INFECTIOUS DESEASE HAZARDS IN THE MIGRANT WORKER POPULATION

Gotovo polovinu svih migranata čine radnici migranti; njih 105 milijuna. Populacija radnika migranata vrlo je raznolika i nisu dostupni jedinstveni podaci o njihovom broju, kao i vrsti posla koji obavljaju te dužini boravka izvan zemlje iz koje potječu. Migracija zbog posla nastaje između zemalja različitih ekonomskih standarada, stoga se radnici migranti u ekonomski niskorazvijene zemlje često susreću sa zaraznim bolestima. Infekcija različitim uzročnicima zaraznih bolesti ima dvojaki učinak: na zdravlje samog migranta, ali i na zdravlje zemlje iz koje potječe i u kojoj inače živi. Rizici pobola ovise o: samoj zemlji putovanja/rada/boravka, duljini boravka, načinu smještaja, vrsti posla kao i dosadašnjem zdravstvenom stanju samog migranta. Kako bi se smanjila mogućnost zaražavanja različitim uzročnicima zaraznih bolesti, svaki migrant/putnik bi se prije odlaska na rad ili putovanje trebao informirati o zdravstvenim rizicima i načinima kako ih izbjeći, i to savjetovanjem prije putovanja u liječnika specijaliziranih za prevenciju putničkih bolesti.Migrant workers (a total of 105 million) represent almost half of the total number of migrants. The migrant worker population is very diverse, so there is no available collect or summarized data on their number, the type of work they perform or the length of stay outside their country of origin. Work-related migration occurs between countries with different levels of economic standard and the workers migrating to an economically underdeveloped country often face the danger from infectious diseases. Infection by causative agents of infectious diseases affects not only the health of the migrant himself, but also overall health of the country of origin the migrant returns to. The risk of infection depends on the destination country, length of stay, accommodation, type of work and the health condition of the migrant. To reduce the possibility of infection, each migrant/traveler should be informed about health hazards and the ways of avoiding them before migrating or travelling, by consulting with physicians specialized in prevention of travel-related diseases

Attitudes of students of the University of Applied Health Sciences towards vaccination

Imunoprofilaksa je umjetno stvaranje imunosti. Provođenje imunoprofilakse vrši se na dva načina, a to su cijepljenje (aktivna imunizacija) i unošenje imunoglobulina (pasivna imunizacija). Aktivna imunizacija ili cijepljenje jest postupak unošenja specifičnog antigena u organizam koji stimulira razvoj specifične obrane prema određenom uzročniku zarazne bolesti. Cijepljenje je dokazano najuspješnija intervencija suvremene medicine i temeljno je ljudsko pravo. Provođenjem cijepljenja u svijetu se znatno smanjio morbiditet i mortalitet u populaciji. U Hrvatskoj se cijepljenje djece i odraslih vrši prema Programu obveznog cijepljenja. Cjepiva se od rođenja primaju u određenim razdobljima života te se neka primaju u jednoj, a neka u više doza. Procijepljenost je u Hrvatskoj na zadovoljavajućoj razini unatoč opadanju postotka procijepljenosti u zadnjih nekoliko godina. Cilj i svrha ovog istraživanja bili su uvidjeti stavove studenata Zdravstvenog veleučilišta (ZVU) o cijepljenju. Uzorak je sadržavao 281 ispitanika. Ispitanici su bili studenti svih smjerova, sve tri godine Zdravstvenog veleučilišta (sanitarno inženjerstvo, sestrinstvo, medicinsko-laboratorijska dijagnostika, radiologija, radna terapija). Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da svi studenti imaju pozitivan stav o cijepljenju, što je dobar rezultat s obzirom na to da su svi smjerovi zdravstvenog tipa te da im je edukacija o cijepljenju na visokom nivou.Immunoprophylaxis is the artificial creation of immunity. Immunoprophylaxis is performed in two ways, namely vaccination (active immunization) and immunoglobulin intake (passive immunization). Active immunization, or vaccination, is a procedure of introducing a specific antigen into the body that stimulates the development of a specific defense against a specific cause of an infectious disease. Vaccination has proven to be the most successful intervention of modern medicine and is a fundamental human right. Vaccination has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality in the population worldwide. In Croatia, vaccination of children and adults is carried out according to the Compulsory Vaccination Program. Starting from birth, vaccines are given at certain periods of life, and some are given in single and some in multiple doses. Vaccination in Croatia is at a satisfactory level despite the declining vaccination rate in the last few years. The aim and purpose of this research was to see the attitudes of students of the University of Applied Health Sciences towards vaccination. The sample contained 281 respondents. Respondents were students of all study programmes, on all three years of studies at the University of Applied Health Sciences (Environmental Health Engineering, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, Radiological Technology, Occupational Therapy). The results of the research showed that all students have a positive attitude towards vaccination, which is a good result considering that all study programs educate health professionals and that their education about vaccination is at a high level

