Seroprevalence and risk factors for toxoplasma infection among pregnant women in Aydin province, Turkey

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women at first trimester of their pregnancy and to follow up the seroconversion for next two trimesters, and to identify the risk factors and possible contamination routes in Aydin province, Turkey. METHOD: The sample size was calculated as 423 on a prevalence of 50%, d=0.05 at a confidence level of 95% with 10% addition. It was a cross-sectional study with multistage sampling. After a questionnaire applied to the pregnant women, anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were studied with ELISA and IFA, values in conflict with DA test, where IgM antibodies were studied with ELISA and for borderline or positive values of IgM avidity test was used. RESULTS: The mean age of 389 (92.9%) of pregnant women in the study was 24.28+/-4.56 years, the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies for toxoplasmosis was 30.1%. Seroprevalence was increased with age (p=0.001) and with drinking water consumption other than bottled water (p=0.042). No significant relations were observed between anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and education level, being native or migrant, abortion history, consumption of meat, vegetable and milk/milk products, personal or kitchen hygiene habits, cat owning at home of the pregnant women. No IgM antibody was detected. CONCLUSION: One of every three pregnant women in Aydin was at risk of toxoplasmosis at the first trimester of their pregnancy. Increased seroprevalance with age was a predictable result because of increasing time of exposure. Increased seroprevalence with consumption of municipal and uncontrolled water (well/spring water) supplies was similar with latest epidemiological findings

A human case of cyclosporiasis after traveling in the subtropics [Yurtdişi seyahat hikayesi olan bir cyclosporiasis olgusu.]

PubMed ID: 17124652In this study, Cyclospora oocysts were detected in a 64-year old man who complained of persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after visiting the Greek Islands in a sailing boat. Round oocysts about 8-9 microm in size with wrinkled walls that varied in color from red to pale pink after staining were found in Kinyoun's modified acid fast stained stool samples. Public health offices and laboratories, general practitioners, and medical microbiology labs should be informed that more attention should be paid to cyclosporiasis causing diarrheal illness and which requires specific screening methods with experienced microscopists in laboratories

An investigation on roundwood extraction of Fagus orientalis lipsky, Abies nordmanniana (Stew.) Spach. and Picea orientalis (L.) Link. by Urus M III forest skyline on snow

Harvesting and transportation of woods from forest are extremely difficult, expensive and timeconsuming operations. In the most regions of Turkey, the application of mechanized harvesting equipment is currently very limited due to low labor cost and high fuel cost. In Turkish forestry, the most common harvesting method is cut-to-length system, which is carried out intensively during the late spring and summer, as well as during the winter with a limited extent. In this study, productivity of roundwood extraction (Fagus orientalis Lipsky., Abies nordmanniana (Stew.) Spach. and Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) by Urus M III skyline on snow in Artvin, Turkey was investigated. The average total time of shift was measured as 13.10 min for uphill logging and 22.92 min for downhill logging. Increases in number of pieces, log diameter, log length and log volume increased the total transportation time. The results also indicated that the productivity value of Urus MIII skyline varies among the sites (5.87 m³/h in Site-1, 6.82 m³/h in Site-2, 4.08 m³/h in Site-3 for uphill and 1.69 m³/h in Site-4 downhill), and uphill yarding by Urus MIII was more productive than downhill yarding on snow

A sero-epidemiological study of visceral leishmaniosis in Izmir District, Turkey.

PubMed ID: 9707668Visceral leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum have been reported in Turkey. A total of 2055 blood samples collected in Izmir and six surrounding villages were tested for anti-Leishmania antibodies. Three established immunodiagnostic techniques, indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and direct agglutination test (DAT), were employed using promastigotes and rK39 as antigens for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies. Five sero-positive cases (0.24%) were detected by the three tests used