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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of ciprofloxacin and green tea extract combinations against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from various clinical registries. Methods: Presumptive 90 MRSA strains isolated from various clinical specimens were identified by the biochemical tests followed by an automated bacterial recognition system. Resistance of isolates to ciprofloxacin was determined using a disk diffusion test. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of green tea extract and ciprofloxacin were determined for 54 MRSA isolates resistant to ciprofloxacin by microdilution method. Subsequently, the synergistic effect of the green tea + ciprofloxacin combinations against the isolates were determined by the checkboard dilution method to calculate fractional inhibitory concentration values. Results: MRSA strains were isolated from three clinical sample types including wounds (54.4%), blood (30%) and urine (15.6%). MIC values of green tea extract, ciprofloxacin and their tested combinations ranged between 8 and 256 µg/ml. The synergetic effect of green tea extract on ciprofloxacin for 54 MRSA isolates were determined as ineffective for 18 (33.3%), aditive for 17 (31.5%), and synergic for 19 (35.2%) strains based on fractional inhibitory concentration values. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that green tea extract and ciprofloxacin had a synergetic antibacterial effect on MRSA strains isolated from various clinical specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the species distribution, slime activity, and methicillin resistance of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from blood cultures as either contaminants or true bacteremia agents. Materials and Methods: In this study, 13.268 blood culture samples sent to our laboratory from various clinics during a two-year period were examined in terms of the presence of CoNS to clarify whether the isolates are true bacteremia agents, as defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. The slime activities of true bacteremia agents (58 CoNS strains) and contaminants (50 randomly selected CoNS strains) were investigated by the Christensen method. The methicillin susceptibilities of the strains were determined by the disk diffusion method. Results: Although the frequency of slime production was 39.7% among the true bacteremia CoNS agents, it was 18% in CoNS that were judged to be contaminants (p<0.05). S. epidermidis was the most frequently isolated species for both the true bacteremia agent group (56.9%) and contaminant group (74%). Additionally, S. epidermidis was the bacterium most frequently characterized as slime producing in both groups. The methicillin resistance of slime-producing CoNS was determined to be 82.6% for the true bacteremia agent group and 77.8% for the contaminant group. Conclusion: The presence of slime activity in CoNS isolated from blood culture samples is supportive evidence that they are most likely the agents of true bacteremia cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the survival time of some nosocomial infectious agents on the surface of various covering materials. Materials and Methods: Four kinds of flooring materials (vinyl and ceramic tile as floor covering material; and laminate and inox sheet as bench covering material) were experimentally contaminated with Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant (VR) Enterococcus faecalis, which were frequently encountered in nosocomial infections. The survival periods of representative agents on the tested flooring materials were detected by culturing from the surfaces. Results: It was found that the survival periods were shorter for all the tested bacteria on the vinyl surfaces, as compared to the ceramic surfaces; the difference was significant (P < 0.05). On the other hand, all the test bacteria survived shorter on the inox sheet than on the laminate surfaces (P < 0.05). On all of the 4 covering materials tested gram-positive bacteria were found to survive longer than the gram-negative ones. Conclusions: It was concluded that vinyl as flooring material and inox sheet as surface material for benches and laboratory tables may be preferred in order to reduce bacterial colonisation in the hospital environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the survival of Salmonella typhi and Shigella flexneri, which have significance for public health, in various aqueous media (distilled water, 0.9% NaCl solution, chlorinated water) and at different temperatures. Materials and Methods: The water samples mentioned above were contaminated with approximately 5 × 105 bacteria/ml of S. typhi and S. flexneri, and then stored at 37 °C, room temperature, in refrigerator (4 to 6 °C) and in deep freezer (-20 °C). From the water materials prepared accordingly, cultures were done beginning in the first 24 hours and later every other day for viability control of the bacteria until no growth was detected in three consecutive cultures. Results: We observed that S. flexneri in both 0.9% NaCl solution and distilled water survived the longest (87 and 83 days, respectively) when stored in the refrigerator. Similarly, S. typhi was found to be viable as long as 65 days in both 0.9% NaCl solution and distilled water, when stored in the refrigerator. No bacterial growth was determined in the cultures of chlorinated water samples stored at all four temperatures in the first 24 hours. Conclusions: We concluded that S. flexneri generally survived longer than S. typhi in the different water media. Having a prolonged survival of S. flexneri in aqueous media would present more risk than S. typhi for the transmission of waterborne infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Brucellosis is a systemic infection in which any organ or system of the body can be involved. We evaluate here complications and involvement of Brucella infection in Erzurum, Turkey. Materials and Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 216 adult (89 female and 127 male) cases of brucellosis who were diagnosed and treated in the Infectious Disease Clinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital from 1985 to 2002. The diagnosis was based on clinical findings and serologic results and/or blood culture confirmations. Results: All isolates from cultures were identified as Brucella melitensis biotype 1. Skeletal complications were the most frequent, found in 147 (68.1%) cases, followed by nervous system 9 (4.2%), cutaneous 9 (4.2%), genitourinary system 7 (5.5%), cardiovascular system 7 (3.2%), gastrointestinal system 7 (3.2%), and hematological system 6 (2.8%) complications. Conclusions: Primary health care physicians should keep in mind the clinical and laboratory findings of Brucella complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Brucellosis is endemic in Turkey. Since it affects many organs and the symptoms are non-specific, the diagnosis by clinical findings is difficult and may be easily missed. Many serological tests have been used for the diagnosis of human brucellosis. This study compared the diagnostic value of the Brucella standard tube agglutination test (SAT) with that of ELISA (Brucella specific IgG and IgM) tests in patients with Brucella bacteremia. Patients and Methods: Thirty-two patients with brucellosis who had positive blood and/or bone-marrow cultures for Brucella species, and 20 healthy individuals as controls were included in the study. Results: At the end of the study SAT was positive in 30 of the 32 patients, ELISA IgG was positive in 26 and ELISA IgM was positive in 32. Of the 20 control sera, all were negative in SAT, 1 was positive in ELISA IgG, and 3 were positive in ELISA IgM. The positive predictive value of SAT was 100.0% and the negative value was 90.9%. The positive and negative predictive values for ELISA IgG were 96.3% and 76.0%, and for ELISA IgM were 90.9% and 89.5%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a case study on multiple infected cerebral hydatid cysts treated with albendazole. Organs where the hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus may be found; Description of cerebral hydatid cysts; Favorable effects of albendazole.

The incidence of infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) has been steadily increasing in recent years. In this report, we describe an isolate of the CoNS Staphylococcus lugdunensis from a wound specimen with a colony morphology distinct from that of a classical S. lugdunensis colony. Specifically, wrinkled, medium-sized, beta hemolytic, opaque, rough white colonies were detected on blood agar. Catalase-positive, coagulase-negative, gram-positive cocci-yielding such colonies should be suspected of being S. lugdunensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]