Tick bite cases among hazelnut farm workers in Giresun

Ticks are arthropod vectors of many diseases. The prevalence of Lyme disease transmitted by Ixodes is not known in Turkey. The disease is caused by Borrelia species and can also be seen in domestic animals. The aim of this study is to identify the ticks, which are collected from the agricultural workers who admitted to hospitals during the hazelnut harvest season between August and September 2015, at species and genus level and investigate whether these ticks vector of Borrelia spp. Method: In this study, 152 ticks collected from 134 patients were investigated. Of all samples including larvae and nymphs, 95.24% were collected in September. All patients who admitted with complaints of tick bites were agricultural workers collecting nuts in the gardens at sea level. The ticks were identified at species and genus level with stereomicroskop, hemolymph fluid examined directly by dark-field microscope and cultured in the Borellia BarbourStoenner-Kelly (BSK-H) medium. Results: Of all the ticks, 126 (82.9%) were adults, 13 (8.55%) were nymphs and 13 (8.55%) were larvae. Stereoscopic examination of the ticks revealed that 125 (82.2%) of the adults were Ixodes ricinus and 1 (0.65%) was Rhipicephalus sanguineus. All of the 13 nymphs (8.55%) and 13 larvae (8.55%) were identified as Ixodes spp.. All forms of development cycle were detected in the samples and the forms were inconsistent with the expected development cycle. Borrelia spp., the agent of Lyme disease, was investigated in the 146 ticks defined as I. ricinus and Ixodes spp. Borrelia spp were detected by dark field microscope in 3 (2.05%) of the 146 Ixodes and Borrelia spp. were identified in 5 (3.4%) of the cultures. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that Lyme disease can be seen in our region and the most probable vector is Ixodes ricinus

Determination of Parasitic Contamination in Vegetables Collected from Local Markets in İzmir Province, Türkiye

Objective:Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy and nutrient-rich diet but the consumption of raw vegetables without proper washing is the main way for transmission of parasites. This study was aimed at determining the rate of parasitic contamination in prewashed fresh vegetables sold at randomly selected 10 retail markets which is the last step to reach the consumer in İzmir, Türkiye.Methods:A total of 80 samples selected from eight types of vegetables including tomato, spinach, lettuce, rocket, mint, parsley, dill, and cucumber were examined for parasitic agents microscopically by sedimentation method after washing samples with normal saline. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20.0.Results:Protozoan cysts, helminth eggs, and larvae were detected in 21 (26.2%) of 80 samples from eight different vegetable species. Rhabditidiform larvae 18.7%, Blastocystis spp. 5%, Toxocara spp. 2.5%; Ascaris spp., Fasciola spp., Entamoeba histolytica/ Entamoeba dispar and hooked worms were found in 1.2%. Spinach and mint samples were contaminated with parasites significantly more than other fresh vegetable samples (p<0.008, odds ratio =80.0; p<0.017, odds ratio =46.6 respectively). Cruznema spp., a plant nematode, was found at the highest rate according to the results of culture, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing, respectively.Conclusion:In this study, the parasitic contamination was found in approximately one of the four vegetables sold in randomly selected markets in İzmir. These findings show that vegetables sold in local markets can cause parasitic infections if they are consumed without adequate washing and awareness should be raised on this issue. In addition, it was concluded that morphological examinations should be confirmed by molecular studies and sequencing as much as possible in order to avoid misdiagnosis of rhabditidiform larvae

Şırnak’ta Eksternal Oftalmomiyaz Olguları

Miyazların etken olduğu dermatolojik olgular seyahat hastalıklarının yaklaşık %20’sini oluşturmakta ve bu olguların yaklaşık %5’inde de oküler tutulum görülmektedir. İnsanlarda görülen oküler enfestasyon olgularının çoğunda da etken olan Oestrus ovis (O. ovis) larvalarının konjunktiva tutulumu eksternal oftalmomiyaza neden olmaktadır. Temmuz ve Ekim aylarında, gözde hareket eden yabancı cisim hissi, yanma, batma, sulanma, kızarıklık ve göz kapağında şişlik şikayetleri ile Şırnak Devlet Hastanesi Göz Polikliniği’ne başvuran üç hastaya, konjunktiva üzerinden çıkarılan birinci dönem O. ovis larvalarına bağlı eksternal oftalmomiyaz tanısı konulmuştur. Larvaların çıkarılmasını takip eden birkaç gün içerisinde hastalardaki tüm semptomlar ortadan kalkmıştır. Küçükbaş hayvancılık faliyetlerinin yoğun olarak yapıldığı bölgelerde benzer göz şikayetleriyle başvuran hastalarda ayırıcı tanı olarak O. ovis’e bağlı oftalmomiyaz akılda tutulmalıdır

Diagnostics of intestinal parasites by light microscopy among the population of children between the ages of 4-12 in eastern Turkey

Intestinal parasitic infections are among important health problems in developing countries. In societies living in low socioeconomic conditions, it has been neglected and mostly affects children. It is important to determine the prevalence and type of intestinal parasites in order to determine the intervention strategies for these infections. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate intestinal parasite prevalence and IgE levels and the factors associated with the region in which the children population live, in Sirnak province, in the eastern of Turkey. A total of 357 symptomatic children aged 4 to 12 years, who were admitted to the Paediatric Polyclinic of Sirnak State Hospital, were examined prospectively. The collected stool samples were examined with direct wet-mount and concentration method under light microscope. In addition, total serum IgE levels were compared among 223 children with parasitic disease and 134 children without parasitic disease. One or more intestinal parasites were detected in 223 out of the 357 children participating in the study. The ratio of single, double, and triple parasitic infections in children was 32.5 %, 22.4 % and 7.6 %, respectively. The most common parasites determined in the study were Taenia spp. (39.9%), Enterobius vermicularis (38.6%) and Giardia intestinalis. (30 %). The difference between IgE levels determined in both groups was not regarded to be statistically significant. This study indicated that that intestinal polyparism is very common in children living in the province of Sirnak, which is located in the east of Turkey, neighbouring Iraq and Syria in the South. For this reason, sustainable control measures are urgently needed to improve personal hygiene and sanitation, to provide a healthy infrastructure and to improve the quality of existing water resources