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Background: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease (reservoir is usually rodents) caused by Francisella tularensis, especially seen in the northern hemisphere. Hunters are in the risk group for this disease. In this study, it was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of tularemia among hunters and determine the risk factors of tularemia in our country. Methods: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is divided into four regions (Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagu­sta/Trikomo, and Morphou/Lefka) and 100 volunteer hunters randomly selected from these regions were included in our study. Tube agglutination test (TAT) and F. tularensis IgG and IgM (ELISA method) were applied in all sera. All hunt­ers were filled with a pre-prepared questionnaire to determine risk factors for tularemia. Results: TAT positivity was found in 11%. While F. tularensis ELISA IgG positivity was 17%, IgM positivity was not found in any hunters. Hunters with positive F. tularensis ELISA IgG test (17%) were accepted as seropositive in terms of tularemia. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean age of IgG-positive and negative hunt­ers (p= 0.915). Of the 86 hunters who kept at least one hunting dog in their garden, 15 (17.4%) were IgG-positive. There was no significant relationship between feeding hunting dogs and tularemia (p= 0.561). Conclusion: Our study showed that the seroprevalence of tularemia was high (17%) among hunters, who are consid­ered a risk group, in our country. We think that more epidemiological research should be done on tularemia infection and it should not be overlooked in the clinic.

Sıtma, Plasmodium parazitlerinin neden olduğu ve halen dünyayı etkileyen ciddi bir enfeksiyon hastalığıdır. Dünyada en sık görülen tür Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax)’tır. Vivax sıtması, karaciğerde latent kalıp, aylar hatta yıllar sonra relapslara neden olan hipnozoit formlar ile karakterizedir. Bunun yanında, P. vivax enfeksiyonunda uzamış inkübasyon sürelerinden bahsedilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, sekiz gün ara ile hastanemize başvuran ve P. vivax tanısı alan iki sıtma olgusu incelenmiştir. Hastalarımızdan biri en son 7 ay, diğeri ise 12 ay önce ülkeleri olan Pakistan’dan ülkemize gelmiş ve bu sürede bir daha yurt dışına çıkmamışlardı. İkisinin de daha önceden sıtma öyküsü bulunmamaktaydı. Ülkemizde, 1950 yılından itibaren Plasmodium parazitlerini bulaştıran Anofel cinsi sivrisineklerin adadan elimine edilmesi sonucu sıtma enfeksiyonu eradike edilmiş ve o tarihten günümüze kadar geçen sürede yerli sıtma vakasına rastlanmamıştır. Buna rağmen, son yıllarda değişen sivrisinek faunası ile birlikte yurt dışı kaynaklı vakaların artmasının, yeniden yerli sıtma olgularının görülmesi açısından risk teşkil ettiği düşünülmektedir. Sonuç olarak, güncel araştırmaların ve sürveyans çalışmalarının yapılması ile daha doğru ve kesin veriler elde edilebilecektir.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common illness that causes skin lesions, principally ulcerations, on exposed regions of the body. Although neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are typically found in tropical areas, they have recently become more common along Africa’s northern coast, particularly in Libya. The devastation of healthcare infrastructure during the 2011 war and the following conflicts, as well as governmental apathy, may be causal factors associated with this catastrophic event. The main objective of this study is to evaluate alternative diagnostic strategies for recognizing amastigotes of cutaneous leishmaniasis parasites at various stages using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The research is additionally aimed at testing different classification models employing a dataset of ultra-thin skin smear images of Leishmania parasite-infected people with cutaneous leishmaniasis. The pre-trained deep learning models including EfficientNetB0, DenseNet201, ResNet101, MobileNetv2, and Xception are used for the cutaneous leishmania parasite diagnosis task. To assess the models’ effectiveness, we employed a five-fold cross-validation approach to guarantee the consistency of the models’ outputs when applied to different portions of the full dataset. Following a thorough assessment and contrast of the various models, DenseNet-201 proved to be the most suitable choice. It attained a mean accuracy of 0.9914 along with outstanding results for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, F1-score, Matthew’s correlation coefficient, and Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. The DenseNet-201 model surpassed the other models based on a comprehensive evaluation of these key classification performance metrics.

