Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a fatal demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that is caused by John Cunningham virus (JCV). It occurs almost exclusively in immunosuppressed individuals, for example, patients with AIDS and hematological and lymphoreticular malignancies. In this article, we present a review of the literature and 2 case reports with PML. The first report examines a 15-year-old male (who presented with dedicator of cytokinesis 8 deficiency) who was diagnosed as having PML based on characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions and a positive PCR for JCV in cerebrospinal fluid. He was transferred for bone marrow transplantation after stabilization with therapy of maraviroc and cidofovir. The second report examines a 6-year-old male who presented with encephalitis and was also diagnosed with AIDS. He was diagnosed with PML and started treatment with cidofovir. His clinical status and MRI findings deteriorated rapidly. In immunosuppressive patients who developed encephalopathy, JCV ought to be considered.

Understanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among health care personnel is important to explore risk factors for transmission, develop elimination strategies and form a view on the necessity and frequency of surveillance in the future. We enrolled 4927 health care personnel working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from 7 different regions of Turkey in a study to determine SARS Co-V-2 seroprevalence after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG was used. Seroprevalence and its association with demographic characteristics and possible risk factors were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prevalence in health care personnel tested was 6.1%. Seropositivity was more common among those who did not universally wear protective masks (10.6% vs 6.1%). Having a COVID-19-positive co-worker increased the likelihood of infection. The least and the most experienced personnel were more likely to be infected. Most of the seropositive health care personnel (68.0%) did not suspect that they had previously had COVID-19. Health surveillance for health care personnel involving routine point-of-care nucleic acid testing and monitoring personal protective equipment adherence are suggested as important strategies to protect health care personnel from COVID-19 and reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Objective: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging multi-drug resistant, opportunistic pathogen in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence, clinical features, antibiotic susceptibility, and treatment options of S. maltophilia infection among the healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the neonatal unit. Methods: In this study , the patients who were hospitalized in the NICU between January 2020 and December 2021 with S. maltophilia isolated from clinical samples were included. Demographic, clinic features, and microbiological findings of the patients were retrospectively evaluated by using the medical records. The samples (lower respiratory tract, urine, peritoneal fluid) were first examined microscopically by gram preparation and cultured. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed according to the recommendations of The European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) for TMP-SMX. Results: S. maltophilia was isolated in 38 clinical samples of the 20 patients who were hospitalized at the NICU between January 2020 and December 2021. A total of 40 % (n = 8) of samples from different patients were accepted as colonization. Ventilator-associated pneumonia was determined in 55 % (n = 11), and urinary tract infection in 5 % (n = 1). S. maltophilia -associated bacteremia was not detected in any of the cases. The TMP-SMX susceptibilities of the strains were as it follows: 3 (15 %) were resistant (R), 7 (28 %) were susceptible (S), and 10 (47 %) were susceptible-increased exposure (I). Three of these patients were given dual antibiotics therapy (levofloxacin plus TMP-SMX) and nine of them were given only TMP-SMX. The most common hospital-acquired infectious agents are Gram negative microorganisms (51 %), followed by coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), Staphylococcus aureus (24 %) and S. maltophilia (24 %). Conclusion: Increasing TMP-SMX resistance and specific drug and dosage-related problems in the neonatal unit are important problems in treatment management.

Although COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-2019) is observed to be milder in children, it has been observed that the symptoms continue for a long time in many people after the acute period of the disease, especially the multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MISC) that developed after COVID-19 with the progression of the pandemic. Although it was first defined by different names such as long COVID and post COVID in adults, it has been observed in studies that similar complaints such as cough, fatigue and difficulty in concentrating continue for a long time in children, just as in adults. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the status of long COVID in childhood. Our study included patients aged from one month to 18 years with moderate and severe symptoms who were hospitalized and discharged for SARS-CoV-2 infection in İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine between November 1, 2020 and November 1, 2021. A questionnaire form was created to learn about the complaints of the patients and their ongoing complaints. The patients/parents were called by phone and their complaints were recorded in the questionnaire. The patients were classified according to the definitions in the guidelines published by NICE, RCGP and SIGN. In total, 116 patients were included; 57.8% (n= 64) male, 42.5% (n= 49) female; 53.4% (n= 62) 0-9, 46.6% (n= 54) 10-18 years old. Comorbid conditions were found in 64 (55.2%) patients. The mean follow-up period was 5.90 ± 3.61 [min-max (1-12)] months; longest symptom durations: decrease in effort loss/fatigue 19.25 ± 74.56 (0-365) days, concentration difficulties 11.12 ± 49.75 (0-365) days, fatigue 9.61 ± 34.96 (0-365) days and cough were 8.34 ± 35.37 (0-365) days. The percentage of the patients who met the definition of subacute/ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 was 37.9% (n= 44). The most common symptoms were the decrease of effort capacity/fatigue 12.1% (n= 14) and the concentration difficulties 10.3% (n= 12) in subacute symptomatic patients. The percentage of patients matching the definition of chronic/post COVID-19 was 11.2% (n= 13). In the first year of the disease, ongoing complaints such as fatigue and concentration difficulties were observed in eight patients. The rate of concentration difficulties in the 10-18 age group was statistically significantly higher than the 0-9 age group (p= 0.037). In terms of other symptoms, no significant difference was found according to age, gender and concomitant disease status. Out of these, one patient was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus during the acute illness, and two patients were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis after COVID-19. A statistically significant difference was found in the rates of concentration disorders according to age groups with subacute/ongoing symptoms. Although only the hospitalized patients were included, fatigue and difficulty in concentration were among the most common ongoing symptoms in our study, similar to the literature, and they were seen to be more common in older children. It is important both for early diagnosis and awareness to follow up children with COVID-19 in terms of symptoms, not only in terms of prolonged symptoms but also in terms of new diseases.