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Objective: This study aimed to identify glycopeptide resistance genes and virulence factors in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species and to investigate the influence of the microbiota and hospital environment on glycopeptide resistance. Materials and Methods: A total of 107 enterococcal isolates were collected from patients' rectal swab cultures and environmental samples taken for surveillance purposes. Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis was conducted to investigate specific virulence genes (esp, hyl, asa1, cyl, and galE) and glycopeptide resistance genes (vanA, vanB, van C1-C2, van D, vanE, and vanG). Additionally, perirectal swab cultures were obtained from patients without vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization to investigate the presence of glycopeptide resistance genes in their microbiota. Results: Seven isolates (6.5%) were identified as infectious agents. The most common vancomycin resistance genes were vanA (23.3%), followed by vanA + vanB (14%) and vanB + vanD (14%), respectively. The Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR) method showed that patient surveillance and environmental isolates were clonally related. Moreover, microbiota analysis of patients without vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization revealed Clostridium spp. in two patients and Lactobacillus spp. in one patient, with the vanG gene found in the microbiota of only one (2.5%) patient. Conclusion: The detection of genes responsible for dissemination indicates that colonized isolates also have the potential for infection, and the hospital environment plays a primary role in the acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 6, 2023, Türkiye experienced two significant earthquakes with magnitudes 7.7 Mw and 7.6 Mw at 04:17 Türkiye Standard Time (TRT) (01:17 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)) and 13:24 TRT (10:24 UTC), respectively, centered in Kahramanmaraş. The study aims to review the immediate aftermath of these earthquakes, their impact on health services, and the potential threats of infection due to these catastrophic events in Türkiye. Eleven provinces in the southeastern region of Türkiye, as well as areas in the northwestern region of Syria, suffered severe damage. Aftershocks continue, though with decreasing intensity. Thousands of structures, including crucial infrastructure, were destroyed. Approximately 15 million people in Türkiye and 10.87 million people in Syria were severely affected. About 200.000 people were injured, and more than 50.000 people died due to the earthquakes. Roughly 500.000 people fled from the earthquake-affected region to western cities. The rescue operations were completed within two weeks. The earthquake and its aftershocks, compounded by winter conditions, left thousands of people homeless in the region. Intensive efforts were initiated to address the health care, medicine, shelter, nutrition, sanitation, and other needs of the earthquake victims. In the upcoming days, earthquake survivors may face significant risks of infections, including airborne, food-borne, and water-borne infections, as well as nosocomial infections from resistant bacteria and parasitic infections. Identifying the risk factors that underlie the emergence and transmission of communicable diseases can enhance the development and implementation of more effective preventive measures. Currently, safety, security, mitigation, and infection control activities are essential to help restore daily life in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate human papillomavirus DNA positivity in cervical samples taken from sexually active female patients; Determination of human papillomavirus genotypes and comparison with Papanicolaou smear and colposcopic biopsy results. Methods: In this study sexually active female patients aged 18 years and over who applied to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of a tertiary hospital between November 2020 and October 2021 were included. In vitro real-time HPV PCR method was used for the qualitative detection of human papillomavirus DNA from cervical specimens. Cervical specimens, which were sent to the pathology laboratory and stained according to Papanicolaou cytology protocol, and colposcopic biopsy specimens stained with hematoxylin-eosin were evaluated by an experienced pathologist. Results: One of the human papillomavirus genotypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 67 and 68 was isolated in 19 (4.9%) of 383 female patients included in the study. human papillomavirus 16 was detected in five (26.3%) patients, human papillomavirus 18 was detected in one (5.2%) patient, and one of 13 other high-risk types was detected in the remaining 13 (68.4%) patients. The mean age of women with low-risk human papillomavirus genotype was 43.41±9.90 years, and the mean age of women with human papillomavirus high-risk genotype was 41.79±8.70 years. According to the Bethesda 14 classification, normal cytology was detected in 354 patients, ASC-US in 19 (5%), ASC-H in two (0.5%), LSIL in two (0.5%), HSIL in two (0.5%), AGC in 3 (0.8%) and one patient (0.3%) had adenocarcinoma in situ. While