The Distribution of Blastocystis Subtypes among School-aged Children in Mugla, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Blastocystis is a common protozoon that inhabits human intestinal tract and has a worldwide distribution. This study aimed to determine subtype (ST) distribution of Blastocystis among school-aged children in a western city of Turkey between Mar and Jun 2014. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among primary school children in Mugla between Mar and Jun 2014. Overall, 468 stool samples from children were examined by direct microscopy and inoculated into Jones medium. Blastocystis partial small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU-rDNA) was amplified and sequenced from culture positive isolates. Subtypes were determined according to closest or exact match at GenBank and Blastocystis ST (18S) database. RESULTS: The positive rate of Blastocystis was 7.4% (n=35) with xenic in-vitro culture (XIVC). The subtypes could be identified for 33 (94.2%) isolates; 12 (34.2%) were ST3, 11 (31.4%) were ST1, 9 (25.7%) were ST2, one was (2.8%) ST7. No relationship was found between Blastocystis infected and non-infected cases in terms of gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, none of the possible risk factors was related to Blastocystis infection. CONCLUSION: Subtypes in children was similar to those reported in most of the studies that found ST3 as the most common subtype.

[The Retrospective Analysis of Toxoplasma Serology Results from Mugla Sitki Koçman University Training and Research Hospital between 2012 and 2013]. / Mugla Sitki Koçman Üniversitesi Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi Mikrobiyoloji Laboratuvari'nda 2012-2013 Yillari Arasinda Çalisilan Toxoplasma Serolojik Test Sonuçlarinin Retrospektif Olarak Degerlendirilmesi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was the evaluation of serology results in Mugla Sitki Koçman University Training and Research Hospital Microbiology Laboratory between 2012 and 2013 among cases from different divisions for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, retrospectively. METHODS: Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by a commercial kit in serum samples. The age and gender of cases, the division where the samples were sent and the changes in the seropositivity between years were evaluated statistically by chi-square test. RESULTS: Totally 1162 cases varying from 9 months to 85 ages (mean 29.1 ± 10.8) were included in the study, due to the orders from divisions anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were investigated in 747 samples and 154 (20.6%) of them were positive. Anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies were investigated in 1112 samples and 27 of them (2.4%) were positive. The seropositivity of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were increased with age (p = 0.001) and a significant relationship was found with anti-Toxoplasma IgM seropositivity and the division where the samples were sent (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that as in the other parts, toxoplasmosis is an important public health concern in Mugla and it is crucial especially for women in reproductive age, the risk group for toxoplasmosis, should be informed about toxoplasmosis.

[Investigation of West Nile virus seroprevalence in Hacettepe University Hospital blood donors and confirmation of the positive results by plaque reduction neutralization test]. / Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hastanesi Kan Donörlerinde Bati Nil Virusu Seroprevalansinin Arastirilmasi ve Pozitif Sonuçlarin Plak Redüksiyon Nötralizasyon Testi ile Dogrulanmasi

West Nile virus (WNV), a member of Flaviviridae family, is an enveloped, icosahedral, single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus. WNV is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoe (especially Culex spp.) bites and cause a variety of clinical outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe meningoencephalitis. The aims of this study were to determine and confirm the WNV seroprevalence in a chosen healthy population and to provide epidemiological data for Turkey about the recent status of the infection at our region. A total of 1200 serum samples collected from blood donors (400 were female, 800 were male; age range: 18-61 years, mean age: 37.8) who were admitted to Hacettepe University Hospital Blood Donation Center between April to December 2009, were included to the study. The presence of WNV IgG antibodies were screened by ELISA (Euroimmun, Germany), and the positive samples have been further investigated by WNV IgG avidity test in order to estimate the time of encounter to the virus. Indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test (Euroimmun, Germany) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) which is accepted as the reference method, were performed for the confirmation of WNV IgG positive results. Nineteen (1.6%) of the samples yielded WNV IgG positivity with ELISA, and all of which were IgGs with high avidities (Avidity index values were between 67.8-99.2%). Eight of 19 (42.1%) WNV ELISA IgG positive donors, had risk factors such as joining outdoor activities, contact with mosquitos and ticks and consuming raw milk and milk products. Of 19 samples that were taken into confirmation tests, 15 (78.9%) were found positive with IFA, and 10 (52.6%) were found positive with PRNT. WNV antibody positivity of 10 samples were then confirmed by PRNT, however eight samples which were found positive with both ELISA and IFA yielded negative results with PRNT. This data might indicate that ELISA and IFA methods in which virus-infected cells were used as substrates, have detected non-neutralizing antibodies against viral nucleocapsid antigens rather than the neutralizing antibodies detected against envelope glycoproteins by PRNT method. One sample which yielded low positive result only by ELISA test has been evaluated as a specificity issue of the test. As a result, the positivity rate (19/1200; 1.6%) of WNV IgG detected by ELISA in blood donors, has been confirmed as 0.8% (10/1200) by a gold standard method, PRNT. The data of this study indicated that the prevalence of WNV infections, although low in our region, deserves attention to be considered in surveillance and control programs related to WNV in Turkey.