The Official Journal of the Turkish Society Of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (KLİMİK)
Measles is a highly contagious, airborne, acute febrile disease caused by an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Morbillivirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family. It typically presents [...] Read More
Immunosuppressive drugs are increasingly used in the treatment of rheumatologic diseases to achieve disease remission, reduce the frequency of attacks, and prevent relapses. Since the late 1990s, advancements in molecular biology, immunology, and pharmaceutical technologies have led to various new treatment approaches for autoimmune-associated inflammatory diseases. Read More
Colistin is an effective drug against aerobic Gram-negative organisms, which are often the primary cause of potentially fatal infections. These pathogens include Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and other Enterobacteriaceae, as well as carbapenem-resistant [...] Read More
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represent major threats to global health. The global increase in AMR is primarily attributed to unnecessary or inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals. Antibiotics, unlike other drugs, are a valuable resource that requires [...] Read More
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common yet largely preventable through adherence to evidence-based guidelines. In 2005, Türkiye implemented a national infection control program, which led to significant reductions in HAI rates, including a 50% decrease in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) between 2008 and 2017. This result was in parallel with data from [...] Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound negative impact on global human health, due to both direct harmful effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the associated superinfections. Notably, two mold infections—aspergillosis and mucormycosis—have been observed in affected patients. Read More
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a disease that causes serious morbidity and mortality and can affect multiple organ systems. The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) belongs to the Nairoviridae family within the order Bunyavirales, which comprises enveloped, negatively [...] Read More
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus that infects humans exclusively. It is classified within the Papillomaviridae family and replicates in skin and mucosal epithelial cells. Human papillomavirus is regarded as one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted viral infections, having the capacity [...] Read More
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. Epidemiologically and molecularly, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a circular, double-stranded DNA virus known to cause chronic infections and is the primary cause of cervical cancer. Other cancers associated with HPV include vulvar[...] Read More
In recent decades, fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) have increased significantly. Of more than 100,000 identified fungal species, approximately 10 to 15% are responsible for implicated fungal-related neurological diseases. A significant clinical manifestation of fungal infections of the CNS is meningitis, a serious condition marked [...] Read More
Antibiotic resistance has become a significant public health concern, primarily due to irrational antibiotic use. Healthcare and antimicrobial stewardship depend on using antibiotics correctly for several reasons. In the first place, adhering to the prescribed dosage ensures that the body receives the right amount of antibiotics to treat [...] Read More
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), led to significant hospitalizations and mortality globally from 2019 to 2021. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 776 million COVID-19 cases and more than 7 million COVID-19-related deaths have been reported to date. Although [...] Read More
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with a wide clinical spectrum ranging from mild to moderate illness to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. Approximately 25% of patients with COVID-19-related ARDS required mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure and were treated in intensive [...] Read More
The straightforward way to keep the course of the pandemic under control is herd immunity, which is established with a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). There is a need to develop appropriate laboratory tools to predict the efficacy of vaccines and evaluate the post-vaccination immune response. Read More
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Streptococcus agalactiae, is generally found as a colonizer of the genital and gastrointestinal tracts, and vertical transmission from colonized mothers to newborns during childbirth can result in serious infections. This bacterium is a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in neonates and is also associated with several invasive and non-invasive [...] Read More
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA belonging to the family Herpesviridae and subfamily Betaherpesvirinae. CMV seropositivity rate in Turkiye varies between 85% and 100% . Following primary infection, CMV remains latent for life in myeloid cells, such as monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. It can reactivate when [...] Read More
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, typically presents with mild to moderate course in the majority of infected individuals. During the pandemic, nearly 30% of patients required hospitalization, and a subset developed a severe disease characterized by respiratory failure and needed intensive care support. Read More
Healthcare-associated infections are frequently encountered in intensive care units (ICUs), with more than 30% of all ICU admissions having an infection. For decades, antibiotics have provided an effective treatment for infectious diseases. Since most antibiotic resistance is caused by misuse or abuse of antibiotics, one of the strategies that could [...] Read More
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are accepted as one of the most important challenges in hospital settings. They cause extended lengths of stay -at the hospital, threatening patient safety, increasing the rate of morbidity and mortality, raising the workforce of healthcare workers and accelerating antimicrobial resistance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), [...] Read More
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped, single-stranded, positive polarity RNA virus from the Flaviviridae family. It is part of the Hepacivirus genus, wrapped in a lipid bilayer containing two viral glycoproteins (E1 and E2). HCV infection is a major public health problem that can lead to complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Approximately 85% of people [...] Read More