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Introduction: Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been used frequently in the last decade as a fast and reliable method for the identification of microorganisms. The fact that only one gram-negative selective medium is recommended in this method causes problems in the diagnosis. There is no information in the scientific literature that Slanetz and Bartley (SB) agar used in the study can be used in MALDI-TOF MS to identify bacteria. Materials and Methods: In this study, it was aimed to compare the identification performance of enterococci isolated from drinking-use and lake waters in Van and its surroundings with blood agar by using MALDI-TOF MS method and to develop a simple and fast sample preparation method that increases this performance. For this purpose, 60 mains and 30 lake water samples were examined for six months. Results: The samples were studied by the membrane filtration method. The isolated enterococci were identified by MALDI-TOF MS method with the isolates taken directly from both blood agar and SB medium, which is a selective medium. The same results were obtained in the species determination in both media. According to these results, 35% of the mains water isolates were Enterococcus casseliflavus, 30% Enterococcus faecalis, 26.7% Enterococcus faecium, 6.6% Enterococcus hirae, 1.7% Enterococcus columbae, and 20% of lake water isolates E. casseliflavus, 40% E. faecalis, 36.7% E. faecium, 3.3% E. hirae, E. casseliflavus in mains water and E. faecalis in lake water are the most frequently isolated enterococci species. Conclusion: Determining that it can also be obtained from selective media such as SB agar, for which there is no data on its suitability for mass spectrometric identification, will contribute to the more effective and rapid use of MALDI-TOF MS in microbiology laboratories. In addition, it has been concluded that all the waters examined are exposed to a significant level of microbial contamination and pose a potential danger to public health. It has been revealed that the consumption of these waters may pose a potential health risk for immunocompromised patients and the elderly, as well as children.

Objective: Tularemia is a bacterial disease of humans, wild and domestic animals. Recently, an increase in human tularemia cases has been observed in many countries worldwide. This study aimed to calculate the incidence of tularemia cases in Muş, determine the seasonal distribution of cases, and describe the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of tularemia cases detected over a twelve-year period. Methods: Data from 162 patients diagnosed clinically and serologically with tularemia and admitted to health facilities in Muş province between 2011 and 2022 were retrospectively analysed. Results: In our study, among 162 tularemia patients with F. tularensis microagglutination test titres of 1/160 and above, the ratio of male and female cases was equal (50%), and the mean age was 24.51 years. In the twelve-year evaluation, there were two major epidemics, and the most cases were seen in 2018 with 37 cases. Most cases were observed in winter (38.3%) and autumn (25.3%). Oropharyngeal tularemia was the most common form (64.2%) among the cases evaluated. Similar disease was found in 33.3% of patients living in the same neighbourhood as the patients, and no mortality was observed in any of the patients. Conclusion: As the oropharyngeal form is the most common, contact with contaminated water should be questioned, rodent and tick populations should be monitored and detailed epidemiological studies should be conducted. We believe that hygiene and sanitation measures are important with regard to tularemia outbreaks.

Öz Purpose:The aim of this study as to compare microscopy and culture results of samples, determine drug resistance rates of the isolates, evaluate epidemiological relationship between the strains with ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR, OUT-PCR based on in house PCR technique. Materials and Methods: Direct microscopy and culture results of 2010 samples were analyzed. Drug sensitivity results were obtained from TULSA. The typing of isolates based on in house PCR was carried out in the microbiology laboratory of a faculty of medicine in a state university. Results: Of positive samples, 2.68% had Acid-resistant bacilli (ARB) positive + culture positivity, 2.93% had ARB positive and culture negative in smear, and 1.34% had ARB negative and culture positivity in smear. Resistance to primary antituberculous (anti-TB) drugs wasn't observed in 33 culture positive isolates, whereas resistance to one or more primary anti-TB drugs was observed in 9.09%. Single drug resistance was 3.03%, resistance to Isoniazid (INH) and INH critical drugs was 6.06%. Isolates were divided 3 groups by ERIC-PCR, 5 groups for OUT-PCR and 6 by RAPD-PCR. Conclusion: Positivity rates were low due to low rate of studied samples, negative samples taken during treatment process. Molecular techniques like ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR and OUT-PCR are easy, fast and inexpensive methods for the epidemiological typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in evaluating distinctions, similarities between origins. Amaç: Örneklerin mikroskopi ve kültür sonuçlarının karşılaştırılması, izolatların ilaç direnç oranlarının belirlenmesi, suşlar arasındaki epidemiyolojik ilişkilerin ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR, OUT-PCR ile ev içi PCR tekniğine dayalı olarak değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: 2010 numunenin direkt mikroskopi ve kültür sonuçları analiz edildi. İlaç duyarlılık sonuçları TULSA'dan elde edildi. İzolatların tiplendirilmesi, bir devlet üniversitesinin tıp fakültesinin mikrobiyoloji laboratuvarında, in house PCR yöntemi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular: Pozitif örneklerin %2.68'inde Aside dirençli basil (ARB) pozitif + kültür pozitifliği, yaymada %2.93'ünde ARB pozitif ve kültür negatif, yaymada %1.34'ünde ARB negatif ve kültür pozitifliği vardı. Kültür pozitif olan 33 izolatta primer antitüberküloz (anti-TB) ilaçlara direnç görülmezken, bir veya daha fazla primer anti-TB ilaca direnç %9.09'da gözlendi. Tek ilaç direnci %3.03, Isoniazid (INH) ve INH kritik ilaçlara direnç %6.06 idi. İzolatlar ERIC-PCR ile 3 gruba, OUT-PCR için 5 grup ve RAPD-PCR ile 6 gruba ayrıldı. Sonuç: Çalışılan numune oranının düşük olması, tedavi sürecinde alınan numunelerin negatif olması nedeniyle pozitiflik oranları düşüktü. ERIC-PCR, RAPD-PCR ve OUT-PCR gibi moleküler teknikler, kökenler arasındaki farklılıkları, benzerlikleri değerlendirmede Mycobacterium tuberculosis'in (MTB) epidemiyolojik tiplendirilmesi için kolay, hızlı ve ucuz yöntemlerdir.