Przegla̧d epidemiologiczny
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The National IHR Focal Point is a center set up by each Member State of the World Health Organization (WHO) in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005). The International Health Regulations (IHR) were adopted on 23 May 2005 at the World Health Assembly and entered into force since 15 June 2007 as the legal instrument designed to help protect all countries from uncontrolled international spread of diseases and other urgent public health threats. According to Article 2 of IHR the purpose and scope of these Regulations are to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade. ⋯ The task of the National IHR Focal Point in Poland is also the dissemination of WHO and ECDC notifications, including recommendation and risk assessment documents. The aim of this work is the review of WHO and ECDC notifications received by National IHR Focal Point in Poland in the period from 2010 to 2015 which were related to emerging infectious diseases not covered by routine vaccination programs or for which there are no effective vaccines that have occurred in the WHO European Region. The review includes verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O104: H4 infections, MERS-CoV infections, Ebola virus disease, malaria, dengue fever, West Nile fever, chikungunya and cholera.
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Evaluation of the epidemiological situation of imported malaria in Poland in 2013 compared to the data from previous years. ⋯ Despite a significant increase in the number of cases compared to previous years, the total number of imported malaria remains low. Persistent large number of delays in the diagnosis and a high percentage of severe malaria cases indicate the need to raise doctors awareness of the possibility of malaria incidence. Travelers should be also constantly reminded of the need to inform their GPs about the stay in the malaria endemic areas in the event of fever after returning.
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An analysis of HPV vaccination strategies and vaccination coverage in adolescent girls worldwide for the last eight years with regard to potential improvement of vaccination coverage rates in Poland. ⋯ Disparities in HPV vaccination coverage rates in adolescent girls worldwide may be due to different strategies of vaccination implementation between countries. Having compared to other countries, the low HPV vaccination coverage in Polish adolescent girls may result from the lack of funding at national level and the fact that vaccines are administered in a primary health care setting. A multidimensional approach, involving the engagement of primary health care and school personnel as well as financial assistance of government at national and local level and the implementation of media campaigns, particularly in regions with high incidence of cervical cancer, could result in an increase of HPV vaccination coverage rates in Poland.
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The aim of this paper was to assess the epidemiological situation of yersiniosis in Poland in 2013 against previous years. ⋯ Occurrence of a significantly higher number of yersiniosis cases during the third and fourth quarter of 2013 suggests the changes in seasonal distribution of infections in comparison to previous years. This may be related to a very low number of infections caused by serotype O8, reported in past years within the first half of the year. Maintaining a high percentage (47%) of a non-serotyped strains of Yersinia isolated from patients points to lack of serotyping in routine laboratory diagnostics. Reporting cases of extraintestinal yersiniosis from only few provinces may suggest that the real number of infections remains underreported.
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Infections with dengue virus are transmitted by mosquitoes. In tropical areas, it is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti while in countries with lower temperatures by Aedes albopictus. Since 2010, autochthonous cases of dengue are also reported in Europe. ⋯ Within the family Flaviviridae, cross-reactivity is reported, which may lead to the occurrence of false-positive results. In Poland, differential diagnosis with different Flavivirus species is of special importance as it is an endemic area for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Thus, data regarding history of patient's immunization against TBE or yellow fever should be also taken into consideration as important in interpretation of results of serological examination.