Hepatitis C in several risk groups: Literature review

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of hepatitis C in selected risk groups such as haemodialysis patients, pregnant women, healthcare workers, HIV-HCV co-infected patients, patients with mental health diseases and piercing and tattoo procedures. Furthermore, it aimed at evidencing common transmitting routes and highlighting the importance of preventive measures among these groups.   Methods: The literature review was conducted using online databases (Medline) with search query involving the keyword “hepatitis C” in conjunction with keywords describing risk groups such as "dialysis", or "haemodialysis", or "pregnancy", or "pregnant", or "mental health", or "tattoo", or "piercing", or "HIV", or "health professionals”.   Results: After assessing all the retrieved publications, 39 of them were considered for inclusion: 17 on haemodialysis patients, 7 on pregnant women, 8 on HIV-HCV co-infection and 7 publications on health professionals, patients of mental health wards and piercing and tattoo procedures. The high rate of hepatitis C is still a high problem and in some cases it is considered as a new issue, as in the case of pregnancy. Some of the transmission routes have been identified earlier, such as the HIV-HCV co-infection but some, such as piercing and tattoo, are becoming new transmission routes. Health professionals are still identified as high risk group while mental health patients are a potentially high risk group.   Conclusion: Even though some patients are routinely screened for hepatitis C, there are indications for performing such a routine test in other groups. In almost all of the risk groups, it is advocated to use stricter preventive measures and to disseminate knowledge on risks of hepatitis C.   Conflict of interest: None declared

Hepatitis C in several risk groups: Literature review

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of hepatitis C in selected risk groups such as haemodialysis patients, pregnant women, healthcare workers, HIV-HCV co-infected patients, patients with mental health diseases and piercing and tattoo procedures. Furthermore, it aimed at evidencing common transmitting routes and highlighting the importance of preventive measures among these groups.   Methods: The literature review was conducted using online databases (Medline) with search query involving the keyword “hepatitis C” in conjunction with keywords describing risk groups such as "dialysis", or "haemodialysis", or "pregnancy", or "pregnant", or "mental health", or "tattoo", or "piercing", or "HIV", or "health professionals”.   Results: After assessing all the retrieved publications, 39 of them were considered for inclusion: 17 on haemodialysis patients, 7 on pregnant women, 8 on HIV-HCV co-infection and 7 publications on health professionals, patients of mental health wards and piercing and tattoo procedures. The high rate of hepatitis C is still a high problem and in some cases it is considered as a new issue, as in the case of pregnancy. Some of the transmission routes have been identified earlier, such as the HIV-HCV co-infection but some, such as piercing and tattoo, are becoming new transmission routes. Health professionals are still identified as high risk group while mental health patients are a potentially high risk group.   Conclusion: Even though some patients are routinely screened for hepatitis C, there are indications for performing such a routine test in other groups. In almost all of the risk groups, it is advocated to use stricter preventive measures and to disseminate knowledge on risks of hepatitis C.   Conflict of interest: None declared

Tularemia Outbreak Investigation in Kosovo: Case Control and Environmental Studies

A large outbreak of tularemia occurred in Kosovo in the early postwar period, 1999-2000. Epidemiologic and environmental investigations were conducted to identify sources of infection, modes of transmission, and household risk factors. Case and control status was verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and microagglutination assay. A total of 327 serologically confirmed cases of tularemia pharyngitis and cervical lymphadenitis were identified in 21 of 29 Kosovo municipalities. Matched analysis of 46 case households and 76 control households suggested that infection was transmitted through contaminated food or water and that the source of infection was rodents. Environmental circumstances in war-torn Kosovo led to epizootic rodent tularemia and its spread to resettled rural populations living under circumstances of substandard housing, hygiene, and sanitation

Seasonal and inter-seasonal RSV activity in the European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic from autumn 2020 to summer 2022

