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ABSTRACT: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is one of the serious neurological infections seen especially in the Asian and North European countries. The principal vectors of TBEV are hard ticks belonging to Ixodes genus. The major vector of European TBEV subtype is I.ricinus and the major vector of Far-Eastern and Siberian subtypes is I.persulcatus. I.ricinus exists in many climatic regions of Turkey, especially in the coastal areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the TBEV seroprevalence among the residents of rural areas in Sinop (a province located at the coast of Central Black-Sea region of Turkey). A total of 273 blood samples have been collected from the subjects (age range: 11-83 years) inhabiting in 12 villages of the central district of Sinop, during the months of May and June in 2006 and 2007. The presence of TBEV IgG antibodies in serum samples were searched by a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody kit (Euroimmun, Deutschland). TBEV IgG positivity was detected in 2.9% (8/273) of the subjects at a screening titer (1/10) and 7 (2.6%) of them also yielded positive results at further dilutions (1/100). The rates of TBEV seropositivity were not found statistically significant (p > 0.05), with respect to gender (141 of the subjects were male), age (142 of the subjects were between 21-50 years old), occupation (17 foresters, 57 were shepherds, 199 were farmers/stockbreeders) and history of tick bite (169 of the subjects had been bitten by ticks). Presence of IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, another agent which is transmitted by the same vector, were also investigated in TBEV seropositive 8 subjects by a commercial ELISA kit (Zeus Scientific, The Netherlands). Four of these subjects yielded B.burgdorferi IgG positivity, so the TBEV - B.burgdorferi coinfection rate was estimated as 1.5% (4/273). However, since the results obtained by the tests used in this study (TBEV IgG IFA and B.burgdorferi IgG ELISA) have not been confirmed by additional confirmational tests, these subjects were referred as "probable cases". In recent years the detection rates of vector-borne viral infections is in an increment trend in Turkey due to the developments in diagnostic tests and awareness for emerging infections. In conclusion since Sinop, which is placed in the northernmost point of Turkey, is located close to TBEV endemic areas, the presence of TBEV in Sinop and the Black Sea region should always be considered.
Mikrobiyoloji bülteni 10/2010; 44(4):585-91. · 0.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The antimicrobial activity of methanol and acetone extracts of Butomus umbellatus, Polygonum amphibium, and two species of the genus Sparganium (S. erectum and S. emersum)against three Gram-positive, five Gram-negative bacteria and one fungus was assessed by the disk diffusion method. The microorganisms used were Staphylococcus aureusATCC-29740, Escherichia coli ATCC-25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442, Salmonella typhi NCTC-9394, Klebsiella pneumoniae NCTC-5046, Proteus vulgaris ATCC-7829, Bacillus subtilis ATCC-6633, Corynebacterium diphteriae RSHM-633 and Candida albicans ATCC-10231. Methanol extracts of the plants did not exhibit any inhibitory activity against any of the microorganisms, while the acetone extracts of the all tested plants only showed significant activity against Bacillus subtilis, with inhibition zones and minimal inhibitory concentration values in the 7-16 mm and 0.49-12.50 mg/mL ranges, respectively.
Molecules 02/2009; 14(1):321-8. · 2.39 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of the present study was to investigate retrospectively the distribution and prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients who presented at the environmental-food and medicine analysis laboratory of the Sivas municipality, Sivas, from January 1993-December 2006. A total of 732 stool specimens were examined for intestinal parasites using native-Lugol and formol ethyl ether methods. Also, 186 cellophane tape preparations were examined directly. Out of a total of 918 total specimens, intestinal parasites were found in 85 (9.3%) females and 178 (19.4%) males. Parasites were found in 188 (25.7%) of the stool specimens, coming from 54 (7.4%) females and 134 (18.3%) males. Of the 75 positive cellophane tape specimens, 31 (16.7%) were females and 44 (23.7%), male. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was evaluated according to years, sex and ages in which cases were seen. The distribution of intestinal parasites detected in stool specimens was as follows: 101 (13.8%) Entamoeba coli, 27 (3.7%) Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, 91 (12.4%) Giardia intestinalis, 30 (4.1%) Taenia saginata, 13 (1.8%) Hymenolepis nana, 7 (1%) Ascaris lumbricoides, 2 (0.3%) Trichuris trichiura and 1 (0.1%) Dicrocoelium dentriticum. Parasites detected in cellophane tape specimens included 64 (34.4%) Enterobius vermicularis and 11 (5.9%) Taenia saginata.
Turkiye parazitolojii dergisi / Turkiye Parazitoloji Dernegi = Acta parasitologica Turcica / Turkish Society for Parasitology 02/2008; 32(1):59-64.