THE PROFILE OF SCABIES PATIENTS IN ZAGREB

Background: Scabies is a mandatory notifiable disease according to Croatian law. Due to an increased reports of scabies within a couple of years in Zagreb, we decided to present epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with scabies in Zagreb. Subjects and methods: A retrospective survey was carried out in county Public Health Institute “Dr. Andrija Stampar” in Zagreb and analysis was performed for the period of 2010-2013 upon individual notifications on scabies cases. The patients are presented by sociodemographic data, diagnosis and treatment. Results: In a 4 year period there were 246 scabies cases recorded in Zagreb. Cases have been registered in all quarters of the City. The highest incidence (50/100 000) was recorded in every child age group following by incidence of over 30/100 000 in elderly institutionalized in nursing homes. In almost two thirds of patients management of scabies has not been conducted in accordance to current guidelines. 10% of scabies cases were found in medical health personnel predominantly in those working in nursing homes and psychiatric wards. A small amount of cases 19 (8%) were infected outside Croatia; the majority of these cases 15 (78%) are registered within last two years. Conclusion: High percentage of scabies cases registered in nursing homes and psychiatric wards suggests that there is a need of raising awareness on scabies epidemiology and management by public health officers. Due to a higher incidence of scabies in children age, the obligation of medical practitioners is also to emphasize the importance of following treatment guidelines. In order to control scabies cases as well to prevent outbreaks within hospital wards or nursing homes there is an obligation of implementation of strict guidelines regarding treatment of scabies and a public health service referra

THE PROFILE OF SCABIES PATIENTS IN ZAGREB

Background: Scabies is a mandatory notifiable disease according to Croatian law. Due to an increased reports of scabies within a couple of years in Zagreb, we decided to present epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with scabies in Zagreb. Subjects and methods: A retrospective survey was carried out in county Public Health Institute “Dr. Andrija Stampar” in Zagreb and analysis was performed for the period of 2010-2013 upon individual notifications on scabies cases. The patients are presented by sociodemographic data, diagnosis and treatment. Results: In a 4 year period there were 246 scabies cases recorded in Zagreb. Cases have been registered in all quarters of the City. The highest incidence (50/100 000) was recorded in every child age group following by incidence of over 30/100 000 in elderly institutionalized in nursing homes. In almost two thirds of patients management of scabies has not been conducted in accordance to current guidelines. 10% of scabies cases were found in medical health personnel predominantly in those working in nursing homes and psychiatric wards. A small amount of cases 19 (8%) were infected outside Croatia; the majority of these cases 15 (78%) are registered within last two years. Conclusion: High percentage of scabies cases registered in nursing homes and psychiatric wards suggests that there is a need of raising awareness on scabies epidemiology and management by public health officers. Due to a higher incidence of scabies in children age, the obligation of medical practitioners is also to emphasize the importance of following treatment guidelines. In order to control scabies cases as well to prevent outbreaks within hospital wards or nursing homes there is an obligation of implementation of strict guidelines regarding treatment of scabies and a public health service referra

