Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
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Ann Agric Environ Med · Jan 2013
Study on tick-borne rickettsiae in eastern Poland. II. Serological response of the occupationally exposed populations.
A group of 150 persons living in the Lublin province of eastern Poland and occupationally exposed to tick bite were examined by the immunoenzymatic ELISA test for the presence of antibodies against tick-borne Spotted Fever Group (SFG) rickettsiae. The group consisted of 75 forestry workers employed in 3 forest inspectorates and 75 agricultural workers living in 2 villages. As a control group, 43 urban dwellers living in the city of Lublin and not occupationally exposed to tick bite were examined. ⋯ The frequencies of positive results in forestry workers varied significantly depending on place of work (χ(2) =11.271, p=0.00357). Similarly, the difference between the positive reactions in agricultural workers living in 2 villages proved to be significant (34.2% vs. 8.1%; p=0.0074). The obtained results indicate that people occupationally exposed to tick bite and living in the area of eastern Poland where over half of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks harbour SFG rickettsiae, are under significantly increased risk of infection with these rickettsiae.
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Heracleum Sosnowskyi was discovered in 1772 and described as a separate species in 1944 by I. P. Mandenova. ⋯ Contact with the plant, followed by sun exposure, may lead to the development of large blisters and symptoms of burns. Heracleum, in the event of consumption, is also harmful to farm animals, causing, among others, internal bleeding and diarrhea. Although the toxic properties of Heracleum have been known for many years, every summer people who had contact with the plant present at physicians of different medical specialties.
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Ann Agric Environ Med · Jan 2012
ReviewDesigner Drug (DD) abuse in Poland; a review of the psychoactive and toxic properties of substances found from seizures of illegal drug products and the legal consequences thereof. Part 1--cannabinoids and cathinones.
Faced with the rapidly growing increase of designer drug abuse, particularly amongst the younger generation, various legislative strategies are currently employed world-wide for tackling this problem - however with mixed results. The key issue is that the producers of DDs are able to either exploit existing legal substances intended for other uses, but which have been found to possess psychoactive properties, or to synthesise new psychoactive substances by introducing chemical modifications, often very minor ones, thereby avoiding the prohibited use of chemicals included on any banned lists. Some countries opt to ban new drugs as and when shown or considered to be harmful, while others introduce sweeping bans based on chemical structure. ⋯ This paper, in two parts, therefore aims to provide an up-to-date summary review of available scientific evidence on the harm caused by the six main chemical groupings of DDs found in drug seizures of illegal products recently made in Poland. The first part is devoted to Cannabinoids and Cathinones derivatives. Ensuing legislation can therefore be rapidly formulated to make the bans permanent as appropriate.
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Ann Agric Environ Med · Jan 2012
Inappropriate consumption of vitamins and minerals by pregnant women in Poland.
Women's daily nutrition should include proper amounts of vitamins, ingredients and fluids. The shortage or surplus of any ingredient can negatively affect the health condition of a mother or hera baby. ⋯ Results indicate insufficient knowledge of pregnant women about proper nutrition during pregnancy. Supplementing most vitamins and mineral components, beginning with a first pregnancy trimester, is necessary. Women at childbearing age must be educated about the necessity for proper nutrition during and before a pregnancy.
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Ann Agric Environ Med · Jan 2012
Risk of tick-borne diseases in various categories of employment among forestry workers in eastern Poland.
Among the zoonotic agents causing occupational diseases, those transmitted by ticks are very important, in particular the spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi which are the common cause of occupational Lyme borreliosis in forestry and agricultural workers. The objective of this study was an evaluation of the exposure of forestry workers employed at individual workplaces to infection with tick-borne pathogens (especially Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes), based on epidemiological investigation and serologic tests. Epidemiological studies covered 111 forestry employees from eastern Poland employed in 4 randomly-selected forest inspectorates which replied to questions in the area of epidemiology and prophylaxis of diseases transmitted by ticks. ⋯ Comparisons of the relationship between job category and the results of serologic study, expressed in BBU/ml, revealed that the serologic response was significantly greater in manual workers than in administrative workers (p=0.019). All other comparisons did not produce significant results. Therefore, providing a simple tweezer-like device to forest inspectorates seems to be an effective mean of protection against Lyme borreliosis and other tick-borne diseases.