AGC was detected in 1 (20%) of 5 patients with human papillomavirus genotype 16, ASC-H was detected in 1 (20%) patient, 3 (60%) patients were evaluated as normal. No pathology was found in the cytology examination of the patient with human papillomavirus genotype 18. In the cytological examination of other high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes isolated from 13 patients; ASCUS results were obtained in 3 (23%) patients, HSIL in 1 (7.6%) and normal results in 9 (69.2%) patients. In the biopsy examination of patients with normal cytology findings and HPV 16 positive; CIN 1 and CIN 2 were detected in one patient, CIN 3 in one HPV 18 positive patient, and squamous cell carcinoma in one of the other HR-HPV patients. Conclusion: In cancer screening and patient follow-up, cytological evaluations should be evaluated together with molecular studies. These studies will also contribute to the acquisition of regional epidemiological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is classified as primary or secondary. While primary (familial) HLH is caused by genetic mutations, secondary (acquired, reactive) HLH is the type that has an underlying cause and is not associated with genetic mutations. Case Report: We report a two-year-old female patient with a fatal course of Fusarium sepsis who was diagnosed with primary HLH. A homozygous variant of PRF1 (c.445G > A, p.Gly149Ser) was detected. Hyphal growth was detected on Sabouraud dextrose agar and Fusarium multiplied in blood cultures. The patient's clinical course was fulminant, and she died of septic shock 4 days after admission to the hospital. Fusarium, a rare infection in HLH, was found in this case. Conclusion: We discovered the rare PRF1 (c.445G>A, p.Gly149Ser) mutation in HLH and the high morbidity and mortality associated with Fusarium infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to investigate Legionella spp. and other pathogenic microorganisms in swab samples taken from different units of a tertiary healthcare hospital between July 25, 2019 and November 1, 2019. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two swab samples were taken from the mechanical ventilator, air conditioner filters, water outlets, and sink faucets in the laboratory, operating room and different intensive care units of the hospital. All samples were centrifuged and inoculated directly onto buffered coal yeast extract agar, a medium selective for Legionella and other conventional media. 16S rRNA sequence analysis was performed for identification at the species level by randomly selecting 6 samples that were positive for Legionella by culture and serological tests. Results: Growth compatible with Legionella spp. colonies was observed in 24 (26.08%) cultures. Only three of the 6 serogrouped samples were confirmed by molecular identification. Two of these were identified as Legionella pneumophila subsp. pneumophila and the other as Legionella anisa. Penicillium spp., Aspergillus flavus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Morganella morganii, Moraxella spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from the filters of mechanical ventilators and Escherichia coli from a tap sample. Conclusion: Potential Legionella spp. exposure in high-risk patients should be eliminated with increased sampling frequency and effective control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Health Sciences / Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Erciyes Universitesi Saglik Bilimleri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Osmangazi Journal of Medicine / Osmangazi Tip Dergisi is the property of Eskisehir Osmangazi University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) false positivity is one of the common misdiagnoses in laboratories. Thus, only positive results obtained by confirmatory tests should be considered positive while other types of screening tests should instead be referred to as reactive. This study investigated false HIV positivity via the sociodemographic characteristics of the patient, clinical diagnosis, and the relationship with the drugs used. Materials and Methods: From January 2017 to October 2018, 25,180 patients were tested for HIV with the fourth-generation antigen/antibody EIA. Reactive test results were sent to the Public Health Institution in Turkey to confirm the test results with immunoblot or polymerase chain reaction. Results: Of the samples, 23 (0.091%) and 113 (0.44%) were found to be HIV-positive and HIV-negative. Confirmation tests were performed on 136 samples. Consequently, 113 samples were confirmed to be negative and, therefore, considered as false positives. A distributional relationship was found between HIV false positivity and patients hospitalized in clinics of infectious diseases, hematology, and orthopedics (X2=49.048; p=0.001), and patients diagnosed with neoplasm or soft tissue infection (X2=51.699; p=0.001). Moreover, the rate of false positivity significantly increased with the use of antibiotics, steroidal/nonsteroidal drugs, immunoglobulin preparations, and antithrombotic drugs. Conclusion: Since HIV tests used in a low prevalence population are commonly testing low-risk individuals, the reactive tests can lead to false-positive results