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The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in donkeys in Erzurum, the largest province of Eastern Turkey. The current study was carried out on serum samples collected from 55 female and 37 male donkeys from the Erzurum province which were examined using the Sabin Feldman Dye test. Out of 92 collected samples, 57 (62%) of sera were found to be seropositive at the dilution of 1:16 and greater. The rates of positivity for female and male donkeys were 67.3% and 54.1%, respectively. As far as age groups were concerned, 38.6% positivity was found at 0-3 years, 50.9% at 4-6 years and 19.3% at 7 years of age or older. This study indicated that toxoplasmosis in donkeys is common in Erzurum province and displays different ratios in terms of age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum antibodies in wild boars and to study the impact of infection between the sylvatic and domestic life cycles of these apicomplexan parasites. For this purpose, sera were collected from hunter-killed wild boars (Sus scrofa) during the winter period of 2011 from Erzurum province of Turkey. Collected sera were examined for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum by Sabin Feldman dye test (SFDT) and competitive-enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA), respectively. Out of 12 collected samples, 4 (33.3%) of sera were found to be seropositive at the dilution of 1:16 for T. gondii however no seropositivity in any of the samples was detected against N. caninum. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first serologic study to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies in wild boars in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted on 11 camels, ranging in age from 2 months to 40 years. The aim of this study was to detect the Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and helminth parasites in camels. T. gondii antibodies were detected by Sabin-Feldman Dye Test (SFDT), and faecal samples were examined by Fulleborn flotation and Benedek sedimentation methods. As a result of the study, T. gondii antibodies were detected in 10 out of 11 (90.9%) camels. Detected helminths consisted of 63.63% (7/11) Trishostrongyloidea spp., 45.45% (5/11) Trichuris spp. and 9.09% (1/11) Dicrocoelium dendriticum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs in Erzurum, the largest province of Eastern Turkey which until now had no animal shelter. Sera from 72 stray dogs that presented to the shelter (44 female and 28 male) were examined by Sabin-Feidman Dye Test for antibodies to T gondii. Seventy sera (97 %) were found to be positive. Among the seropositive dogs, 82% were one year old or younger while all the older dogs were seropositive. Seropositivity was found to be 100% in males and 95.5 % in female dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although the disease has been eliminated in Turkey malaria continues to be a threat due to increase in the number of people coming from or going to countries where the disease is endemic. In this study, we aimed to evaluate blood smears sent to the National Malaria Reference Laboratory within the malaria surveillance system., Methods: From March 2016 to July 2018 a retrospective study was conducted to compare the results of Malaria Reference Laboratory and Public Health Laboratories. A total of 16.827 blood stains were sent to our laboratory for approval., Results: In Public Health Laboratories, 315 (1.88%) of the smears were positive, 16.510 (98.12%) were negative, and in the National Malaria Reference Laboratory 252 (1.50%) were positive, 16.466 were negative. In the Public Health Laboratories, one of the two samples considered to be malaria suspected was positive in the National Malaria Reference Laboratory and one was negative. In Public Health Laboratories 35.88% of smears were P. falciparum , 27.30% were Plasmodium spp., 20.96% were P. vivax , 14.92% were mixed infection, 0.63% were P. malariae , 0.31% were P. ovale , and in the Reference Laboratory 49.60% were Plasmodium spp., 29.37% were P. falciparum , 16.27% were P. vivax , 4.36% were mixed infection, 0.40% were P. malariae ., Conclusion: In order to malaria surveillance system to be maintained in a healthy manner, preparation, staining, coding, packaging, transportation of blood slides is very important. Also if necessary, continuing training of laboratory staff working in malaria diagnosis is crucial.

In 2009, human Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) infections were reported on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Serologic and molecular studies of potential rodent reservoirs demonstrated DOBV infections in Apodemus flavicollis and A. uralensis mice. Phylogenetic analysis of DOBV strains showed their similarity to A. flavicollis mice-borne DOBV in Greece, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

Objective: To investigate which cytokines are produced after acute infection of mice with Toxoplasma gondii (T. Gondii) RH strain., Methods: Mus domesticus domesticus mice in infected group were inoculated with with highly virulent T. Gondii RH strain by intraperitoneally. Serum samples were obtained from infected and non-infected mice for cytokine levels for ELISA assay., Results: The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 in the cardiac blood sample of the infected mice were significantly higher than those in uninfected controls (P<0.05). The levels of transforming growth factor-1β decreased in mice infected with T. gondii compared to those of the controls, the decrease was statistically significant (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in levels of IL-4 between infected and healty control groups (P>0.05)., Conclusions: According to our findings, immune response into T helper type 1 was predominant during acute T. gondii infection. Further characterization and purification of Toxoplasma molecule(s) implicated in the regulation of cytokines could lead to the development of new drug prospects to control Toxoplasma infection., (Copyright © 2011 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii has been identified as an important pathogen in dogs and is an emerging pathogen in people with zoonotic potential. This study aimed to isolate Bartonella spp. in 250 blood samples collected from dogs in the province of Ankara, Turkey, between October 2006 and March 2007. The typing of the 23 isolates was carried out by PCR for citrate synthase (gltA) and the 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS). The prevalence of bacteremia was 9.2% in 250 samples. Among 170 shelter dogs, 21 (12.4%) were bacteremic for B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, while the B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii bacteremia rate was 5% (2/40) for the stray dogs. B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was not isolated from the pet dogs. The prevalence of bacteremia was found to be 25.5% (13/51) in shelter dogs aged less than one year old. All of the isolates were identified as B.vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotype III. In some isolates, MseI digest for gltA was found to be different from the American and European strains due to a single nucleotide change.