The Crataegus genus has many species growing as wild that have positive effects on human health. The information about the phenotypic diversity of this species is rather inadequate. Phenotypic diversity among forty-four genotypes belonging to four Crataegus species (C. monogyna, C. orientalis, C. astrosanguinea, and C. meyeri) was determined based on morphological and physicochemical characteristics. Significant differences were observed among the species in terms of studied characteristics. Fruit weight ranges from 1.60 to 2.50 g for C. orientalis, 1.53 to 2.33 g for C. meyeri, 1.26 to 2.41 g for C. astrosanguinea, and 0.38 to 1.98 g for C. monogyna. The highest fruit length (15.19 mm) and width (17.58 mm) were determined in C. orientalis. The heights color values, L*, a*, and hueo values were highest in C. meyeri, while b* value was highest in C. monogyna and Chroma* was in C. orientalis. The highest TSS and pH were found in C. monogyna as 3.99% and 4.33%, respectively. TA was highest in C. monogyna with 1.83 mg L-1. Seed size ranged from 1.36 (C. monogyna) to 4.33 (C. orientalis), while seed weight ranged from 0.23 g to 0.45 g in C. mongyna and C. astrosanguinea, respectively. The correlation analysis indicated significant correlations between morphological characters. The principal component and clustering analyses revealed high phenotypic variety among and within the species, showing that the studied characters were useful for describing Crataegus species. The results provided valuable insights for morphological and colorimetric characterization of hawthorn species and their utilization.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the distribution of three-year carbapenem resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii complex (ABC) in hospital infections isolated from the intensive care unit in the last three years.Materials and Methods:The patients who had ABC infection in the Intensive Care Unit of Near East University Hospital between 2016-2018 were included in this study. The data of the patients were investigated retrospectively from the digital records and the Infection Control Committee data. The initial infection report of the patients who had multiple ABC infections was included in the study. SPSS Statistics 23.0 program was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 92 patients were diagnosed with ABC infection during the study period, including 22 (23.9%) in 2016, 31 (33.7%) in 2017 and 39 (42.4%) in 2018. Fifty-six patients (60.9%) were male and 36 (39.1%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 61.61±17.43 years (range, 22-89 years). The most common isolates were from tracheal aspirate (28.3%, 26 patients), sputum 27.2%, 25 patients) and urine samples (23.9%, 22 patients). Carbapenem-resistant ABC infection was detected in 65 patients (70.7%) and carbapenemsensitive ABC infection was found in 27 patients (29.3%). There was a statistically significant increase in carbapenem-resistant ABC strains over the years (p

Objective:Intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) are considered as one of the most important public health problems that cause morbidity and mortality. For this reason, to determine their prevalence it is critical for prevention. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites.Methods:In our study, a total of 4.957 patients registered to our hospital with gastrointestinal symptoms between January 2016 and December 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Their stool samples were examined macroscopically and microscopically. In the microscopy, native-lugol and formol ethyl acetate concentration methods were used. Crypto-Giardia-Entamoeba antigen test was applied. All cases were evaluated in terms of age, gender, year and season.Results:In our study group, 239 (4.8%) patients were detected as positive for intestinal parasites. Among these patients, 129 (54%) were male and 110 (46%) were female. No statistically significant difference was found between IPI and gender (p=0.228). Blastocystis hominis (76.2%) and Giardia intestinalis (12.1%) were the most common parasites. According to age groups, most intestinal parasites are found in 16-45 years old and least in 0-15-years-old (p=0.0001). A significant increase was found in positive intestinal parasite cases especially after 2018 (p=0.0001). Our study determined that intestinal parasites were observed most frequently in autumn (p=0.033).Conclusion:The prevalence of IPI in our country is low. However, due to the increasing trend of IPI since 2018, necessary measures must be implemented to prevent further increase in the number of cases. In addition, reasons behind the rising cases of intestinal parasites during the autumn months in which rainfall begins require further investigation.

Objective:Natural plant products are considered as a source of novel and effective compounds for the treatment of leishmaniasis. In this study, the in vitro activities of essential oils obtained from Origanum dubium (OD), Origanum majorana (OM), Salvia fruticosa (SF) and Laurus nobilis (LN) plants in Northern Cyprus were investigated against Leishmania tropica.Methods:Leishmania tropica strain (MHOM/TR/2012/CBCL-LT) was obtained. RPMI-1640 was added to 96-well plates in 100 μL aliquots, 100 μg/mL essential oil was added to the first well of each row and serial 2-fold dilutions were performed. A promastigote suspension was pipetted into all wells, and the plates were incubated. The promastigotes were enumerated using a haemocytometer.Results:OD essential oil was effective at killing all promastigotes at a minimum inhibitor height (MIC)=0.2 μg/mL and had high activity at the lowest concentrations. Both SF and LN oils had MIC=1.56 μg/mL and LD50=0.78 μg/mL. SF was observed to impair promastigote morphology at the lowest concentrations, while LN did not exert any effect at concentrations

