[Virologic and epidemiological characteristics of non-polio infection in Croatia over a ten-year period (2000-2009)].

Aim: The aim of the present study was to show the virologic and epidemiological characteristics of non-polio enterovirus (NPEV) infection over a ten-year period in Croatia.

Methods: During the 2000-2009 period, the Laboratory for Enteroviruses, Croatian Public Health Institute analyzed 2754 clinical samples collected from 1880 patients with a clinical picture of enteroviral infection. The diagnosis of enteroviral infection was confirmed by virus isolation in cell culture.

[Epidemiology of allergic diseases].

The article gives a critical review of the main epidemiological features of allergic diseases, their frequency, distribution and etiologic background as well as the possibilities of prevention and control, based on current literature. Statistical data for Croatia, collected by the Croatian National Institute of Public Health, are used to present actual epidemiological situation in Croatia. Basic descriptive epidemiological methods were used to express age and sex distribution, etc.

Outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease caused by Coxsackie A16 virus in a childcare centre in Croatia, February to March 2011.

We describe an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in a childcare centre in a district of Zagreb county, north-west Croatia. A total of eleven cases of HFMD occurred in the childcare centre and another nine were reported from nearby areas in the district. Coxsackie A16 virus was diagnosed in 13 clinical specimens obtained from 11 symptomatic and asymptomatic children.

Autochthonous dengue fever in Croatia, August-September 2010.

After information about a dengue case in Germany acquired in Croatia, health professionals and the public in Croatia were alerted to assess the situation and to enhance mosquito control, resulting in the diagnosis of a second case of autochthonous dengue fever in the same area and the detection of 15 persons with evidence of recent dengue infection. Mosquito control measures were introduced. The circumstances of dengue virus introduction to Croatia remain unresolved.

Clinical and molecular characterization of a parechovirus type 1 outbreak in neonates in Croatia.

During July 2009 an outbreak in neonates represented with gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms was observed at the Neonatal Postintensive Care Unit, Clinical Hospital Center, Zagreb. Human parechovirus type 1 (HPeV1) was isolated from seven patients, one of whom was asymptomatic. All but one were premature neonates with serious underlying conditions, and all recovered fully after several days.

Spotlight on measles 2010: excretion of vaccine strain measles virus in urine and pharyngeal secretions of a child with vaccine associated febrile rash illness, Croatia, March 2010.

We describe excretion of measles vaccine strain Schwarz in a child who developed a febrile rash illness eight days after primary immunisation against measles, mumps and rubella. Throat swabs and urine specimens were collected on the fifth and sixth day of illness, respectively. Genotyping demonstrated measles vaccine strain Schwarz (genotype A).

[Guidelines for prevention, control and treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)].

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen throughout the world, and in Croatia as well. Therefore it was decided to develop guidelines with the aim to reduce the number of patients infected/colonized with MRSA in healthcare facilities and in nursing homes in Croatia, consequently reducing MRSA-related morbidity and mortality. An interdisciplinary team of experts developed these guidelines using existing international guidelines from different countries, and literature reviews about prevention, control, treatment and laboratory diagnosis of MRSA infections.

Transmission of the L-Zagreb mumps vaccine virus, Croatia, 2005-2008.

We report on three cases of symptomatic transmission of the L-Zagreb mumps vaccine virus from three vaccinated children to five adult contacts. The five contact cases were parents of the vaccinated children and presented with parotitis and in one case also with aseptic meningitis. The etiology of the contacts' illness was determined by viral culture, genomic sequencing, serology and epidemiological linking.

Vaccine regulations in Croatia.

In this paper legal prerequisites for vaccine licensure in Croatia are discussed. The Croatian legislation concerning vaccine licensing, marketing authorisation and utilization is reviewed. The procedures for including a vaccine into the Mandatory Childhood Vaccination Programme are also discussed with focus on Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

[Epidemiologic characteristic of hepatitis B in the Splitsko-Dalmatinska County].

Epidemiologic characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the Split-Dalmatia County and in Croatia as a whole from January 1, 1994 till December 31, 2003 were analyzed. The mean number of hepatitis B cases was 28 (morbidity rate 6.03 per thousand) in the Split-Dalmatia County and 208 (morbidity rate 4.

