Sexually Transmitted Diseases as a Risk for Acquiring HIV Infection among the Population of Men Who Have Sex with Men--A Case-Control Study.

At the beginning of the 1980-ies, HIV infection and AIDS were described for the first time, this among the population of men who have sex with other men. Nearly thirty years later, the MSM population is still a population under heightened risk for acquiring HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. This study investigates sexually transmitted diseases as a risk for HIV infection.

Seroprevalence and entomological study on Chikungunya virus at the Croatian littoral.

During 2011-2012, a total of 1008 serum samples from randomly selected inhabitants of seven Croatian counties located on the Adriatic Coast were tested for the presence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) IgG antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence assay. Nine participants (0.9%) from four counties were found to be seropositive to CHIKV.

Dengue virus infection in Croatia: seroprevalence and entomological study.

During 2011-2012, a total of 1,180 sera samples were collected from residents of seven Croatian counties located on the Adriatic Coast and four counties in northeastern Croatia and tested for the presence of dengue virus (DENV) IgG antibodies using ELISA. Reactive samples were further tested by IFA. Seven samples (0.

[Epidemiology of viral hepatitis].

Understanding the country-specific epidemiology of disease, which may vary greatly among countries, is crucial for identifying the most appropriate preventive and control measures. An overview of the local epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Croatia is given in this paper. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B in Croatia is low (less than 2% HBsAg carriers in the general population).

First outbreak of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease in humans, Croatia, 2012.

Between September 6 and 21, 2012, seven human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) neuroinvasive infection were laboratory confirmed in Croatia. The median patient age was 62 years (range 48-77). Five patients presented with meningoencephalitis and two patients with meningoencephalitis followed by acute flaccid paralysis.

[West nile virus infection: re-emergent disease in Croatia].

West Nile virus (WNV) is a small, enveloped, spherical virus that belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, Japanese encephalitis serocomplex. Natural reservoirs of WNV are birds, and the main vectors are mosquitoes of the genus Culex. There are seven genetic lineages of WNV.

Demonstration of Usutu virus antibodies in horses, Croatia.

We report the first serological evidence of Usutu virus (USUV) infection in horses in Croatia. During 2011, 1380 horse serum samples from healthy animals were collected from six northern Croatian counties. All samples were first screened for West Nile virus (WNV) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Epidemiological patterns of tuberculosis in Croatia in the period 1996-2005.

The last comprehensive publication on tuberculosis in Croatia and the earliest impact of war, besides the yearly routine reports, was done in 1996 in Croatian. We were, therefore, interested to explore incidence trends and to highlight the early post-war tuberculosis epidemiological patterns in the next ten years period (1996-2005). A retrospective analysis of epidemiological data on all registered tuberculosis cases in Croatia searching the databases of 21 Croatian Public Health Institutes and the National Tuberculosis Registry was made.

Seroprevalence, risk factors, and hepatitis C virus genotypes in groups with high-risk sexual behavior in Croatia.

The seroprevalence, risk factors and genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in groups with high-risk sexual behavior (persons with multiple sexual partners, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and their clients and persons with sexually transmitted diseases) in seven Croatian cities were analyzed. A total of 821 participants without history of injecting drug use were included in the study. Anti-HCV prevalence among risk groups varied from 2.

Risk behaviors for getting HIV infection among the Croatian men who have sex with men.

This study was conducted with the aim of obtaining the very first information on the sexual risk behavior of Croatian men who have sex with men (MSM). There were 1127 respondents recruited at four venues: three physical meeting places of the Croatian MSM population (disco club, bar and sauna) in Zagreb and one virtual (gay oriented web-site) meeting place of the Croatian MSM population. The overall response rate was only 19%.

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.

[An epidemic of trichinellosis in autumn 2004 in Slavonski Brod].

Trichinellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by a nematode Trichinella sp. Cases of Trichinella spiralis infection in Slavonski Brod were investigated. A total of 64 trichinellosis cases were notified to the Institute of Public Health, Brod-Posavska County between October and November 2004.

Epidemiology of HIV infection and AIDS in Croatia--an overview.

This article presents an overview of HIV/AIDS epidemiology and surveillance in Croatia 20 years after the first documented case of AIDS in the country. Here we describe strategies employed for HIV/AIDS surveillance in Croatia as well as preliminary results of HIV seroprevalence among most-at-risk populations (MARPs) research conducted by the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Service at the Croatian National Institute of Public Health (CNIPH). Croatia has a low incidence and prevalence of HIV and AIDS.

Mumps virus strains isolated in Croatia in 1998 and 2005: Genotyping and putative antigenic relatedness to vaccine strains.

Two mumps virus strains 9218/Zg98 and Du/CRO05 were isolated in two locations in Croatia in 1998 and 2005, respectively. Genetic characterization of these temporally distinct mumps virus isolates was carried out in order to determine their genotype and putative antigenic relatedness to mumps virus vaccine strains. Sequence analysis of the small hydrophobic (SH) gene revealed that isolate 9218/Zg98 shows less than 95% of similarity to any reference strain, thus representing a potential reference strain for a new genotype.

Q fever epidemic among employees in a factory in the suburb of Zadar, Croatia.

Aim: To examine the role of wind in the spread of Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) from the source of infection (sheep on the pastures) to the factory where there was an outbreak of Q fever among the employees.

Methods: We performed clinical (fever, coughing, myalgias, arthralgias), laboratory (complete blood test, aminotransferases, antibodies to Coxiella burnetii), radiographic (chest X-ray), and epidemiological (questionnaire) analysis on 47 of 110 employees of the plant in a suburb of Zadar. Sera of 182 sheep were tested for antibody to C.

[MHC tetramers: tracking specific immunity].

In an adaptive immune response, antigen is recognized by two distinct sets of highly variable receptor molecules: (1) immunoglobulins, that serve as antigen receptors on B cells and (2) the antigen-specific receptors on T cells. T cells play important role in the control of infection and in the development of protective immunity. These cells can also mediate anti-tumor effects and, in case of autoimmune syndromes, contribute to the development and pathology of disease.

[The variola virus as a biological weapon].

In view of the threat of use of the variola virus as a biological weapon, the interest of medical and other public in this causative agent that was eradicated in the wild at the end of the 1970s has increased. The paper gives an outline of the current knowledge on biological properties of the variola virus, and on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture and prophylaxis of the disease caused by this virus. Descriptions of two sudden smallpox epidemics (Germany in 1970 and former Yugoslavia in 1972) could illustrate the potential of the smallpox virus as a biological weapon in bioterrorism and biological warfare.

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.

Epidemiological analysis of tuberculosis in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia during 1901-1910.

Aim: To analyze data on epidemiology and treatment of tuberculosis from the sources related to the history and epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia in the 1900-1910 period.

Methods: Epidemiological data were obtained from the statistical yearbooks of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia for years 1905 and 1910. A number of sources and publications on the history of medicine, especially on the history of tuberculosis in the studied period were analyzed.