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3%) cases, respectively. Iron deficiency anaemia at 24 months was significantly associated with Ascaris lumbricoides infection (OR 3.76; 95 % CI, 1.08-13.11). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of anaemia and IDA in slum dwelling children of Dhaka is high and Ascaris lumbricoides infection was found to have a strong association with IDA at 24 months of age. Copyright (c) 2019 Md. Shabab Hossain, Subhasish Das, Md. Amran Gazi, Mustafa Mahfuz, Tahmeed Ahmed.INTRODUCTION Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) which develops without a known stimulation is defined as the occurrence of spontaneous wheals, angioedema or both for longer than six weeks. Infections, autoimmunity, food intolerance and internal parasitic infections are supposed to be underlying causes of CSU. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intestinal parasites in children and adult patients diagnosed as CSU, to determine the frequency of parasites in chronic urticaria, and to compare these patients with healthy demographic control groups. METHODOLOGY Seventy six children and 38 adult patients with CSU were examined in terms of parasitic infections. The patients whom parasites were detected received anti-parasitic therapy and the improvements in CSU symptoms were evaluated. Stool samples were examined with direct microscopic examination (native-lugol), stool concentration and trichrome staining methods. RESULTS In pediatric patient group, 18.4% (n = 14) of the stool samples were positive for Blastocystis sp., 2.6% (n = 2), Dientamoeba fragilis and 1.3% (n = 1), Giardia duodenalis. In adult patient group, Blastocystis sp. was detected in 18.4% (n = 7) of the stool samples. Anti-parasitic therapy yielded substantial improvement in urticaria symptoms in 57.1% of pediatric and 60.0% of adult patients. CONCLUSIONS Blastocystis sp. and D. fragilis may play a role in chronic urticaria which seriously disrupts the patient's quality of life. Parasitic infections should not be neglected in patients with cutaneous manifestations. Copyright (c) 2019 Filiz Kaya, Sedat Vezir, Emine Vezir, Nermin Karaosmanoglu, Ali Kudret Adiloglu.INTRODUCTION Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continues to cause frequent outbreaks in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Since healthcare workers (HCWs) have a higher risk of acquiring and spreading MERS-CoV, we aimed to evaluate the perceived risk and anxiety level of HCWs in Saudi Arabia regarding MERS. METHODOLOGY An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was sent online to HCWs at King Khalid University Hospital in Saudi Arabia. The total knowledge and anxiety scores were calculated. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of high anxiety scores. RESULTS Of 591 (70%) HCWs that responded, 284 (55%), 164 (32%), and 68 (13.2%) were physicians, nurses, and technicians, respectively. Physicians obtained a lower median knowledge score (6/9) compared to other professions (7/9). The mean anxiety score was similar for physicians and other HCWs (3/5); however, non-physicians expressed higher levels of anxiety toward the risk of transmitting MERS-CoV to their families, with an anxiety score of 4/5. The ability of the virus to cause severe disease or death was the most frequently reported reason for worry by physicians (89.7%) and non-physicians (87.2%). Overall, 80% of physicians and 90% of non-physicians reported improvement in adherence to hand hygiene and standard precautions while in hospital (p = 0.002). Concern over transmitting MERS-CoV to family members was the most predictive factor for anxiety among non-physician HCWs. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of HCWs expressed anxiety about the risk of acquiring MERS-CoV infection. Healthcare institutions need to develop an integrated psychological response for HCWs to the occupational and psychological challenge of MERS-CoV outbreaks. Copyright (c) 2019 Sarah Alsubaie, Mohamad Hani Temsah, Ayman Al-Eyadhy, Ibrahim Gossady, Gamal Hasan, Abdulkarim Al-rabiaah, Amr Jamal, Ali Alhaboob, Fahad Alsohime, Ali Mohammed Somily.INTRODUCTION In the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the first step is screening for anti-HCV antibodies, and positive results are generally confirmed with nucleic acid amplification tests. Recent studies have reported that more compatible results have been obtained with the HCV RNA test using signal to cut-off (S/Co) values >1, which are the routine reactivity threshold for the anti-HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test. The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate S/Co value for the anti-HCV test, predicting HCV infection. METHODOLOGY Comparisons were made between results of 559 patients who underwent anti-HCV with ECLIA method and HCV RNA tests with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. By accepting the HCV-RNA test as the gold standard for HCV infection, the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the ECLIA test were determined and statistical "receiver operating characteristic" (ROC) analysis was applied to determine the most appropriate threshold. RESULTS Between January 2013 and April 2018, a total of 81,203 serum samples were examined. Of 559 anti-HCV positive patients, HCV RNA positivity was determined in 214 (38.2 %). According to the ROC analysis results, the most appropriate S/Co value was determined as 12.27, at which sensitivity was 94.4 %, and specificity 97.4 %. The positive and negative predictive values were calculated at the high rate of 95.7% and 96.6% respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study investigating the anti-HCV reactivity values which could be used in the diagnosis of HCV infection determined the most appropriate value to be 12.27. Copyright (c) 2019 Ozlem Kirisci, Ahmet Caliskan.INTRODUCTION The goal of this study was to identify the profile of genital tract infections and their relationship with clinical and demographic parameters as well as tubal diseases among infertile women in Vietnam. METHODOLOGY In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we enrolled 597 women undergoing infertility treatment at the Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Hue University Hospital, Vietnam. All of the study participants were interviewed and examined by a gynecologist. Consecutive tests were then conducted including direct microscopy examination (wet mount and Gram stain), vaginal culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for chlamydia diagnosis from a cervical canal swab, and a blood test for syphilis detection. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) was carried out to examine the uterine cavity and Fallopian tubes. Levocarnitine propionate hydrochloride RESULTS A gynecologic infection was diagnosed in 43.4% (259/597) of the infertile women. Bacterial vaginosis was the most common condition at 19.6%of the cases. Candida spp., Chlamydia trachomatis, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections accounted for 17.