 women aged 20-39 years, the tetanus antibody level was higher in women with 1-3 children than those without children.

Prevalence of high antibody titers of pertussis in Turkey: reflection of circulating microorganism and a threat to infants.

Acute pertussis infection among adults can cause its transmission to the larger population, especially to infants and young children, who can develop severe disease. In order to determine an age-dependent pertussis immune response, anti-pertussis toxin (PT) antibody was detected by the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in serum samples from 2,085 healthy subjects ranging in age from 6 months to > or = 60 years. Also included in the evaluation were responses to a questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination, and infection history.