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The article examines the seroprevalence of Q fever among the dairy cattle in the Konya province, Central Anatolia, Turkey. It cites that 40 of the 322 cattle sera were seropositive in the Immunoflurescent Antibody (IFA) test. It reports that no pathological history, abortion, dead or weak offspring or infertility in the 40 seropositive cattle when samples were drawn. It adds that no tick was found either on cattle or in housing areas upon examination. It notes that the IFA test is considered to be the reference method in serologically diagnosing Q fever.

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 purpose of this study was to determine Bartonella henselae prevalance in cats in Ankara. Whole bloods and sera collected from 256 cats were investigated for the presence feline Bartonella species by culture and sera were tested for the presence of antibodies against B. henselae IgG using immunofluorescence assay. Bartonella species were isolated by blood culture from 24 (9.4%) cats. Bartonella isolates were subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) by using TaqI and HhaI endonucleases to identify species. Twenty-one isolates were determined as B. henselae and three of 24 isolates were determined as Bartonella clarridgeiae with RFLP. The bacteraemia prevalence and seroprevalence of B. henselae IgG antibodies in cats was detected as 8.2% and 18.6% respectively. This is the first report on B. henselea and B. clarridgeiae in cats 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]

The honeybee ectoparasite Varroa destructor is a major threat to apiculture when evaluating bee diseases and pests. While attempting to control this mite, beekeepers often depend on a small selection of authorized synthetic acaricides, such as flumethrin, which is widely used in Türkiye and globally. However, resistance to flumethrin develops due to incorrect and excessive use. In this study conducted at Ordu Beekeeping Research Institute, trial group were established including an untreated control group and group where flumethrin-based pesticides were applied. Dead varroas collected from pollen traps and live varroas collected from bees were obtained from these trial groups for molecular analysis as positive-negative controls. Varroa samples were collected from provinces representing different regions with intensive beekeeping activities such as Adana, Ankara, Bingöl, Muğla, Ordu, Şanlıurfa, Tekirdağ. Molecular methods were employed to investigate the resistance gene region for pyrethroids (specifically flumethrin) against V. destructor. In our study, individual DNA extractions were performed on dead parasites from colonies subjected to pyrethroid application (resistance negative control) and live parasites (resistance positive control). The DNA samples obtained were used in PCR reactions targeting the region encoding the 925th amino acid of the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene, which is responsible for resistance formation. The DNA samples were subjected to gel electrophoresis to observe the amplification products of the expected target region. To examine the nucleotide sequence changes that encode leucine at the 925th amino acid, which is associated with resistance, DNA sequence analysis was applied to the amplification products. Out of 332 V. destructor parasites obtained from different provinces, 279 were analysed using molecular methods. It was observed that 31% of the samples showed sensitivity to flumethrin while 69% exhibited resistance to it. Among the resistant samples: 27% had homozygous isoleucine mutation; 28% had homozygous valine mutation; 2.8% had heterozygous isoleucine mutation; 8.5% had heterozygous valine mutation; and 2.8% had heterozygous methionine mutation, all of which were associated with flumethrin resistance. As a result, the rate of flumethrin resistance in parasites varied between 51% and 94% among different provinces., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that causes a disease called toxoplasmosis. It can reach the central nervous system, but the mechanism of T. gondii disrupting the functioning of these brain regions occurs in bradyzoite stage of parasite, causing brain damage by forming tissue cysts in brain. In our study, the effects of T. gondii on locomotor activity, anxiety, learning and memory, and norepinephrine (NE), levodopa (L-DOPA), dopamine (DA) and 3,4-D-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) catecholamines in amygdala, striatum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain were investigated in bradyzoite stage. Twenty male Albino mice Mus musculus, 4-5 weeks old, weighing 20-25 g, were used. T. gondii inoculated to mice intraperitonealy with 48-50-hour passages of T. gondii RH Ankara strain. For intraperitoneal inoculation of mice 5x10 4 tachyzoites per mouse. No inoculation was made in control group (n: 20). Locomotor activity behavior in open field test (OFT), anxious behavior in elevated plus maze (EPM), and learning behavior in novel object recognition (NOR) tests were evaluated. NE, L-DOPA, DA and DOPAC were measured by HPLC in brain tissues of amygdala, striatum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. A decrease was observed in the locomotor activity, anxiety and learning values of the T. gondii group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The heighten in NE and L-DOPA levels in amygdala tissue of T. gondii group compared to control group, an elevation in NE, L-DOPA, DA and DOPAC levels in striatum tissue, and an increase in levels of NE in prefrontal cortex tissue were detected in monoamine results. In hippocampus tissue, an increase was observed in DA levels, while a decrease was observed in NE, L-DOPA and DOPAC levels. In our study, it has been shown that T. gondii in bradyzoite stage reduces locomotor activity, causes learning and memory impairment, and has anxiogenic effects., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In myocarditis, the search for effective and appropriate prognostic biomarkers can help clinicians identify high-risk patients in a timely manner and make better medical decisions in clinical practice. The prognostic value of systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), an innovate biomarker of inflammation, in fulminant myocarditis in children has not been assessed. This study aims to (1) determine the effect of SII and other inflammatory markers on the prognosis of patients with myocarditis, and (2) characterize other factors affecting adverse outcomes in myocarditis. All patients aged between 1 months and 18 years who admitted to Pediatric Emergency Department between January 1, 2015 and October 1, 2021 and were diagnosed with myocarditis were retrospectively analyzed. 