rather than true-positive. Thus, screening test results alone should not be relied upon for this diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: S.maltophilia despite its low pathogenicity, can cause colonization in immunocompetent and long-term inpatients in the intensive care unit, and can cause pneumonia and bacteremia, often selected from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. It is known that especially cystic fibrosis patients are at risk. The aim of this study was to obtain local epidemiological data by examining S. maltophilia isolates and trimetoprim-sulfometaxazole susceptibility. Methods: Ninety six S. maltophilia isolates, isolated from culture samples sent to Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Medical Faculty Hospital Microbiology Laboratory between January 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Conventional culture and Gram staining characteristics of the isolates were examined. BD Phoenix (BD, USA) automated identification system was used for species level identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Results: Microorganism was mostly isolated from the respiratory tract samples (50%) and clinically from the anesthesiology and reanimation intensive care unit with a rate of 28.1%. The trimethoprim-sulfomethaxazole resistance of the isolates was found to be 1.04% (n = 1). Conclusion: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is resistant to many antibiotics, causing treatment difficulties. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the most effective antibiotic that can still be used in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections. Especially when S. maltophilia is isolated from cultural examples, pathogen/colonization should be differentiated and resistance should be prevented by avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic, gram-positive bacillus that causes tetanus infection. It usually enters the body through injury with contaminated objects. Tetanus differs from other diseases that can be prevented by vaccination in that it is not contagious and does not spread from person to person. The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of Tetanus IgG in trauma patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). Methods: The study was planned as cross-sectional, prospective, and single-center. The study was conducted from January to July 2018 in the Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Hospital. Totally, 178 patients aged ≥18 years were included. For measurement of the level of Tetanus IgG, Clostridium tetani toxin 5S IgG kit (NovaLisa, NOVATEC) was used to quantitatively detect IgG type antibodies by micro-ELISA method in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation. Results: In total, 143 cases were male and 35 were female. The mean age of the cases was 40 ± 16 years. Tetanus IgG levels were found to be 0.29 ± 0.6 IU/mL in cases from rural areas and 2.14 ± 1.64 IU/mL in cases from urban areas (P < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between age and Tetanus IgG level (r: (-) 0.479; P < 0.001). The protective level of Tetanus IgG was observed to be even lower, especially in patients aged ≥40 years (n = 43, 78.9%). Conclusion: Measurements of Tetanus IgG levels should be performed as far as possible in the ED. In this way, unnecessary vaccination can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: After the report of first case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had been described in 1961, MRSA became a major problem worldwide especially because of antibiotic resistance. MRSA strains are often resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicilinase resitant penicillins, cephalosporins and to some non-beta-lactam antibiotics, but they are only susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin. The aim of our study was to evaluate the resistance of Staphylococcus strains isolated at Mardin State Hospital against methicillin and various other antimicrobials. Accurate assessment of methicillin resistance is necessary to ensure proper use of antimicrobial drugs. Method: In this study, 73 Staphylococcus strains isolated from various clinical specimens were evaluated. As antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) criteria. Mueller-Hinton Agar (RTA,TR) containing 4% NaCl and 1 μg oxacillin disc (Bioanalyse, TR) were used for determining methicillin resistance. Results: Of the strains tested, 22 (30.1%) were found to be (MRSA), nine (12.3%) were methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS) and 42 (57.5%) were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). Five (22.7%) of the MRSA strains, and three (33%) of the MRCNS strains were identified as nosocomial. 81.8% of the MRSA strains were found to be resistant to erythromycin; 66.6% to cefoxitin; 60% to gentamicin; and 100% to amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid, norfloxacin and penicillin. The resistance rates to penicillin among the MRSA and MRCNS strains were determined to be 100%. Conclusion: It is a welcome development to find that there was no resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin strains tested in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]