[The biggest epidemic of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Croatia].

Introduction: The largest outbreak of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) to date occurred in Croatia in the year 2002. The epidemic started in winter, lasted throughout spring to summer months, ending not earlier than November.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the basic epidemiologic and clinical features of HFRS in Croatia by uniform and standardized prospective-retrospective analysis of all patients affected by the epidemic.

Role of epidemiologic information system in sudden death prevention among Croatia's haemodialysis patients.

The main aim of Croatia's epidemiological information system is to enable the monitoring of infectious diseases as well as to enable necessary interventions. Its 24-hour epidemiologic alert mechanism made it possible for initial reports of sudden death clusters in haemodialysis units to reach epidemiologists on the night of 12 October 2001. The alert about the sudden deaths among haemodialysis patients in two hospitals has prompted us to do an epidemiological inquiry during that night and early the next morning.

Relationship of anemia to Balkan endemic nephropathy.

Anemia has been reported to be an early sign of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) occurring before the serum creatinine is elevated. This study was designed to determine if anemia occurred more frequently in an otherwise 'healthy' population living in an area where BEN is endemic when compared to a control population. Also, we wished to determine if any relationship existed between anemia and beta 2-microglobulinuria (beta 2mu) in these populations.

A fifteen year cohort based evaluation of beta 2-microglobulin as an early sign of Balkan endemic nephropathy.

The occurrence of elevated urinary beta 2-microglobulin (U beta 2m) has been established to be more common in village populations living in areas where BEN is endemic when compared to appropriate control population. In addition, beta 2-microglobulinuria is associated with BEN. It has been demonstrated that there is an increase in the U beta 2m in apparently healthy populations located in high risk areas.

Beta 2-microglobulin studies in endemic Balkan nephropathy.

The diagnosis of BEN and its differentiation from other chronic interstitial nephropathies are difficult because of the insidious onset as well as nonspecific morphological changes in the kidney. Early diagnosis of this disease is by clinical and laboratory findings which have not been universally accepted. This study was designed to determine if the frequency of increased urinary beta 2-microglobulin (U beta 2m) in village populations at risk to develop BEN was significantly higher than that seen in a control population.

[Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Croatia: incidence of infection in human and wild animal reservoirs].

On the territory of Lika and Gorski Kotar a group of 300 forest workers and 260 persons from the general population were screened for Hantavirus antibodies (by the indirect immunofluorescence test). In the first group of examenees a mean of 1.6% were found positive, ranging from 0% (Gospić) to 3.

[Epidemiology of enteroviral meningitis in Croatia 1958-1988 with special emphasis on the great epidemic of 1988].

In 1988, there was a large outbreak of enteroviral meningitis in the Republic of Croatia and in other parts of Yugoslavia as well. A total of 4079 cases of enteroviral meningitis were registered with one fatal outcome (Mb 8.7 0/ooo).

[An epidemic of legionnaires' disease in a hotel].

An outbreak of legionnaires' disease and epidemic control measures taken at one of our hotels are described. Twenty (1% morbidity) hotel guests were affected with one dying. As a result of field investigations and survey the hot water supply system has been identified as the source of infection.

[Reactivity and immunogenicity of Engerix B, the recombinant DNA vaccine against hepatitis B].

A group of 67 health workers with no markers indicating previous hepatitis B infection were vaccinated against hepatitis B with a new DNA recombinant vaccine, Engerix B (commercially manufactured by Smith-Kline-RIT, Belgium). Three injections were given according to the 0-1-6 schedule. One month after the last injection the vaccinees were tested for anti-HBs antibodies by the enzyme-linked assay.

Characteristics of proteinuria in endemic nephropathy.

Subjects living in the endemic area of Posavina round Slavonski Brod have a significantly greater incidence of proteinuria (13.6%) than those living under the same conditions in the area where endemic nephropathy has not been observed (5.5%).

Small terrestrial mammals as reservoirs of leptospires in the Sava Valley (Croatia).

Small mammals trapped in seven sites along the river Sava in Croatia were examined for leptospiral infection by renoculture and serological methods. Of the 1749 animals caught 702 were examined by renoculture method and 626 were tested by microagglutination-lysis. The dominant animals species caught were Microtus arvalis (672 animals) and Apodemus agrarius (552 animals).