We assessed IgG antibody to Toxoplasma gondii in 300 inpatients with schizophrenia (SG), 150 outpatients with anxiety and depressive disorders (PCG), and 150 healthy blood donors (HCG). Seropositivity rates were 60.7% for SG, 36.7% for PCG, and 45.3% for HCG (p<0.001). The seropositivity rate for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in SG was significantly higher that in PCG (chi2 = 23.11, OR = 2.66, p = 0.001) and HCG (chi2 = 9.52, OR = 1.86, p = 0.002). Among SG, 85% of those who reported close cat contact had IgG antibodies to T. gondii. Close cat contacts were reported by 59% of SG, 6% of PCG, and 9% of HCG (p<0.001). There was a nonsignificant positive association between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia for people with a contact with a cat (OR = 2.221, p = 0.127, CI95 = 0.796-6.192), and significant negative association between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia for people without contact with a cat (OR = 0.532, p = 0.009, CI95 = 0.332-0.854). Close cat contact (OR = 2.679, p<0.001), 51-65-year age group (OR = 1.703, p<0.001) and education [illiterate+primary (OR = 6.146, p<0.001) and high school (OR = 1.974, p = 0.023)] were detected as independent risk factors in multivariate logistic regression. The effect of toxoplasmosis on risk of schizophrenia disappeared in the complex model analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. In conclusion, our data suggest that the toxoplasmosis has no direct effect on the risk of schizophrenia in Turkey but is just an indication of previous contacts with a cat.

Reflexes of drivers who have toxoplasmosis have been shown to deteriorate from the actions of the parasitic cysts. The cysts can change the level of the neurotransmitters such as dopamine in the brain and by doing so extend the muscle response time and change personality profiles. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of the latent toxoplasmosis (LT) in the driver population who were either injured or died in traffic accidents reported in Istanbul and its suburbs. We compared the results with a control group and discussed the relationship between the LT and the traffic accidents. We included 218 (89.7%) non-fatal, 25 (10.3%) fatal cases in our study as study groups. A total 243 subjects, 234 (96%) male, 9 (4%) female (who were alcohol negative) compared with 191 (95.5%) male and 9 (4.5%) female subjects (control group) who had a traffic accident before but no history of toxoplasmosis were studied. Serologic tests, enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for IgG and IgM, and microimmunoflorescence (MIF) for IgG were used as the reference test, the Sabin-Feldman Dye test (SFDT) was used. According to serologic test results, LT seroprevalence in the study groups was 130 (53.5%) and in the control group 56 (28%) (p<0.0001). A LT was present in 126 out of 234 (53.8%) males in the study groups, and 54 out of 191 (28.3%) males in the control group (p<0.0001). In the 31-44 year age group, there was a significant difference with regard to toxoplasmosis between the study subjects and control groups (p<0.0001). This difference was statistically very significant in (recent and former) cases with middle-aged men (31-44 years old). The results of this retrospective study suggest that LT in drivers, especially those who are between 31 and 44 years might increase the risk for getting involved in a car accident. In a prospective study, Toxoplasma positive and negative subjects can be monitored before they are involved in a traffic accident to clarify the cause and result relationship.

Neospora caninum is a protozoal agent causing abortion and infertility problems in dairy cattle. The objective of the present study was to detect the seroprevalence of N.caninum in dogs and its co-existence with Toxoplasma gondii in some rural and urban regions of Kirikka-le province. A total of 121 blood samples were examined with indirect immunoflorescent antibody test to detect the presence of N.caninum IgG antibodies. The seropositivity of N.caninum was 28.9% in dogs. The seropositivity rate was higher in male dogs than that of females (p < 0.05). The seropositivity rate of N.caninum was 36.5% and 20.7% for pure breed and mongrel dogs, respectively (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference amongst the age groups and location of the dogs (rural or urban) (p > 0.05). The N.caninum positive serum samples were also examined for the presence of antibodies for T.gondii by Sabin-Feldman Dye test in order to identify the possible serological co-infection, 1/16 and higher titres were evaluated as positive. According to test results, 19 out of 35 N.caninum seropositive dogs (54.3%) showed T.gondii seropositivity.