Immunity to poliovirus among children and the elderly in north-east Italy.

Introduction: Italy and Europe were declared polio-free in June 2002, but increasing migration, even from undeveloped countries where polio still exists, may lead to a come-back of circulating poliovirus (PV) and infection in previously polio-free areas. It is consequently advisable to continue to monitor the immunity of the population in polio-free areas. The aim of this study was to assess the current prevalence of neutralizing antibodies in recently-immunized children and in elderly people who were never vaccinated.

[Total mercury levels in human milk from Italian mothers having not been particularly exposed to methyl-mercury].

Some researches have been carried out about the foetal and neonatal exposure to methylmercury among the epidemiological studies on the effects of the exposure to this compound with foodstuffs. From the whole of these studies it seems that newborns are particularly sensitive to organic mercury compounds. The health effects can also appear in newborn of mother without symptoms.