A Seroprevalence Study of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections in a Hospitalized Population in Romania, an Opportunity for a Better National Prevention and Control Strategy.

Background And Aims: The most recent prevalence data for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Romania came from an ESEN 2 study (2002), and from a Romanian population-based study performed in 2008. Most of the previous studies were regional and performed in specific groups (blood donors, pregnant women, institutionalized people, etc) and had limited representativeness at the national level, both for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The scarcity of prevalence data for HBV and HCV infection coming from the routine surveillance was also considered.

Risk factors associated with fatal influenza, Romania, October 2009-May 2011.

Background: Limited data are available from Central and Eastern Europe on risk factors for severe complications of influenza. Such data are essential to prioritize prevention and treatment resources and to adapt influenza vaccination recommendations.

Objectives: To use sentinel surveillance data to identify risk factors for fatal outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and among hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza.

Severe acute respiratory infections surveillance in Romania - is it any gain to public health?

Unlabelled: This article aims to present the operation and usefulness of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) surveillance in Romania. Material and methods : The information obtained from surveillance data analysis using Epilnfo program revealed a greater severity of influenza in the second post-pandemic season (2011/2012) compared to the previous one (2010/2011). Detected risk factors were evidence-based arguments for recommending preventive measures in certain population groups.

Two cases of infection with Bacillus anthracis, Romania, October 2011.

A cluster of two confirmed cases of anthrax were reported in October 2011 from a small village with a population of 3,400 people, in south-eastern Romania.One was a fatal case of cutaneous and anthrax meningoencephalitis, while the other had cutaneous anthrax. Both cases had been exposed to one Bacillus anthracis-infected cow via consumption of its meat or being involved in its slaughter.

Different transmission patterns in the early stages of the influenza A(H1N1)v pandemic: a comparative analysis of 12 European countries.

Following the emergence of a novel strain of influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico and the United States in April 2009, its epidemiology in Europe during the summer was limited to sporadic and localised outbreaks. Only the United Kingdom experienced widespread transmission declining with school holidays in late July. Using statistical modelling where applicable we explored the following causes that could explain this surprising difference in transmission dynamics: extinction by chance, differences in the susceptibility profile, age distribution of the imported cases, differences in contact patterns, mitigation strategies, school holidays and weather patterns.