© 2023 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Background: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in early 2020 and subsequent implementation of public health and social measures (PHSM) disrupted the epidemiology of respiratory viruses. This work describes the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) observed during two winter seasons (weeks 40–20) and inter-seasonal periods (weeks 21–39) during the pandemic between October 2020 and September 2022. Methods: Using data submitted to The European Surveillance System (TESSy) by countries or territories in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region between weeks 40/2020 and 39/2022, we aggregated country-specific weekly RSV counts of sentinel, non-sentinel and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance specimens and calculated percentage positivity. Results for both 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons and inter-seasons were compared with pre-pandemic 2016/17 to 2019/20 seasons and inter-seasons. Results: Although more specimens were tested than in pre-COVID-19 pandemic seasons, very few RSV detections were reported during the 2020/21 season in all surveillance systems. During the 2021 inter-season, a gradual increase in detections was observed in all systems. In 2021/22, all systems saw early peaks of RSV infection, and during the 2022 inter-seasonal period, patterns of detections were closer to those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: RSV surveillance continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial reduction in transmission, followed by very high and out-of-season RSV circulation (summer 2021) and then an early start of the 2021/22 season. As of the 2022/23 season, RSV circulation had not yet normalised.Peer reviewe

Surveillance of tularaemia in Kosovo*, 2001 to 2010

Tularaemia, caused by Francisella tularensis, had not been registered in Kosovo* before an outbreak in 1999 and 2000. A national surveillance system has been implemented in Kosovo* since 2000 to monitor a number of diseases, including tularaemia. Antibody detection in human sera was used for laboratory diagnosis of tularaemia and F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide antigen was used as a marker of infection. The purpose of this study is to describe the incidence of tularaemia in Kosovo* after the 1999–00 outbreak. In 2001 and 2002, a second outbreak occurred, with 327 serologically confirmed cases. From 2001 to 2010, 25–327 cases were registered per year, giving a mean annual incidence of 5.2 per 100,000 population. The most likely sources of infection were contaminated drinking water and food. The dominant clinical manifestations were the glandular (79%) and ulcero-glandular (21%) forms. By 2010, the disease had spread throughout Kosovo*. Presumably as a result of war and subsequent environmental disruption, mass population displacement and breakdown of sanitation and hygiene, the two major outbreaks of tularaemia resulted in the establishment of an active endemic area of tularaemia in Kosovo*

Awareness and Knowledge of Physicians on Communicable Diseases Surveillance System in Kosovo, 2016

Surveillance of communicable diseases is one the main components of Public Health Priority of Kosovo health system. Epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases through the mandatory-reporting system is crucial in the planning and evaluation of disease control and prevention program. Study design: Qualitative survey in Health care institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary) Prishtina and Prizren region, and among epidemiologists working in NIPH/RCPH during October-November 2016. Sample size: Randomly sampled by a 2-stage process. Data were collected through self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis: SPSS v. 20.0 using Pearsons X2 test. In the study were samped 169 physicians in 16 public health institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary care) in the region of Prishtinë and Prizren and 19 epidemiologists. The response rate was 80.4%. 89% of physicians knew that communicable diseases should be reported. 82% know that they should be reported by physicians. Of total respodents, 67% know the diseases that should be reported within 24 hours. 63% reported that they use two forms for notification of diseases. Significantly higher proportions of the physicians working in primary health-care knew that that there are two reporting forms (p \u3c 0.01 CHI=130.696). 71% of physicians knew that if the final diagnosis changes from the initial one should be reported, but there was no significance based on the working experience (p=0.089 CHI=8.072.) Knowledge of physicians on reporting the communicable diseases in the country was high. Knowledge of the updated terminology among physicians and epidemiologist reamins low

Surveillance of tularaemia in Kosovo*, 2001 to 2010

Tularaemia, caused by Francisella tularensis, had not been registered in Kosovo* before an outbreak in 1999 and 2000. A national surveillance system has been implemented in Kosovo* since 2000 to monitor a number of diseases, including tularaemia. Antibody detection in human sera was used for laboratory diagnosis of tularaemia and F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide antigen was used as a marker of infection. The purpose of this study is to describe the incidence of tularaemia in Kosovo* after the 1999–00 outbreak. In 2001 and 2002, a second outbreak occurred, with 327 serologically confirmed cases. From 2001 to 2010, 25–327 cases were registered per year, giving a mean annual incidence of 5.2 per 100,000 population. The most likely sources of infection were contaminated drinking water and food. The dominant clinical manifestations were the glandular (79%) and ulcero-glandular (21%) forms. By 2010, the disease had spread throughout Kosovo*. Presumably as a result of war and subsequent environmental disruption, mass population displacement and breakdown of sanitation and hygiene, the two major outbreaks of tularaemia resulted in the establishment of an active endemic area of tularaemia in Kosovo*

