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Objective: Fabrics can become contaminated with high numbers of microorganisms that may be pathogenic to patients in a hospital setting and can play an important role in the chain of infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival of several clinical bacterial and fungal isolates on several fabrics commonly used in hospitals. Materials and Methods:Bacterial and fungal survival was tested on the following materials, each of which are commonly used in our hospital: 100% smooth cotton, 60% cotton-40% polyester, 100% wool and 100% silk. One isolate each of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Geotrichum candidum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cryptococcus neoformans, vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) positive Escherichia coli, inducible beta-lactamase (IBL) positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa, IBL-positive Acinetobacter baumannii and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were used to contaminate fabrics. The survival of these microorganisms was studied by testing the fabric swatches for microbial growth. Results:The median survival times for all the tested bacteria and fungi were as follows: 26 days on cotton, 26.5 days on cotton-polyester, 28 days on silk, and 30 days on wool. Among the bacterial species tested, E. faecium had the longest survival time on cotton-polyester fabrics. For the fungal isolates, it was observed that C. tropicalis and C. krusei survived for the shortest amount of time on cotton fabrics in the present study. Conclusion:This survival data indicate that pathogenic microorganisms can survive from days to months on commonly used hospital fabrics. These findings indicate that current recommendations for the proper disinfection or sterilization of fabrics used in hospitals should be followed to minimize cross-contamination and prevent nosocomial infections. Sonuç: Bu sonuçlar, patojen mikroorganizmaların hastanelerde sık-lıkla kullanılan kumaş türleri üzerinde günler, aylar gibi uzun süreler boyunca canlılıklarını devam ettirdiklerini göstermektedir. Dolayısıy-la bu çalışma; çapraz kontaminasyonu en aza indirmek ve hastane infeksiyonlarını önlemek için, hastanelerde kullanılan kumaş malzemelerin temizliği, dezenfeksiyonu veya sterilizasyonu için güncel önerilerin uygulanması gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır.

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Women colonized with group B Streptococcus (GBS) during pregnancy are at an increased risk of premature delivery, and GBS amniotic infection can result in intrauterine death. GBS also infects the newborn [1,2]. The vaginal flora of a healthy woman is composed of Doderlein bacilli. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a clinical condition caused by the replacement of these bacilli with high concentrations of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. GBS inhibits Lactobacillus species in vitro [3].The main goal of this study was to assess differences in the vaginal flora of pregnant women and provide a detailed evaluation of vaginal swab for the presence of GBS and other organisms.From January 2002 to February 2003, 150 healthy pregnant women were included in the study. Their meanFS.D. age was 26.1F6.7 years (range, 17-45 years) and pregnancy duration was 31.4F5.3 weeks (range, 22-40 weeks). Vaginal fluid samples were collected with cotton swabs. The swabs were Gram-stained and placed on appropriate media. Slides were then assessed according to the criteria of Nugent et al. [4].The participants were divided into two groups. The vaginal flora of women who were GBS carriers was compared with the flora of those who had cultures negative for GBS. Comparisons were performed using the v 2 test or the Fisher exact test. Of the 150 participants, 41 (27.3%) tested positive for GBS and 109 (72.7%) tested negative. In the GBSpositive group, 127 bacterial strains were identified and Candida species were isolated the most frequently in that group ( Pb0.001). In the GBSnegative group, 168 strains were identified and Escherichia coli was the organism the most frequently isolated, followed by methicillin-sus-

Obesity potentially arising from viral infection is known as 'infectobesity'. The latest reports suggest that adenovirus-36 (Adv36) is related to obesity in adults and children. Our aim was not only to determine the Adv36 seropositivity in both obese and non-obese children and adults, but also to investigate correlations between antibody positivity and serum lipid profiles. Both Adv36 positivity and tumour-necrosis-factor-alpha, leptin and interleukin-6 levels were detected in blood samples collected from 146 children and 130 adults by ELISA. Fasting plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were also measured. Adv36 positivity was determined to be 27·1% and 6% in obese and non-obese children and 17·5% and 4% in obese and non-obese adults, respectively. There was no difference with regard to total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, tumour-necrosis-factor-alpha and interleukin-6 levels (P > 0·05). However, there was a significant difference between groups in terms of leptin levels (P < 0·05). We determined the prevalence of Adv36 positivity in obese children and adults. Our results showed that Adv36 may be an obesity agent for both adults and children, parallel with current literature data. However, the available data on a possible relationship between Adv36 infection and obesity both in children and adults do not completely solve the problem.