Activities of the Reference Centre for Rabies and Antirabies Clinic of Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health from 2008 to 2013

Bjesnoća je apsolutno smrtonosna bolest, bez obzira na nekoliko najnovijih slučajeva preživljavanja koja su opisana u literaturi. Zbog visoke smrtnosti od 55 000 slučajeva godišnje, virus bjesnoće nalazi se na osmom mjestu najsmrtonosnijih virusa u svijetu. Zbog te činjenice, bjesnoća je i dalje veliki javnozdravstveni problem pogotovo u slabije razvijenim zemljama Afrike i Azije. Bez dobro organizirane pomoći lokalnih zajednica, financijske potpore državnih ili drugih institucija ili organizacija te suradnje humane i veterinarske medicine, ova velika brojka smrtnih slučajeva, neće se početi smanjivati. Zadnji slučaj humane bjesnoće u Republici Hrvatskoj, dogodio se prije 50 godina, davne 1964. godine. Od tada su zabilježena dva importirana slučaja humane bjesnoće u Republici Hrvatskoj iz Bosne i Hercegovine, prvi 1989., te drugi 1995. godine. Referentni centar za bjesnoću obavlja niz aktivnosti na području humane antirabične zaštite te u tom segmentu surađuje s brojnim veterinarskim organizacijama, ustanovama i institucijama te koordinira rad županijskih zavoda za javno zdravstvo diljem Republike Hrvatske, a njegovi djelatnici sudjeluju u brojnim stručnim, nastavnim i edukacijskim aktivnostima. U razdoblju od 2008. do 2013. godine, u Republici Hrvatskoj pregledano je zbog sumnje na izloženost bjesnoći 32 697 osoba, od čega je njih 9 368 odnosno 28,6% primilo postekspozicijsku antirabičnu profilaksu (PEP) zbog ugriza, ogrebotine, kontakta sa slinom preko oštećene kože ili sluznica ili kontakta s domaćom ili divljom, bijesnom ili na bjesnoću sumnjivom životinjom ili kontaminiranim materijalom. Od navedenog broja u 8 668 osoba primijenjena je PEP samo s cjepivom protiv bjesnoće, dok je u 700 osoba primijenjena PEP u kombinaciji antirabičnog cjepiva i humanog antirabičnog imunoglobulina. U sklopu Referentnog centra za bjesnoću pri Nastavnom zavodu za javno zdravstvo "Dr. Andrija Štampar" nalazi se antirabična ambulanta, koja osim suradnje s veterinarskim organizacijama, obavlja preglede ugriženih osoba, upisuje ih u registar, izdaje medicinsku dokumentaciju te prema indikaciji obavlja PEP. U razdoblju od 2008. do 2013. godine pregledano je i obra|eno ukupno 3 690 pacijenata (2 094 muških i 1 596 ženskih), od čega je u 961 osoba (555 muških i 406 ženskih) postavljena indikacija za PEP. Ovi podaci odnose se na područje grada Zagreba. Ovdje nisu uključeni pacijenti s područja Zagrebačke županije koji su se od strane županijskih epidemiologa ciljano upućivali u našu ustanovu, radi pregleda te postavljanja indikacije za PEP.Rabies is an absolutely deadly disease, regardless of the few documented cases of survival, lately reported in the literature. Due to its deadly rate of 55 000 estimated deaths annually, rabies virus is eight among the world\u27s most deadly viruses. Having this in mind, rabies is still a major public health problem in less developed countries of Africa and Asia. Without well organised help of local communities, financial support of governmental or other institutions, and cooperation between human and veterinarian medicine, this number will not begin to decrease. The last case of human rabies in the Republic of Croatia was registered 50 years ago, in 1964. Apart from this, there were two imported human rabies cases reported in the Republic of Croatia, both from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first one in 1989, and the second in 1995. The Reference Centre (RC) for Rabies is performing numerous activities in the area of human rabies protection, and therefore cooperates with many veterinary organisations, facilities and institutions and is supervising the antirabies activities of county public health institutes in the Republic of Croatia. The employees of the RC are included in numerous professional, teaching and educational activities. In the period from 2008 to 2013 in the Republic of Croatia, a total of 32 697 persons were examined after being in contact with various types of animals, of whom 9 368 (28,6%) received postexposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) after being bitten, scratched, having contact with saliva against broken skin or mucous membranes or having contact with domestic or wild rabid or suspect rabid animal or having contact with contaminated material (such as fox bait with oral rabies vaccine /ORV/). Out of this number, 8 668 persons received PEP with antirabies vaccine only, while 700 persons received PEP with antirabies vaccine and human rabies immune globulin.At the Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health, as part of the Reference Centre for Rabies, an Antirabies Clinic has been established. Apart from cooperating with veterinary organisations, the medical team in this ambulance is performing physical examination of bitten patients, collects and records data in the register, keeps and issues patient medical documentation, and performs PEP according to indications. In the period from 2008 to 2013, there were 3 690 examined patients (2 094 male and 1596 female) at Antirabies Clinic, of whom 961 persons (555 male and 406 female) received PEP based on medical indications. These data refer only to the region of the city of Zagreb. Patients who came to the Zagreb Antirabies Clinic from the Zagreb county were not included in this report because they were referred to our Clinic directly by the county epidemiologists