Raisins are a significant grape product with an annual trade volume of approximately USD 2 billion. There are various methods employed for drying grapes into raisins. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different drying methods on raisins, specifically, without pretreatment (SD), treatment with potassium carbonate (5%) containing 2% olive oil (POT), and treatment with ashy water with 2.5% olive oil (AOW). The study examined the changes in raisin weight, physicochemical characteristics, total phenolics, antioxidant and anthocyanin contents, color properties, and protein content in three grape varieties: Deyvani, Haseni, and Reşek. The results indicated that POT treatment resulted in the lightest raisins in Deyvani (0.48 g) and Reşek (0.58 g), while Haseni exhibited the heaviest raisins (0.64 g) under the same treatment. The variations in physicochemical characteristics were relatively limited compared to the changes observed in phenolic and antioxidant properties. Nontreated raisins had the lowest anthocyanin content across all varieties. Protein content was significantly affected by the POT treatment, while the effects of the AOW and SD treatments were comparatively minor. SD drying resulted in slightly brighter raisins, but lower phenolic content and significantly lower color properties. The findings of this study highlight the differential effects of drying methods on different grape varieties, emphasizing the importance of considering a variety-specific approach when selecting the drying method.

Turkey is the leading producer and exporter of hazelnuts, producing approximately 64% of global hazelnut production. This research investigated the effects of cultivars and altitude on the phenolic, antioxidant, and fatty acid compositions of five hazelnut cultivars grown at three different altitudes, 100 m, 350 m, and 800 m, in Ordu province, one of the territories that produce the most hazelnuts. The results showed that the cultivar and location significantly affected phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and fatty acid (FA) content. The lowest (2.30 mg/kg-Yağlı) and highest (21.11 mg/kg-Kara) gallic acids were obtained at 100 m. The highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in the nuts grown at 350 m in the Kara and Palaz cultivars, at 100 m in the Yağlı and Sivri cultivars, and at 800 m in the Çakıldak cultivar. Oleic acid was the predominant FA in the cultivars and possessed a diverse trend according to the altitude and cultivar, ranging from 76.04% to 84.80%, increasing with altitude in all cultivars except Çakıldak. Palmitic acid was the predominant saturated FA followed by stearic acid, which significantly varied according to the elevations. This study suggests that the responses of hazelnuts to altitude depend on the cultivar; hence, a proper approach to producing nuts containing more phenolic, fatty acids, and antioxidant activity includes choosing a suitable cultivar for a specific elevation.

Objective:In present times, malaria remains an infectious disease with a high mortality rate in some regions of the world. It is predicted to preserve its importance as a disease in the future because of the traveling human populations from malaria-endemic African countries into the regions where malaria has been eradicated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the increasing imported malaria cases in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.Methods:In this study, we investigated 13 patients who were diagnosed with malaria between 2016 and 2019. We clinically evaluated all the cases. More importantly, we made the diagnosis of these patients by Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood smears, rapid malaria antigen tests, and genotyping (only for five patients) by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, we evaluated patients with malaria in terms of age, gender, and seasons.Results:In the diagnosed malaria cases, 11 (84.4%) of them were male and 2 (15.6%) were female. There was no significance between malaria infection and gender (p=0.358). Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium ovale infection were detected in ten patients (76.9%), two (15.4%) patients, and one (7.7%) patient, respectively. There was a significant increase (p=0.003) in the malaria cases in 2019 (n=9). The seasonal comparison revealed that malaria infections are most common in autumn (8/13, 61.5%).Conclusion:Despite the eradication of malaria in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the rising number of recently imported cases increases the risk of emerging local cases. Malaria infection should be immediately suspected, particularly, in foreign patients who travel from the malaria-endemic region and present with symptoms such as fever and shivering if the laboratory findings especially detect thrombocytopenia.