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of intestinal parasites among children in two primary schools in different social-economic districts in the central region of Yozgat and to educate the children about parasitic diseases. During the study, cellophane tape preparations and stool samples that had been prepared using direct mounting methods were examined. In addition the students were informed about intestinal parasites. Parasitic infection was observed in 128 (34.9%) out of 367 students and the highest rate of 16.1% was that of Entamoeba coli. The rate of Giardia intestinalis, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Taenia saginata, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were found to be 15.5%, 8.4%, 2.2%, 1.6%, 1.6%, 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively. In cases with parasitosis, one species of parasite was found in 68.0%, 2 species in 27.3% and 3 species in 4.7%. Thus, intestinal parasites are important among primary school children in Yozgat and it seems that there is a relationship between socio-economic conditions and the rate of intestinal parasites.
Turkiye parazitolojii dergisi / Turkiye Parazitoloji Dernegi = Acta parasitologica Turcica / Turkish Society for Parasitology 02/2008; 32(3):261-5.
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ABSTRACT: The aims of this study were to investigate the presence of vector ticks for Borrelia burgdorferi and to determine the seropositivity of lyme disease in Sivas region of Middle Anatolia. A total of 10,303 ticks were collected and classified at genus level, however, none of them belonged to Ixodes genus, the vector of B. burgdorferi. For the seroepidemiological study, serum samples were collected from 270 subjects who inhabited in rural area and raised livestock, and from 135 subjects as the control group who inhabited in urban area and have no livestock story. The samples were screened for the presence of B. burgdorferi IgG antibodies with a commercial enzyme immunoassay kit (ImmunoWell Borrelia, Genbio, San Diego). As a result, one subject in the each group (0.4% and 0.7%, respectively) yielded positive result, however as these sera gave positive reaction in rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, these were evaluated as cross-reactivity (false positivity). These results indicated that lyme disease is not endemic in our region since neither Ixodes genus ticks nor seropositive subjects were detected.
Mikrobiyoloji bülteni 11/2005; 39(4):503-8. · 0.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is an important zoonosis throughout the world. Infection is transmitted by the consumption of non-boiled or non-pasteurized milk and milk products such as cheese, cream and butter. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Brucella spp. in the fresh cheese samples which were sold at bazaars of district in Sivas center during April, May and June of the years 2003 and 2004. In 3 (7.1%) of 42 cheese samples collected in 2003 and 4 (8.5%) of 47 samples collected in 2004, Brucella spp. were found to be positive. Consequently, since the fresh cheese samples are the most important routes of Brucella transmission, the risk for public health should be well considered.
Mikrobiyoloji bülteni 05/2005; 39(2):219-23. · 0.40 Impact Factor
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Ahmet Alim
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ABSTRACT: Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is a facultative intracellular pathogen of alveolar macrophages, alveolar epithelial cells and, blood monocytes. Infection begins with the inhalation of the L.pneumophila. Once the bacteria reach to alveolar spaces, they come in contact with the alveolar macrophages, phagocyted and the macrophage takes the bacteria into a phagosome. Inside the cell, Legionella inhibits the lysosome-phagosome fusion, resulting in multiplication and lysis of the cell. The newly formed bacteria infect the other cells. In-vitro studies have shown that the presence of antibody and complement do not enhance intracellular killing. Cellular immunity is more important than humoral immunity for resolution of Legionella infections. In this review article, immunopathogenesis of Legionella infections have been discussed under the light of literature.
Mikrobiyoloji bülteni 08/2004; 38(3):295-303. · 0.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Microbiological contamination of hot spring waters is a public health problem, and hot spring waters have been thought to be a potential source of Legionella infections. In this study, 209 water samples collected from 69 thermal pools of 36 hot springs in the Central Anatolia Region were examined for the presence of Legionella spp. between September and November 2001. The water samples were concentrated via filtration, and the filtrates were decontaminated by low-pH method. Then the samples were cultured on non-selective (Buffered Charcoal Yeast Extract Agar, BCYE) and selective (GVPC; BCYE supplemented with glycine, vancomycin, polymyxin B, cycloheximide, and MWY; BCYE supplemented with glycine, anisomycin, polymyxin B, vancomycin, bromthymol blue, bromcresole purple) media, and suspected colonies were confirmed by Legionella Latex Kit (Oxoid) and direct fluorescent antibody test. As a result, 24 out of 209 (11.5%) water samples were found positive for Legionella pneumophila, and a total 26 L. pneumophila strains were isolated from these 24 samples. Two of these isolates were found reactive with serogroup 1, 20 were reactive with serogroup 2-14 antisera in agglutination test, while 2 samples collected from the same thermal pool, have yielded 2 strains, of which one was serogroup 1 and the other was serogroup 2-14. L. pneumophila was detected in 22.2% of hot springs (8 of 36) and 14.5% of thermal pools (10 of 69). L. pneumophila concentrations which were detected in water samples ranged from 10 to 430 CFU/100 ml. This is the first data for the prevalence of Legionnaires' disease agent in hot spring spas in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Colonization of bacterium in some spas indicates that the certain hot springs might be endemic focuses for Legionnaires' disease in our country.
Mikrobiyoloji bülteni 36(3-4):237-46. · 0.40 Impact Factor
