Epidemiological characteristics of invasive meningococcal disease in the Split-Dalmatia County 1996-2010.

The aim of this paper is to present epidemiological features of reported patients with invasive meningococcal disease in the Split-Dalmatia County in the period from January 1996 to December 2010. During the 15-year period (1996-2010), a total of 119 patients were reported to have invasive meningococcal disease, yielding a mean annual incidence rate of 1.7/100,000 inhabitants.

[Tick-borne diseases in the Republic of Croatia].

This study analyses occurence, trendline, occurence by months and geographical distribution of tick-transmitted diseases: Lyme borreliosis, Tick-borne meningoencephalitis (TBM) and Mediterranean spotted fever in the Republic of Croatia in the period between 1999 and 2008. The vector for Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne meningoencephalitis is Ixodes ricinus, while Mediterranean spotted fever is transmitted by the Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Lyme disease is endemic in entire continental Croatia and Croatian littoral.

[Childhood tuberculosis: an ancient disease in the youngest generation in the 21st century from epidemiological point of view].

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) has distinct epidemiological and clinical features. TB burden in children worldwide and in Croatia, the risk of infection and disease, as well as disease characteristics, sources of infection in children, diagnostic difficulties, impact of HIV on pediatric tuberculosis, limits of BCG-vaccine and program implications are discussed in this paper. Children younger than 15 years account for 15%-20% of global TB burden, which is often associated with severe TB-related morbidity and mortality.

Interactions between genetic variants in glucose transporter type 9 (SLC2A9) and dietary habits in serum uric acid regulation.

Aim: To investigate possible interactions between genetic variants in glucose transporter type 9 (SLC2A9) gene and dietary habits in serum uric acid regulation.

Methods: Participants for this study were recruited from two isolated Croatian island communities of Vis (n=918) and Korcula (n=898). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from the SLC2A9 gene (rs1014290, rs6449213, rs737267) were correlated with dietary habits and uric acid.

Common variants in SLC17A3 gene affect intra-personal variation in serum uric acid levels in longitudinal time series.

Aim: To investigate whether intra-personal variation in serum uric acid concentration is influenced by genes that were described to be associated with serum uric acid levels in cross-sectional studies.

Methods: The study included 92 participants from the isolated community of the Croatian island of Vis. For each participant, two uric acid concentration measurements were available, one from 2002 and one from 2003.

Occurence of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Croatia.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to show epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Croatia.

Methods: Analysis of data on reported visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases and description of the most common clinical manifestations of the disease was based on meta analysis of collected data.

Results: A total of 124 cases of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 1954 until the end of 2006.

Epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis in Croatia.

Objective: The goal was to show the epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis in Croatia.

Methods: Data on registered Lyme borreliosis cases were analyzed and the most common clinical manifestations of the disease, based on meta-analysis of the data collected, are described.

Results: A total of 3,317 cases were reported from 1987 to the end of 2003.

[Epidemiologic characteristic of hepatitis B in the Splitsko-Dalmatinska County].

Epidemiologic characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the Split-Dalmatia County and in Croatia as a whole from January 1, 1994 till December 31, 2003 were analyzed. The mean number of hepatitis B cases was 28 (morbidity rate 6.03 per thousand) in the Split-Dalmatia County and 208 (morbidity rate 4.

Detection and identification of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks collected in southern Croatia.

A total of 197 ticks belonging to four species (Haemaphysalis punctata, Hyalomma marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa and Dermacentor marginatus) collected in October 2000 from domestic animals in southern Croatia were examined for the presence of rickettsiae by molecular techniques. Specific sequences of the rickettsiae were detected in 25 (12.7%) of ticks tested.

Prevalence of antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae in the region of Split (southern Croatia).

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFG) was investigated by the indirect immunofluorescence assay in a sample of 1207 healthy residents of the central part of southern Croatia (eastern coast of Adriatic Sea). Sera obtained from subjects living in three different places of residency (urban, suburban and rural environs of the region) were tested. Overall 528 (43.