106 Eligible subjects were enrolled (67% male, 12.5 years (IQR 6-16). Fulminant myocarditis developed in 16 (15%) of the patients. The median SII was 1927 (1147.75-3610.25) in the fulminant myocarditis group and 351 (251.75-531.25) in the non-fulminant group (p < 0.001). In estimation of fulminant myocarditis, AUC was 0.87 for WBC [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-1.00, p = 0.002], 0.94 for ANC (95% CI 0.85-1.00), p = 0.000), 0.92 for SII (95% CI 0.82-1.00, p = 0.000). Spearman's correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between SII and LVEF (r = 0.576, p < 0.001). The highest AUC values were associated with ANC, SII, and WBC levels to predict fulminant myocarditis. SII, a readily available biomarker from routine blood parameters, allows early recognition of negative outcomes and can independently predict the prognosis of myocarditis in children., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that can affect all vertebrae and is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. At present, the United States CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recognizes this infection as a neglected disease. Toxoplasma gondii infection profiles exhibit differences because of the different regional and climatic responses to these parasites in Turkey, and these protozoan infections are notably common in this country. In this study, we attempted to obtain the whole-genome sequence of T. gondii using next-generation sequencing technology., Methods: Toxoplasma gondii isolates were isolated from an infant with congenital toxoplasmosis by Ekmen et al. (1974) in Ankara, Turkey. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 and HiSeq SBS Kit v2. A T. gondii library was created on this device in the initial stage. After the completion of the library phase, sequence analysis was begun with a next-generation sequencing device. The resulting fragments were combined using paired-end (PE) reading and converted into a single DNA fragment. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using the Geneious 2.1., Results: In our study, WGS was successfully performed on T. gondii. The T. gondii whole-genome sequence has a coverage value of 50x, a size of 61,5763 Mb and a GC ratio of 52.6%. Data from this sequence were submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) database under the name Toxoplasma gondii TR01 (TG&#95;TR01). The accession number of the genome obtained in this study is WOEV00000000.1. The biological sample access number is SAMN13338796. The genome of the T. gondii strain obtained in this study was compared with the reference genome, and 8312 CDSs (coding sequences), 183 tRNAs, 294 rRNAs and 8789 genes were identified. Among the 8312 CDSs, 4284 encoded hypothetical proteins (hypothetical protein CDSs/proteins of unknown function). The entire genome sequence of T gondii TR01 was compared with that of Toxoplasma gondii ME49. The results of this comparison demonstrate that the analyzed genome was 99,98% similar to the reference genome. The accession numbers of 14 chromosomes belonging to the genome sequences of T. gondii TR01 (TG&#95;TR01) are CM019722.1, CM019723.1, CM019724.1, CM019725.1, CM019726.1, CM019727.1, CM019728.1, CM019729.1, CM019730.1, CM019731.1, CM019732.1, CM019733.1, CM019734.1, and CM019735.1., Conclusion: In this study, a whole-genome sequences of T. gondii was conducted for the first time in Turkey. The analyzed strain was named T. gondii TR01. The data obtained from this study may contribute to a better understanding of T. gondii. T. gondii is an important pathogen with an unusual population structure. Although T. gondii is highly zoonotic and has a complicated life cycle, some strains of this parasite have exhibited high genetic sequence similarity, and our study supports this knowlegde. The characterization of this strain may be very useful for the scientific community of our country and may help to establish a foundation for further research investigating the genome of T. gondii., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that causes severe health problems in the world. Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by T. gondii, leads to high risk of mortality in patients with immunodeficiency, transplantation, and cancer. Besides that, it causes miscarriages in pregnancy, various abnormalities such as hydrocephalus in infants and congenital diseases. Because the clinical indication of the disease is not specific, it is confused with many diseases, and this leads to the necessity of directly detecting the presence of the toxoplasmosis. Therefore, various diagnostic assays are needed for the diagnosis of the disease. Amongs them, latex agglutination assay is widely used for the detection of specific antibodies or antigens in samples. Latex particles are coated with immunogenic molecules (antigens) to detect antibodies in the blood or used to identify antigens when coated with specific antibodies. In both, aggregation of latex particles results in agglutination. Monoclonal antibodies are often used in latex agglutination assay as in other diagnostic methods. However, monoclonal antibodies can be produced in low quantities at a high cost. Besides, to produce monoclonal antibodies, an experienced staff, a well-equipped cell culture laboratory, a long period of time, and a burdened budget are needed. In recent years, as an alternative to monoclonal antibodies, immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibodies, which are obtained from chicken eggs, and specifically produced against desired antigenic constructs, have become quite attractive in terms of both low cost and abundant production without requiring infrastructure. In contrast, the latex assay based on IgY antibodies for use in the diagnosis of T. gondii has not been developed. This study aimed to conjugate T. gondii-specific IgY antibodies to latex particles, characterize the particles by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and spectroscopic methods, and finally demonstrate the interaction with T.gondii parasites in culture with scanning electron microscopy analysis., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