Activities of the Reference Centre for Rabies and Antirabies Clinic of Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health from 2008 to 2013

Bjesnoća je apsolutno smrtonosna bolest, bez obzira na nekoliko najnovijih slučajeva preživljavanja koja su opisana u literaturi. Zbog visoke smrtnosti od 55 000 slučajeva godišnje, virus bjesnoće nalazi se na osmom mjestu najsmrtonosnijih virusa u svijetu. Zbog te činjenice, bjesnoća je i dalje veliki javnozdravstveni problem pogotovo u slabije razvijenim zemljama Afrike i Azije. Bez dobro organizirane pomoći lokalnih zajednica, financijske potpore državnih ili drugih institucija ili organizacija te suradnje humane i veterinarske medicine, ova velika brojka smrtnih slučajeva, neće se početi smanjivati. Zadnji slučaj humane bjesnoće u Republici Hrvatskoj, dogodio se prije 50 godina, davne 1964. godine. Od tada su zabilježena dva importirana slučaja humane bjesnoće u Republici Hrvatskoj iz Bosne i Hercegovine, prvi 1989., te drugi 1995. godine. Referentni centar za bjesnoću obavlja niz aktivnosti na području humane antirabične zaštite te u tom segmentu surađuje s brojnim veterinarskim organizacijama, ustanovama i institucijama te koordinira rad županijskih zavoda za javno zdravstvo diljem Republike Hrvatske, a njegovi djelatnici sudjeluju u brojnim stručnim, nastavnim i edukacijskim aktivnostima. U razdoblju od 2008. do 2013. godine, u Republici Hrvatskoj pregledano je zbog sumnje na izloženost bjesnoći 32 697 osoba, od čega je njih 9 368 odnosno 28,6% primilo postekspozicijsku antirabičnu profilaksu (PEP) zbog ugriza, ogrebotine, kontakta sa slinom preko oštećene kože ili sluznica ili kontakta s domaćom ili divljom, bijesnom ili na bjesnoću sumnjivom životinjom ili kontaminiranim materijalom. Od navedenog broja u 8 668 osoba primijenjena je PEP samo s cjepivom protiv bjesnoće, dok je u 700 osoba primijenjena PEP u kombinaciji antirabičnog cjepiva i humanog antirabičnog imunoglobulina. U sklopu Referentnog centra za bjesnoću pri Nastavnom zavodu za javno zdravstvo "Dr. Andrija Štampar" nalazi se antirabična ambulanta, koja osim suradnje s veterinarskim organizacijama, obavlja preglede ugriženih osoba, upisuje ih u registar, izdaje medicinsku dokumentaciju te prema indikaciji obavlja PEP. U razdoblju od 2008. do 2013. godine pregledano je i obra|eno ukupno 3 690 pacijenata (2 094 muških i 1 596 ženskih), od čega je u 961 osoba (555 muških i 406 ženskih) postavljena indikacija za PEP. Ovi podaci odnose se na područje grada Zagreba. Ovdje nisu uključeni pacijenti s područja Zagrebačke županije koji su se od strane županijskih epidemiologa ciljano upućivali u našu ustanovu, radi pregleda te postavljanja indikacije za PEP.Rabies is an absolutely deadly disease, regardless of the few documented cases of survival, lately reported in the literature. Due to its deadly rate of 55 000 estimated deaths annually, rabies virus is eight among the world\u27s most deadly viruses. Having this in mind, rabies is still a major public health problem in less developed countries of Africa and Asia. Without well organised help of local communities, financial support of governmental or other institutions, and cooperation between human and veterinarian medicine, this number will not begin to decrease. The last case of human rabies in the Republic of Croatia was registered 50 years ago, in 1964. Apart from this, there were two imported human rabies cases reported in the Republic of Croatia, both from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first one in 1989, and the second in 1995. The Reference Centre (RC) for Rabies is performing numerous activities in the area of human rabies protection, and therefore cooperates with many veterinary