Epidemiological Characteristics of Tularemia in Kosova in the Period 2006-2011

 Identity of physical-chemical properties of pyrocondensate with properties of oil-derived products is a reason of erroneous assumption about possible spheres of its application. For example, most spreaded application is like a substitution of heating oil or mazut, but petrol fraction (ab. 30 % of mass) makes this use risky. And some others characteristics don’t correspond to the norms of legacy standards on oil-derived products. That’s why direct using without any technological operations is impossible basing on the technological and ecological safety. Main reason of pyrocondensate incorrect use is connected with insufficient level of investigations and lack of independent and true data of laboratory tests. As far as most laboratory investigations on characteristics and properties of pyro-product are conducted without aim to obtain true information, as real (commercial) goal of similar tests contributes supraliminal limitation and restrict of results, which could be get without any commercial understanding of possibilities of realization. That’s why the receiving of independent results and conclusions is a first-priority task during study of possible spheres of safety and ecological friendly use of pyrocondensate. There were used few methods for laboratory tests, namely: method of accelerated liquid adsorption chromatograph to study a chemical composition of the product, method of infrared and mass-spectrometry to determine a group composition and method of gas fluid chromatograph to investigate a properties of fraction 38°−180° C, obtained at the atmospheric refraction of pyrocondensate. Detailed study of components chemical structure, which are contained in pyro-product, was conducts due to its separation on some narrow fractions by the method of liquid adsorption chromatography. On the base of results of laboratory tests there was established, that without additional chemical treatment and with minimum economics this product, obtained from scrap tires, can be use like a component for production of low-sulfur heating oil, low-viscous watercraft fuel or asphalt mixtures. Since pyro-condensate is a concentrate of olefins- naphthenes-aromatic hydrocarbons (approx. 94%), it can be use as a raw-material for production of high-quality fuels of naphthenes-parafins base. Method of atmospheric rectification allows obtaining a fraction of hydrocarbons with final boiling point 38–180° C (gasoline fraction), but because of high content of unsaturated hydrocarbon use only 10% of this fraction as a component for high-octane fuel. Generically pyrocondensate is a perspective component for substitution of traditional oil products and investigation of its properties is actual task on the way for looking of new sources of alternative energy-carriers. Характеристики физико-химических свойств пироконденсата, например, присутствие бензиновой фракции пиропродукта не отвечают нормам действующих стандартов на нефтепродукты, поэтому применение его без технологического доведения невозможно с точки зрения технической и экологической безопасности. Большинство исследований свойств пироконденсата проводятся не для определения достоверных лабораторных показателей, поскольку коммерческая цель сознательно ограничивает и сужает спектр результатов. Независимые результаты и заключения необходимы для изучения безопасного и экологического применения пиропродукта. Для выполнения лабораторных исследований было использованы метод ускоренной жидкой абсорбционной хроматографии для изучения химического состава продукта, метод ИК- та масс-спектрометрии для изучения структурно-группового состава и метод газожидкостной хроматографии для изучения свойств фракции 38−180º С, полученной при атмосферной ректификации пиропродукта. Детальное изучение особенностей химического строения компонентов, входящих в состав жидкого продукта пиролиза, было выполнено за счет его разделения на несколько отдельных фракций методом жидкой адсорбционной хроматографии. Без дополнительной химической обработки и с минимальными расходами пироконденсат рекомендуется использовать как компонент для получения малосернистого печного топлива для теплогенераторов бытовых отопительных установок или асфальтобетонных смесей для дорожного строительства. Жидкие углеводороды в основном состоят из концентрата олефино-нафтено-ароматических углеводородов, поэтому пироконденсат может быть ценным сырьем для получения высококачественного топлива циклано- парафиновой основы. Использование метода атмосферной ректификации позволяет получить фракцию углеводородов с температурными границами вскипания 38−180º С, но из-за повышенного содержания неграничных углеводородов в их составе рекомендуется использовать не больше 10% такой фракции в качестве составляющего компонента товарного бензина. Таким образом, пироконденсат является перспективным компонентом для замены традиционных нефтепродуктов, а исследование его свойств необходимо для поиска новых источников альтернативных энергоносителей. Наведено результати дослідження структурно-групового та хімічного складу піроконденсату та продуктів, отриманих методом атмосферної ректифікації піропродукту. Визначено перспективні напрями екологічної та безпечної реалізації рідкого продукту переробки відходів