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.

Babesia microti (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida) (Franca, 1910) is an important tick-borne zoonotic parasite with rodents serving as reservoir hosts. In the present study, 536 rodents were captured from Burdur, Bartin, Giresun, and Yozgat provinces of Turkey between the years 2010 and 2012, and blood samples were examined for the presence of Babesia spp. using conventional PCR which targeted the 18S rRNA gene. The sequence analysis of PCR amplicons was tested for B. microti as well as for Hepatozoon spp., and Sarcocystis spp. Overall, 5.8% of the rodents were positive for B. microti: 41% in Myodes glareolus, 7.7% in Chionomys roberti, and 2% in Apodemus spp., whereas no Babesia DNA was detected in Mus macedonicus and Microtus spp. Six rodents were positive for Hepatozoon spp. and one rodent was positive for Sarcocystis spp. Overall, 14.9 and 4.5% of rodents captured from Bartin and Giresun provinces, respectively, were PCR positive for B. microti, whereas none of rodents captured in Burdur and Yozgat were positive for Babesia spp. The sequence data of B. microti from rodents revealed that all sequences belonged to the zoonotic genotype. Sequences of B. microti obtained from rodents of the Bartin province were genotypically closer to European isolates, whereas those obtained from rodents of the Giresun province were closer to Russian and Mongolian isolates., (© Crown copyright 2019.)

The main aim of this study was to compare extracellular traps (NETs) formation by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) of cattle and sheep when exposed to T. gondii tachyzoites in vitro. The effects of parasite concentrations and different incubation periods on NETs development in cattle and sheep PMNs were studied. The effect of NET structures on host cell invasion by tachyzoites was also studied. This is the first report of NETs development by sheep and cattle PMNs against T. gondii in vitro. T. gondii-induced extracellular DNA production from PMNs was dependent on tachyzoite concentrations and incubation time in both sheep and cattle. Many nuclear and cytoplasmic changes were observed in sheep and cattle PMNs after exposure to T. gondii tachyzoites. The typical appearance of NETs, with MPO, NE and histone (H3) attached to extracellular DNA, was observed. Tachyzoites were entrapped within this structure. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was higher in the cattle PMN-tachyzoite co-cultures than sheep. NETs structures released from sheep PMNs caused mechanical immobilisation of T. gondii tachyzoites, however, NET structures released from cattle PMNs may be lethal to tachyzoites. Bovine MPO may have a lethal effect on T. gondii tachyzoites in vitro during a 3h incubation. Besides other mechanisms that effect on host susceptibility to T. gondii in sheep and cattle, extracellular traps formation as a part of immunological reactions may be play a role in host susceptibility to T. gondii., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

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.