organisations, facilities and institutions and is supervising the antirabies activities of county public health institutes in the Republic of Croatia. The employees of the RC are included in numerous professional, teaching and educational activities. In the period from 2008 to 2013 in the Republic of Croatia, a total of 32 697 persons were examined after being in contact with various types of animals, of whom 9 368 (28,6%) received postexposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) after being bitten, scratched, having contact with saliva against broken skin or mucous membranes or having contact with domestic or wild rabid or suspect rabid animal or having contact with contaminated material (such as fox bait with oral rabies vaccine /ORV/). Out of this number, 8 668 persons received PEP with antirabies vaccine only, while 700 persons received PEP with antirabies vaccine and human rabies immune globulin.At the Dr. Andrija Štampar Institute of Public Health, as part of the Reference Centre for Rabies, an Antirabies Clinic has been established. Apart from cooperating with veterinary organisations, the medical team in this ambulance is performing physical examination of bitten patients, collects and records data in the register, keeps and issues patient medical documentation, and performs PEP according to indications. In the period from 2008 to 2013, there were 3 690 examined patients (2 094 male and 1596 female) at Antirabies Clinic, of whom 961 persons (555 male and 406 female) received PEP based on medical indications. These data refer only to the region of the city of Zagreb. Patients who came to the Zagreb Antirabies Clinic from the Zagreb county were not included in this report because they were referred to our Clinic directly by the county epidemiologists

Self-reported HPV vaccination status and HPV vaccine hesitancy in a nationally representative sample of emerging adults in Croatia

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to determine self-reported human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination status among emerging adults in Croatia, intention to get the HPV vaccine among unvaccinated individuals and correlates of HPV vaccine hesitancy.MethodsData were collected via a cross-sectional survey based on a probabilistic national sample. The sample included 1,197 individuals aged 18–25 years (50.6% were women) who were recruited from November 2021 to February 2022 as part of the commercial online panel. Analyses included 981 participants who correctly answered two “attention trap” questions using descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses. The data were post-hoc weighted for gender and age and adjusted for clustering effect. To adjust standard errors for the sampling design, multivariate analyses were carried out using the complex samples module in the IBM SPSS 27 statistical software package.ResultsOverall, 18.3% of participants (25.0% of women and 11.7% of men) reported that they were HPV vaccinated, while 21.9% did not know their HPV vaccination status. Of those vaccinated, 65.6% were women. The odds of being HPV-vaccinated were significantly higher among female participants. Among the unvaccinated, 35.4% expressed a willingness to get the vaccine. The odds of vaccination hesitancy were significantly lower among women, participants who reported a higher perceived risk of STIs, those who recognized that HPV could result in cervical cancer, and significantly higher among those who were more religious.ConclusionOur findings suggest a need to increase HPV vaccination uptake in Croatia through raising awareness about HPV vaccine effectiveness and also through the implementation of strategies to make vaccination more available

