Mumps in the Czech Republic in 2013: Clinical Characteristics, Mumps Virus Genotyping, and Epidemiological Links.

Aim: The aim of the study was to map the incidence of mumps in the Czech Republic in terms of clinical symptoms, epidemiological links, and characteristics of circulating genotypes.

Methods: Patients with suspected mumps examined in the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Na Bulovce Hospital in 2013 were enrolled in the study. Buccal swab specimens were tested by means of nucleic acid detection (RT-qPCR) and when positive, they were cultured in tissue culture.

[A short history of infectious diseases since the fifties of the last century and the importance of vaccination].

Vaccination in the Czech lands has a long history; it begun during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1803 by vaccination against smallpox, and in the late 19th century by vaccination against rabies. In the second half of the 20th century, the basic vaccination included also other vaccines. Thanks to paediatricians, vaccination coverage of children was so high that in addition to the immunity of individuals the collective immunity was also significant.

Dengue fever in Czech travellers: A 10-year retrospective study in a tertiary care centre.

Background: Dengue fever is a frequent cause of morbidity in travellers. The objective was to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of dengue fever in Czech travellers.

Method: This descriptive study includes patients with acute dengue fever diagnosed at Hospital Na Bulovce during 2004-2013.

Presence of herpesvirus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tick-borne encephalitis and enteroviral meningoencephalitis.

Reactivation of HHVs in the CNS due to inflammation has not been well described yet. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of HHV DNA detection in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of immunocompetent patients with meningoencephalitis of other than HHV origin. The secondary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of herpesvirus co-infection on the clinical course and patient outcome.

Enteric fever imported to the Czech Republic: epidemiology, clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility.

The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological and clinical characteristics of imported enteric fever in Czech travellers and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains. Retrospective descriptive study included adult patients treated with enteric fever at Hospital Na Bulovce during January 2004-December 2012. A case of typhoid or paratyphoid fever was defined as isolation of Salmonella Typhi or Paratyphi from blood or stool.

[Dengue fever cases in Czech workers returning from the Maldives].

Aim: The objective of this study is to present epidemiological characteristics and clinical symptoms of dengue fever cases in Czech workers who acquired the infection while working on the island of Fushivelavaru, Maldives. Furthermore, the study compares the sensitivity of novel direct detection assays, i.e.

[Severe eosinophilia in a patient with clostridium colitis and gastric cancer].

A case of a 77-year-old male repeatedly hospitalized with the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile colitis associated with eosinophilia is presented. The percentage and number of eosinophils achieved maximal values (54 %, 5.4 times 1.

Pneumococcal urinary antigen positivity in healthy colonized children: is it age dependent?

Background: Pneumococcal urinary antigen test is a valuable tool for diagnosing pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis in adults. Its use in children is generally not accepted because of nonspecificity at this age. It is frequently positive in asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carriers.

[Phylogenetic analysis and genotyping of A/H3N2 Influenza viruses isolated from patients hospitalised with influenza-like illness symptoms in the na bulovce hospital in the season 2011/2012].

Influenza A virus is an important cause of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Clinical manifestations of ARI vary from mild or moderate to life-threatening conditions requiring intensive care. Given the segmented genome, a large natural reservoir of other influenza virus subtypes, and antibody selection pressure in the population, the virus is variable and genetically unstable.

Cytokines and chemokines as biomarkers of community-acquired bacterial infection.

Routinely used biomarkers of bacterial etiology of infection, such as C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, have limited usefulness for evaluation of infections since their expression is enhanced by a number of different conditions. Therefore, several inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were analyzed with sera from patients hospitalized for moderate bacterial and viral infectious diseases. In total, 57 subjects were enrolled: 21 patients with community-acquired bacterial infections, 26 patients with viral infections, and 10 healthy subjects (control cohorts).

Clinical and laboratory features of viral hepatitis A in children.

Recent outbreaks of viral hepatitis A in non-endemic European countries and the potential outbreak risk in susceptible populations has led us to evaluate the clinical characteristics of children hospitalised with hepatitis A. Retrospective study included 118 children (68 boys and 50 girls) with the mean age of 8.5 years hospitalised at Hospital Na Bulovce in Prague from June 2008 to June 2009.

The first case of fatal pneumonia caused by Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus in an infant in the Czech Republic.

Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus can cause severe skin and soft tissue infections and necrotizing pneumonia with a high mortality rate. This is a report on the first case of fatal pneumonia with mediastinitis in an infant in the Czech Republic. The causative agent was a methicillin-susceptible S.

[Microneutralization assay in the diagnosis of influenza infection].

Serology plays an important role in the diagnosis of influenza, particularly in the detection of post-vaccination and post-infection antibodies. When considering the range of diagnostic options, the serological method should be selected depending on the circumstances - whether single or paired serum samples are tested, whether adequate patient medical history data are available, whether epidemiological links are suspected, and, in particular, to what purpose the result will be used (differential diagnosis, post-infection follow-up, post-vaccination monitoring, etc.).

Electron microscopy in the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis in hospitalised children in the Czech Republic.

Our study has been aimed at demonstrating the main role of viruses in the aetiology of acute gastroenteritis in children less than 5 years old and at pointing out the diagnostic potential of electron microscopy in the diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis. A prospective study was conducted to analyse the aetiology of diarrhoeal diseases in children less than 5 years of age admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases between September 2006 and December 2008. All children were tested by faecal culture, latex agglutination and electron microscopy.

[Listeriosis in pregnant women and newborns in Czech Republic].

Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in nature, being commonly present in faecal flora of otherwise healthy human population or animals. Clinical manifestation of listeria infection may vary widely from mild to invasive, life-threatening disease. In an immunocompromised host, a rather serious course should be expected.

Tetanus and Pertussis vaccines: their usefulness in the aging population.

Immunization is a safe, effective and simple way of preventing life-threatening tetanus infection in children and adults, and is therefore recommended for all age groups in all European countries. In older persons, despite waning immunity with increasing age, the majority of vaccinees attain protective tetanus immunity under a proper vaccination schedule. Based on the scientific evidence, decennial boosters are recommended for elderly persons who have received primary tetanus vaccination in the past.

Examination of specific DNA by PCR in patients with different forms of Lyme borreliosis.

Background: Borrelial specific DNA was examined in a group of 62 patients with different forms of Lyme borreliosis (LB) (32 patients suffered from neuroborreliosis, 19 manifested erythema migrans, and 11 joint involvement).

Methods: Nested-PCR system with five newly derived primers was used in parallel. The study was organized prospectively, the presence of DNA was tested for plasma, CSF, joint fluid and urine before treatment, and plasma, joint fluid and urine were examined after treatment.