Successful vaccination policies for protection from bacterial meningitis are dependent on determination of the etiology of bacterial meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were obtained prospectively from children from 1 month to ≤18 years of age hospitalized with suspected meningitis, in order to determine the etiology of meningitis in Turkey. DNA evidence of Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis), Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), and Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In total, 1452 CSF samples were evaluated and bacterial etiology was determined in 645 (44.4%) cases between 2005 and 2012; N. meningitidis was detected in 333 (51.6%), S. pneumoniae in 195 (30.2%), and Hib in 117 (18.1%) of the PCR positive samples. Of the 333 N. meningitidis positive samples 127 (38.1%) were identified as serogroup W-135, 87 (26.1%) serogroup B, 28 (8.4%) serogroup A and 3 (0.9%) serogroup Y; 88 (26.4%) were non-groupable. As vaccines against the most frequent bacterial isolates in this study are available and licensed, these results highlight the need for broad based protection against meningococcal disease in Turkey.

The etiology of bacterial meningitis in Turkey changed after the implementation of conjugated vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) in the Turkish National Immunization Program (NIP). Administration of Hib vaccine and PCV-7 (7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) was implemented in NIP in 2006 and 2009, respectively. In 2011, PCV-7 was replaced with PCV-13. Meningococcal vaccines have not yet been included in Turkish NIP. This prospective study comprised 27 hospitals located in seven regions of Turkey and represented 45% of the population. Children aged between 1 month and 18 years who were hospitalized with suspected meningitis were included. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected, and bacterial identification was made according to the multiplex PCR assay results. During the study period, 994 children were hospitalized for suspected meningitis, and Hib (n = 3, 2.4%), S. pneumoniae (n = 33, 26.4%), and Neisseria meningitidis (n = 89, 71%) were detected in 125 samples. The most common meningococcal serogroup was MenB. Serogroup W comprised 13.9% (n = 5) and 7.5% (n = 4) of the meningococci in 2015 to 2016 and 2017 to 2018, respectively. Serogroup C was not detected. There were four deaths in the study; one was a pneumococcus case, and the others were serogroup B meningococcus cases. The epidemiology of meningococcal diseases has varied over time in Turkey. Differing from the previous surveillance periods, MenB was the most common serogroup in the 2015-to-2018 period. Meningococcal epidemiology is so dynamic that, for vaccination policies, close monitoring is crucial. IMPORTANCE Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is one of the most common life-threatening infections in children. The incidence and prevalence of ABM vary both geographically and temporally; therefore, surveillance systems are necessary to determine the accurate burden of ABM. The Turkish Meningitis Surveillance Group has been performing a hospital-based meningitis surveillance study since 2005 across several regions in Turkey. Meningococcus was the major ABM-causing agent during the 2015-to-2018 period, during which MenB was the dominant serogroup.

This is an observational epidemiological study to describe causes of bacterial meningitis among persons between 1 month and 18 y of age who are hospitalized with suspected bacterial meningitis in 7 Turkish regions. covering 32% of the entire population of Turkey. We present here the results from 2013 and 2014. A clinical case with meningitis was defined according to followings: any sign of meningitis including fever, vomiting, headache, and meningeal irritation in children above one year of age and fever without any documented source, impaired consciousness, prostration and seizures in those < 1 y of age. Single tube multiplex PCR assay was performed for the simultaneous identification of bacterial agents. The specific gene targets were ctrA, bex, and ply for N. meningitidis, Hib, and S. pneumoniae, respectively. PCR positive samples were recorded as laboratory-confirmed acute bacterial meningitis. A total of 665 children were hospitalized for suspected acute meningitis. The annual incidences of acute laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis were 0.3 cases / 100,000 population in 2013 and 0.9 cases/100,000 in 2014. Of the 94 diagnosed cases of bacterial meningitis by PCR, 85 (90.4%) were meningococcal and 9 (9.6%) were pneumococcal. Hib was not detected in any of the patients. Among meningococcal meningitis, cases of serogroup Y, A, B and W-135 were 2.4% (n = 2), 3.5% (n = 3), 32.9% (n = 28), and 42.4% (n = 36). No serogroup C was detected among meningococcal cases. Successful vaccination policies for protection from bacterial meningitis are dependent on accurate determination of the etiology of bacterial meningitis. Additionally, the epidemiology of meningococcal disease is dynamic and close monitoring of serogroup distribution is comprehensively needed to assess the benefit of adding meningococcal vaccines to the routine immunization program.

Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) diagnosis remains difficult because the clinical features overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). The study aims to highlight the clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of patients with MISC whose clinical manifestations overlap with or without KD. This study is a retrospective analysis of a case series designed for patients aged 1 month to 18 years in 28 hospitals between November 1, 2020, and June 9, 2021. Patient demographics, complaints, laboratory results, echocardiographic results, system involvement, and outcomes were recorded. A total of 614 patients were enrolled; the median age was 7.4 years (interquartile range (IQR) 3.9–12 years). A total of 277 (45.1%) patients with MIS-C had manifestations that overlapped with KD, including 92 (33.3%) patients with complete KD and 185 (66.7%) with incomplete KD. Lymphocyte and platelet counts were significantly lower in patients with MISC, overlapped with KD (lymphocyte count 1080 vs. 1280 cells × μL, p = 0.028; platelet count 166 vs. 216 cells × 10 3 /μL, p < 0.001). The median serum procalcitonin levels were statistically higher in patients overlapped with KD (3.18 vs. 1.68 µg/L, p = 0.001). Coronary artery dilatation was statistically significant in patients with overlap with KD (13.4% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.007), while myocarditis was significantly more common in patients without overlap with KD features (2.6% vs 7.4%, p = 0.009). The association between clinical and laboratory findings and overlap with KD was investigated. Age > 12 years reduced the risk of overlap with KD by 66% ( p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.217–0.550), lethargy increased the risk of overlap with KD by 2.6-fold ( p = 0.011, 95% CI 1.244–5.439), and each unit more albumin (g/dl) reduced the risk of overlap with KD by 60% ( p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.298–0.559). Conclusion : Almost half of the patients with MISC had clinical features that overlapped with KD; in particular, incomplete KD was present. The median age was lower in patients with KD-like features. Lymphocyte and platelet counts were lower, and ferritin and procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in patients with overlap with KD. What is Known: • In some cases of MIS-C, the clinical symptoms overlap with Kawasaki disease. • Compared to Kawasaki disease, lymphopenia was an independent predictor of MIS-C. What is New: • Half of the patients had clinical features that overlapped with Kawasaki disease. • In patients whose clinical features overlapped with KD, procalcitonin levels were almost 15 times higher than normal. • Lethargy increased the risk of overlap with KD by 2.6-fold in MIS-C pa...

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infectious agents, and the effectiveness of vaccine delivery programs will depend largely upon whether providers recommend vaccines. The objectives of this study were to examine pediatrician characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes associated with HPV and HPV immunization.

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Successful vaccination policies for protection from invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) dependent on determination of the exact serotype distribution in each country. We aimed to identify serotypes of pneumococcal strains causing IPD in children in Turkey and emphasize the change in the serotypes before and after vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) was included and PCV-13 was newly changed in Turkish National Immunization Program. Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were isolated at 22 different hospitals of Turkey, which provide healthcare services to approximately 65% of the Turkish population. Of the 335 diagnosed cases with S. pneumoniae over the whole period of 2008-2014, the most common vaccine serotypes were 19F (15.8%), 6B (5.9%), 14 (5.9%), and 3 (5.9%). During the first 5 y of age, which is the target population for vaccination, the potential serotype coverage ranged from 57.5 % to 36.8%, from 65.0% to 44.7%, and from 77.4% to 60.5% for PCV-7, PCV-10, and PCV-13 in 2008-2014, respectively. The ratio of non-vaccine serotypes was 27.2% in 2008-2010 whereas was 37.6% in 2011-2014 (p=0.045). S. penumoniae serotypes was less non-susceptible to penicillin as compared to our previous results (33.7 vs 16.5 %, p=0.001). The reduction of those serotype coverage in years may be attributed to increasing vaccinated children in Turkey and the increasing non-vaccine serotype may be explained by serotype replacement. Our ongoing IPD surveillance is a significant source of information for the decision-making processes on pneumococcal vaccination.

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