Toxoplasma gondii is a very common obligate single-cell protozoan parasite which induces overproduction of interferon (IFN)-gamma and of other proinflammatory cytokines. Although immunomodulatory role of IFN-gamma favors tryptophan (Trp) degradation via indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity and is related with nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, the mechanism of antitoxoplasma activity is complex. In order to characterize the Trp degradation pattern during the acute T. gondii infection, serum Trp, kynurenine (Kyn), and urinary biopterin levels of mice were measured. The possible oxidative status was evaluated by the liver, spleen, brain, and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and NO levels. Increased free radical toxicity may cause elevation in tissue MDA in T. gondii-infected mice, while unchanged serum MDA might indicate the increased oxidative stress due to T. gondii infection restricted to intracellular area. Elevated serum NO most probably might be due to the formation of reactive nitrogen radicals. The Kyn/Trp ratio was higher in T. gondii-infected mice compared to healthy animals (p < 0.05); however, it was not correlated with urinary biopterin. These results suggested that Trp degradation might be promoted by a pathway other than IDO during T. gondii infection and the reduction of Trp concentration favors the local immunosuppression and systemic tolerance.

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.

The aim of this study was to determine seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in dairy cattle ranches with higher abortion rates and co-existence of Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella abortus, and Listeria monocytogenes antibodies. The blood samples were collected from dairy cows with history of abortion (n=234) as well as from pregnant cows that were (n=323) kept in the same ranches. N. caninum seroprevalence was 10.77% (60/557). The co-existence rate of N. caninum seropositivity with T. gondii, B. abortus and L. monocytogenes was 24.77% (138/557), 13.82% (77/557) and 42.85% (162/378), respectively. Only one animal had significant antibody titers for all analyzed infectious agents. The seroprevalence of N. caninum and T. gondii were significantly higher in pregnant cows than aborted cows (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively). As a result, the comprehensive data generated through this study can significantly contribute to understanding of serologic association of N. caninum with T. gondii, B. abortus and L. monocytogenes in pregnant and aborted dairy cows.

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.

Background: To investigate the relationship of Helicobacter pylori infection with gastrointestinal symptoms in early pregnancy., Methods: H. pylori seropositivity was determined in 296 pregnant women at 7-12 weeks' gestation by ELISA between January 2004 and April 2007. Sociodemographic characteristics and gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded at this time., Results: The prevalence of H. pylori infection in our population was 56.8% (168 of 296). 76% of the women with H. pylori and 68% of the women who tested negative for H. pylori infection reported at least one of the evaluated gastrointestinal symptoms. Although morning sickness and morning vomiting were not associated with H. pylori infection, sickness and vomiting during the whole day were more frequently noted with H. pylori infection (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-4.9, p = 0.01)., Conclusions: Of the evaluated gastrointestinal symptoms, H. pylori infection is significantly associated with sickness and vomiting during the whole day., (Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Entamoeba histolytica actually comprises two genetically distinct but morphologically indistinguishable species. E. histolytica can cause invasive intestinal and extra intestinal disease, while E. dispar cannot. Identification and differentiation of E. dispar and E. histolytica in stool sample by microscopy is imprecise. Several weeks of culture and isoenzyme analysis are required to differentiate E. histolytica from E. dispar. In this study, we have used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of E. histolytica/E.dispar and compared it with microscopy. Eighty-eight samples were evaluated, trichrome staining was positive in 20.4% (18) and ELISA was positive in 29.5% (26). Both tests were positive in 14 (15.9%) samples, 4 (4.5%) only with direct microscopy, and 12 (13.6%) only with ELISA. Both tests were negative in 58 (65.9%) samples. Microscopy has low sensitivity and high specificity, low negative predictive value and high positive predictive value in comparison with ELISA. E. histolytica/E. dispar antigen detection ELISA tests are inexpensive compared to the specific tests, yield objective results and do not require experienced microscopists and can therefore be recommended for screening of stools worldwide and the results can be taken for treatment that are fitting with its clinic.