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PurposeHand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a viral contagious disease of children caused by human enteroviruses (EVs) and coxsackieviruses (CVs). There is no specific treatment option for HFMD. EPs® 7630's anti-infective and immunomodulatory properties have previously been demonstrated in several in vitro and in vivo studies; however, the use of this herbal medicine in children with HFMD has not previously been investigated.MethodsThis prospective randomized multicenter clinical study included 208 children with HFMD. The diagnosis was made by pediatricians. The patients who were within the first 48 h of symptom onset (according to the first onset of fever and skin findings) were enrolled. The study participants were assigned into 2 groups as EPs® 7630 and control groups. All patients were followed up twice more, 48 h after the first admission and on the 5th–7th day. Another phone evaluation was conducted for those with continued complaints from the previous visit.ResultsThe median age was 27 (12–112) months. The male-female ratio was 0.98. One hundred thirty one (63%) of 190 patients had no history of household contact. EPs® 7630 group included 94 and control group included 96 patients. A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of complaint scores at the visits made at the 48th h of the treatment and on days 5–7 (p

Background: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among health care personnel is important to explore risk factors for transmission, develop elimination strategies and form a view on the necessity and frequency of surveillance in the future. Methods: We enrolled 4927 health care personnel working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from 7 different regions of Turkey in a study to determine SARS Co-V-2 seroprevalence after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG was used. Seroprevalence and its association with demographic characteristics and possible risk factors were analyzed. Results: SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prevalence in health care personnel tested was 6.1%. Seropositivity was more common among those who did not universally wear protective masks (10.6% vs 6.1%). Having a COVID-19-positive co-worker increased the likelihood of infection. The least and the most experienced personnel were more likely to be infected. Most of the seropositive health care personnel (68.0%) did not suspect that they had previously had COVID-19. Conclusions: Health surveillance for health care personnel involving routine point-of-care nucleic acid testing and monitoring personal protective equipment adherence are suggested as important strategies to protect health care personnel from COVID-19 and reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Introduction Health care workers (HCWs) are disproportionately exposed to infectious diseases and play a role in nosocomial transmission, making them a key demographic for vaccination. HCW vaccination rates are not optimal in many countries; hence, compulsory vaccination policies have been implemented in some countries. Although these policies are effective and necessary under certain conditions, resolving HCWs’ hesitancies and misconceptions about vaccines is crucial. HCWs have the advantage of direct contact with patients; hence, they can respond to safety concerns, explain the benefits of vaccination, and counter antivaccine campaigns that escalate during pandemics, as has been observed with COVID-19. Method A short survey was carried out in May–June 2020 on the vaccination status of HCWs working with pediatric patients with COVID-19. The survey inquired about their vaccination status (mumps/measles/rubella [MMR], varicella, influenza, and diphtheria/tetanus [dT]) and willingness to receive hypothetical future COVID-19 vaccines. The respondents were grouped according to gender, age, occupation, and region. Results In total, 4927 HCWs responded to the survey. Most were young, healthy adults. The overall vaccination rates were 57.8% for dT in the past 10 years, 44.5% for MMR, 33.2% for varicella, and 13.5% for influenza. Vaccination rates were the highest among physicians. The majority of HCWs (81%) stated that they would be willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusion Although vaccination rates for well-established vaccines were low, a majority of HCWs were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines when available. Education and administrative trust should be enhanced to increase vaccination rates among HCWs.

Pantoea agglomerans is an environmental Gram-negative bacterium that rarely is responsible for the infections in humans but it is often a causative factor of a number of occupational diseases. This study evaluated the clinical and microbiological characteristics and pathogenicity of P. agglomerans in children.We retrospectively reviewed microbiological test results for all children (1 month old to 18 years old) who were admitted to our pediatric hospital between January 2000 to June 2015 and had positive clinical specimen cultures for P. agglomerans. Isolates were identified using conventional tests and the BBL Crystal E/NF ID or MALDI-TOF MS systems. Antibiotic susceptibilities were evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.We identified fifteen positive cultures from 14 patients with confirmed infections. The positive specimens included pus, urine, tracheal aspirate, blood, and central venous line samples that yielded P. agglomerans. The median patient age was 8.8 years (range: 1.5 months to 16.5 years), and all patients had underlying comorbidities. Five patients had medical devices, and two devices were removed. The most common P. agglomerans infections involved wound infections (35.7%), pneumonia (21.4%), and urinary tract infections (21.4%). Three patients had concomitant infections (Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus fumigatus). Five patients had anemia. Three patients (21.4%) died, and all three had carbapenem-resistant P. agglomerans that was detected after the first week of hospitalization; two cases involved pneumonia, which was ineffectively treated.P. agglomerans infections may be life-threatening, especially in young patients with pneumonia. Hospital-acquired P. agglomerans may have different pathogenicity and clinical features, compared to community-acquired P. agglomerans, although further studies are needed to understand the drug-resistance patterns in this bacterium. Keywords: Pantoea agglomerans, Pathogenicity, Children, Carbapenem resistance

Invasive pneumococcal infections among children are a serious public health problem in many countries, including Turkey. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been included in Turkey's National Immunization Programme since 2009. We report the first two pediatric cases of invasive pneumococcal infection due to non-vaccine serotype 15A after pneumococcal conjugate vaccine implementation in Turkey. It is essential to monitor the countries’ own local seroepidemiologic data for detecting selective pressure of non-vaccine serotypes of S. pneumonia.

Optimal therapy for infections with carbapenem resistant GNB is not well established due to the weakness of data. Patients presenting with bloodstream infections caused by multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were treated with a combination treatment. Optimal therapy for infections with carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteria is a serious problem in pediatric patients. We presented three cases who were successfully treated with addition of ertapenem to the combination treatment for bacteremia with multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Dual carbapenem treatment approach is a new approach for these infections and requires more data in children.