The concentrations of maternal anti-RSV IgG antibodies were followed in 49 healthy newborns over the first six months of life. At birth, 41 mothers (83%) tested positive for anti-RSV IgG and all of their babies carried maternal anti-RSV IgG. Anti-RSV IgG positivity dropped to 73% at 1 month, 6% at 3 months, and 2% at 6 months. Between 3 and 6 months, 8% did acquire RSV infection, half of them as acute bronchiolitis and half as non-specific respiratory infection. All of the patients who acquired clinical RSV disease had an antibody concentration of <20 RU/ml which may be the cut off value for protection.

Aim: Clinical features and outcome of 36 patients with necrotizing pneumonia (NP) as well as 36 children with parapneumonic effusions (PPE) and 36 with severe control pneumonia (CP) were investigated. The mean age of the patients in the NP, PPE and CP groups were similar (3.8 ± 3.3 (mean ± SD), 4.2 ± 3.0 and 4.2 ± 3.0 y, respectively (p < 0.05)). The duration of symptoms at presentation were 11.9 ± 8.5, 9.2 ± 7.2 and 6 ± 3.6 d, respectively (p > 0.01). The diagnosis of NP was established by computerized tomography. The mean (mean ± SD) laboratory results in patients with NP revealed a white blood cell (WBC) count of 19 300 ± 8 700/mm³, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 71 ± 22mm/h, C-reactive protein (CRP) of 13.6 ± 11.7 mg/dl and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of 66 ± 132 U/L. The values of WBC, ESR, CRP and AST in the NP group were significantly higher than those of the other groups (p > 0.001). The duration of hospitalization in the NP, PPE and CP groups was 26 ± 9, 16 ± 6 and 10 ± 5d, respectively (p > 0.001). The number of febrile days was 8 ± 4, 4 ± 3 and 3 ± 3 (p > 0.001), and the duration of normalization of CRP was 14 ± 4, 11 ± 4 and 7 ± 3 d (p > 0.001), respectively. The average cost of treatment was US 3 476, 1 646 and 844, respectively (p > 0.001). Conclusion: All NP patients except two (94%) were complicated with PPE. The effusion in patients with NP and PPE was complicated with bronchopleural fistula (55% and 0%, respectively, p > 0.001). Surgical treatment was required in 66%, 8% and 0% in patients with NP, PPE and CP, respectively (p > 0.001). The mortality rate was 5.5%, 2.7% and 0% (p < 0.05).

Introduction: COVID-19-related anosmia is a remarkable and disease-specific finding. With this multicenter cohort study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of anosmia in pediatric cases with COVID-19 from Turkey and make an objective assessment with a smell awareness questionnaire. Material and Methods: This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted with pediatric infection clinics in 37 centers in 19 different cities of Turkey between October 2020 and March 2021. The symptoms of 10.157 COVID-19 cases 10–18 years old were examined. Age, gender, other accompanying symptoms, and clinical severity of the disease of cases with anosmia and ageusia included in the study were recorded. The cases were interviewed for the smell awareness questionnaire at admission and one month after the illness. Results: Anosmia was present in 12.5% (1.266/10.157) of COVID-19 cases 10-18 years of age. The complete records of 1053 patients followed during the study period were analyzed. The most common symptoms accompanying symptoms with anosmia were ageusia in 885 (84%) cases, fatigue in 534 cases (50.7%), and cough in 466 cases (44.3%). Anosmia was recorded as the only symptom in 84 (8%) of the cases. One month later, it was determined that anosmia persisted in 88 (8.4%) cases. In the smell awareness questionnaire, the score at admission was higher than the score one month later (P < 0.001). Discussion: With this study, we have provided the examination of a large case series across Turkey. Anosmia and ageusia are specific symptoms seen in cases of COVID-19. With the detection of these symptoms, it should be aimed to isolate COVID-19 cases in the early period and reduce the spread of the infection. Such studies are important because the course of COVID-19 in children differs from adults and there is limited data on the prevalence of anosmia.

Meningococcal carriage studies and transmission modeling can predict IMD epidemiology and used to define invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) control strategies. In this multicenter study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of nasopharyngeal Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage, serogroup distribution, and related risk factors in Turkey. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from a total of 1267 children and adolescents and were tested with rt-PCR. Nm carriage was detected in 96 participants (7.5%, 95% CI 6.1–9.0), with the peak age at 13 years (12.5%). Regarding age groups, Nm carriage rate was 7% in the 0–5 age group, was 6.9%in the 6–10 age group, was 7.9% in the 11–14 age group, and was 9.3% in the 15–18 age group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). The serogroup distribution was as follows: 25% MenX, 9.4% MenA, 9.4% MenB, 2.1% MenC, 3.1% MenW, 2.1% for MenY, and 48.9% for non-groupable. The Nm carriage rate was higher in children with previous upper respiratory tract infections and with a high number of household members, whereas it was lower in children with antibiotic use in the last month (p < 0.05 for all). In this study, MenX is the predominant carriage strain. The geographical distribution of Nm strains varies, but serogroup distribution in the same country might change in a matter of years. Adequate surveillance and/or a proper carriage study is paramount for accurate/dynamic serogroup distribution and the impact of the proposed vaccination.