DNA markers help detect the intraspecific genetic diversity of yeast strains. Eight ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) primers were used to assess the intraspecific diversity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (n = 96) from different populations (n = 3), evaluate the technological characteristics, and investigate trait-loci associations. The primers amplified 154 reproducible and scorable bands, of which 79.87% were polymorphic. The UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) dendrogram clustered 96 isolates into two main clusters, supported by STRUCTURE HARVESTER results (ΔK = 2). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated significant genetic differences between (15%) and within the populations (85%) (p < 0.001). Twenty-nine genetically distinct strains were selected for the technological characterization. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that five strains with high fermentation capacity, leavening activity, high growth index at 37 °C, and harsh growth conditions were technologically relevant. Trait-loci association analyses indicated that the highest correlation (r = 0.60) was recorded for the fermentation capacity on the 8th and 113th loci, amplified by ISSR-1 and ISSR-6 primers, respectively (p < 0.05). The strains yielding high performances and the associated loci amplified by ISSR markers possess a high potential to generate locus-specific primers to target the strains with high fermentation capacity.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a zoonotic infection caused by the bacteria of Bartonella henselae, which is transmitted to humans as a result of scratching or biting by cats, the source of the disease in nature. The disease is usually mild, but sometimes low fever and lymphadenopathy (LAP) at the site of the scracth can be seen. In our study, a 34-year-old female patient who applied to our hospital with bilateral groin pain and LAP in the inguinal region and was diagnosed with CSD is presented. Bartonella henselae immunoglobulin (Ig) G and Bartonella henselae IgM tests were performed with the indirect fluorescent antibody method on the patient, who had a kitten at home and had a scracthing history. Since both tests were positive and her history was compatible with CSD, 100 mg (2x1) dose of doxycycline was administered to our patient for 14 days and recovery was observed. While most CSD patients recover without treatment, some may develop complications. A good anamnesis and clinical examination in diagnosis can prevent unnecessary invasive procedures and high costs with many unnecessary laboratory tests. In conclusion, CSD should not be ignored in patients with regional LAP and a history of cat scracth.

Introduction: Acute tonsillopharyngitis is the most important infectious cause of hospital admission in pediatric age groups. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in patients prediagnosed with acute tonsillopharyngitis in a university hospital in Northern Cyprus and determine the effectiveness of Streptococcus rapid antigen test (SRAT) in diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Patients with acute tonsillopharyngitis prediagnosis and admitted to our hospital between September 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017 were retrospectively screened from physical and electronic records. Patients with a throat culture and/or SRAT result were included in the study. Culture method was used as the golden standard. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) programme and p

Introduction: Brucellosis causes a necrotic and inflammatory infection in humans and animals, and is among the world's most common zoonotic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Brucella antibodies and compare serological methods in Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, where animal husbandry is common. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted between December 2017 and February 2018 and included veterinarians (n=50), animal caregivers (n=109), butchers (n=65), and a control group of individuals who had no connection with animals (n=100). Serum samples from the participants were analyzed with serological techniques including Rose Bengal test (RBT), standard tube agglutination test (STA) and ELISA; IgG and IgM methods. The sensitivity and specificity of the methods used were estimated by considering ELISA (IgG and/or IgM) results as reference/golden standard. Results: Of 27 patients (8.3%) patients who had positive results from at least one of the serological tests, 21 (6.5%) had positive RBT, 15 (4.6%) had positive STA and 10 (3.1%) had positive ELISA (IgG and/or IgM). Six (28%) patients with negative RBT results were found to be positive in ELISA. Seventeen samples (80.9%) were RBT-positive but ELISA- negative. Conclusion: These data suggest that Brucella infection is at low rate in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. Laboratory diagnosis should be supported by tests such as seroconversion for low titers on STA, or tests such as ELISA. Only two cases were reported to the Ministry of Health Statistics Unit in 2013.

Abstract The number of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases in communities and hospitals is on the rise worldwide. In this work, a nonlinear deterministic model for the dynamics of MRSA infection in society was developed to visualize the significance of awareness in interventions that could be applied in the prevention of transmission with and without optimal control. Positivity and uniqueness were verified for the proposed corruption model to identify the level of resolution of infection factors in society. Furthermore, how various parameters affect the reproductive number $${R}_{0}$$ R 0 and sensitivity analysis of the proposed model was explored through mathematical techniques and figures. The global stability of model equilibria analysis was established by using Lyapunov functions with the first derivative test. A total of seven years of data gathered from a private hospital consisting of inpatients and outpatients of MRSA were used in this model for numerical simulations and for observing the dynamics of infection by using a non-standard finite difference (NSFD) scheme. When optimal control was applied as a second model, it was determined that increasing awareness of hand hygiene and wearing a mask were the key controlling measures to prevent the spread of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA). Lastly, it was concluded that both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA cases are on the rise in the community, and increasing awareness concerning transmission is extremely significant in preventing further spread.

