Impact of unfounded vaccine safety concerns on the nationwide measles-rubella immunization campaign, Georgia, 2008.

Vaccine safety fears following media reports of adverse events led to low (50.3%) coverage in a supplementary measles-rubella immunization campaign in Georgia in 2008. Review of adverse events associated with the campaign identified 432 reports (<0.

Ongoing measles and rubella transmission in Georgia, 2004-05: implications for the national and regional elimination efforts.

Background: In 2004-05, Georgia experienced large-scale concurrent measles and rubella outbreaks. We analysed measles and rubella epidemiology in Georgia to describe disease trends, determine the cause of the outbreaks, identify challenges to achieving disease elimination goals and propose interventions to overcome them.

Methods: We reviewed national measles and rubella surveillance and vaccination coverage data, focusing on the 2004-05 outbreaks, and conducted a measles vaccine effectiveness (VE) study using data from a 2004 school-based outbreak.

Rabies control and prevention in Georgia: current status and perspectives.

The incidence of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is very high in Georgia, at 876/100,000 persons in 2006. Data from the National Centre for Disease Control on rabies surveillance for 2004, 2005 and 2006 was analysed, with the objective of improving postexposure policy and practice, as well as identifying priorities for national surveillance and control. For the base period 1986-1995, a total of 40 rabies cases in humans were reported in Georgia.

Investigation of an outbreak of amoebiasis in Georgia.

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, occurs worldwide and 12% of the world's population are estimated to be infected. The prevalence of infection varies between 1% in industrialised countries to between 50% and 80% in tropical countries, where tra

[The frequency of detection of markers of hepatitis virus B infection among the inhabitants of Rustavi, the Georgian SSR].

Blood serum samples from 1,087 patients with acute viral hepatitis were studied. HBsAg was detected in 36.6% of cases.