Data consisting of millions of cases cannot still explain the immunopathogenesis mechanism between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and host cell for ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics. Epidemiological studies among different populations suggested different impacts of ABO and Rh antibodies on the COVID-19 susceptibility. Thus, the ABO blood group and the SARS-CoV-2 infection paradox remain unclear. Therefore, the present retrospective case–control study aimed to investigate the possible association between ABO blood groups and Rh blood types on SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Turkish Cypriot population. A total of 18,639 Turkish Cypriot subjects (297 SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 patients and 18,342 healthy) were included in this study. Personal and clinical characteristics including age, gender, SARS-CoV-2 infection status, the ABO blood group and Rh blood types were evaluated and compared between two groups. As a result, ABO blood group was shown to be associated with a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as with male sex (p = 0.018). There was no association between Rh blood type and COVID-19. Overall, this study is the first largest sample group study to show the distribution of ABO blood group and Rh blood types in the healthy Turkish Cypriot population. Based on the current evidence, there are insufficient data to guide public health policies regarding COVID-19 pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Antibiotic therapy for Pseudomonas infections is becoming increasingly difficult. In this study, the transposons from two multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical Pseudomonas strains containing related transposons responsible for giving rise to resistance determinants were characterised.Methods: Two MDR clinical Pseudomonas isolates were obtained from a medical facility in Cyprus. The strains were identified as Pseudomonas putida C54 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa C69. DNA was extracted from both strains and was sequenced. Transposons were identified, annotated and compared with DNA sequences in GenBank.Results: Two related nested transposons, here named Tn6608 (from P. putida C54) and Tn6609 (from P. aeruginosa C69), were characterised. The transposons are built on an ancestral Tn1403 base element (here named Tn1403A) that contains only the transposition module (tnpA and tnpR) and the associated cargo gene module (orfA, orfB, orfC and orfD) flanked by a 38-bp inverted repeat. The nested transposons identified in this study have evolved via acquisition of multiple transposons, adding multiple resistance genes to an ancestral transposon that originally lacked any resistance determinants.Conclusion: Transposons related to Tn6608 and Tn6609 have evolved and are globally disseminated. Of particular interest is that most of these nested transposons are located within the same site in a genomic island, providing alternative avenues for dissemination.

Abstract Objective Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a healthcare problem worldwide. There are no reports on the virulence characteristics of MRSA in Northern Cyprus (NC). This study aimed to determine the presence of pvl among MRSA isolates from patients admitted to a university hospital in NC using molecular methods. Fifty S. aureus strains were included in this study. BD Phoenix automated identification system was used for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Methicillin resistance was confirmed by disc diffusion assay. Presence of nuc and mecA genes was tested by multiplex PCR. Detection of pvl gene was performed by single-target PCR. Results Out of 50 S. aureus isolates identified as MRSA by BD Phoenix system, 3 were susceptible to cefoxitin with disc diffusion assay and were confirmed as methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). All isolates (n = 50, 100%) tested positive for the presence nuc gene and 68% (n = 34/50) were mecA positive. pvl was detected in 27.7% (n = 13/47) of the MRSA isolates. Among PVL-positive MRSA isolates, 69.2% (9/13) were inpatients. PVL-MRSA was more common in isolates from deep tracheal aspirate (30.8%, 4/13) and abscess/wound (23.1%, 3/13). This represents the first study of PVL presence among MRSA in hospital setting in NC.

Abstract Background Antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the gastrointestinal flora can lead to infections with limited therapeutic options. Also, the resistant bacteria can be transferred from colonized persons to others. The present study was conducted to search the fecal carriage rates of (i) Enterobacteriaceae that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL-E) and/or (ii) plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase (pAmpC-E), (iii) ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CIP-RE), and (iv) carbapenem-intermediate or -resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CIRE) in Northern Cyprus. Methods A total of 500 community-dwellers were recruited from consecutive admissions to the clinical laboratories of four hospitals. One rectal swab or stool sample was collected from each participant. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate possible risk factors associated with intestinal colonization of resistant bacteria. The samples were cultured on antibiotic containing media to screen for resistant bacteria colonization. The bacterial colonies that grew on the plates were subjected to further phenotypic tests to confirm the resistance. Results Of 500 volunteers, ESBL-E, pAmpC-E, CIP-RE and CIRE carriage were detected in 107 (21.4%), 15 (3.0%), 51 (10.2%) and six (1.2%) participants, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most commonly recovered species among Enterobacteriaceae isolates. A significant proportion of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates (n = 22/107; 20.6%) was found to be co-resistant to CIP (p = 0.000, OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.76–5.87). In this study, higher socioeconomic status (CIP-RE: p = 0.024, OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.09–3.53), presence of gastrointestinal symptoms (CIRE: p = 0.033; OR 6.79, 95% CI 1.34–34.39), antibiotic use (ESBL-E: p = 0.031; OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.04–2.67; and CIRE: p = 0.033; OR 6.40, 95% CI 1.16–35.39), and travelling abroad (pAmpC-E: p = 0.010; OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.45–11.66) were indentified as risk factors. Conclusion The study indicates that resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates are carried by humans in the community. To prevent further spread of resistance, rational use of antibiotics should be encouraged, and antibiotic resistance should be carefully monitored in Northern Cyprus.