Seroprevalence and risk factors for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in populations with high-risk behaviors in Croatia

HIV and sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) represent a significant public health problem worldwide. We analyzed the seroprevalence and risk factors for HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in populations with high-risk behaviors in Croatia. During a three-year period, a total of 443 men who have sex with men (MSM) / bisexual persons, sex workers (SW) / clients of SW, persons with multiple sexual partners, and persons with a history of STD were tested for the presence of HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and Treponema pallidum(syphilis) antibodies within the framework of second generation HIV surveillance. Participants were recruited from 11 Croatian counties, the vast majority among clients of voluntary counselling and testing centers. The overall prevalence of HIV, HBsAg, anti-HBc, and syphilis was 1.4%, 2.6%, 12.1%, and 3.4%, respectively. HBV and syphilis seroprevalence differed significantly between, genders with higher prevalence among men (anti-HBc 13.8% vs. 5.7%, P=0.043; syphilis 4.4% vs. 0%; P=0.049), as well as between age groups, with a steady increase according to age. Participants with a history of STD were more often seropositive than participants who did not report STD (HBsAg 8.2% vs. 1.0%, P=0.002; anti-HBc 32.4% vs. 6.4%, P&lt;0.001; syphilis 12.0% vs. 1.7%, P&lt;0.001). Syphilis seroprevalence was higher in homo / bisexual persons(12.2%) compared with heterosexual persons (1.2%, P&lt;0.001). Logistic regression showed that history of STD was a significant risk factor for hepatitis B (HBsAg AOR=6.229, 95% CI=1.491-26.022; anti-HBc AOR=5.872, 95% CI=2.899-11.896) and syphilis seropositivity (AOR=5.572, 95% CI=1.751-17.726), while homo / bisexual behavior was associated with syphilis seropositivity (AOR=12.820, 95% CI=3.688-44.557). Our results highlight the importance of continuing STDs screening and prevention in at-risk populations. </p

Measles - the public health challenge

Ospice su virusna bolest čije su glavne značajke vrlo visoka kontagioznost, pojava karakterističnog osipa, prolazna supresija imunološkog sustava i relativno česte komplikacije vezane uz dišni i središnji živčani sustav. Pronalaskom učinkovitog cjepiva i njegovom uporabom incidencija ove bolesti u svijetu značajno se smanjila, a u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama 2000. godine proglašena je eliminacija ospica. U Europi se u posljednjih 6 godina incidencija smanjila za 90 %, ali se povremene epidemije još uvijek detektiraju. U nerazvijenom dijelu svijeta ospice su još uvijek jedan od vodećih uzročnika smrti u djece, a u razvijenom dijelu svijeta ospice se javljaju u necijepljenih osoba mlađe i srednje životne dobi i predstavljaju javnozdravstveni izazov na globalnoj razini. U Hrvatskoj je obavezno cijepljenje uvedeno 1969. godine. Posljednjih 20-ak godina godišnje se detektira desetak slučajeva s povremenim manjim epidemijama uzrokovanim importiranim virusima. Veća epidemija s ukupno 220 prijavljenih slučajeva zabilježena je 2014./2015. godine. Detekcija kliničkih slučajeva, epidemiološki nadzor i laboratorijska potvrda ospica, koja uključuje genotipizaciju virusa, ključni su postupci pri otkrivanju izvora infekcije i praćenju puta prijenosa.Measles is a very contagious viral disease characterized with appearance of rash, transient immunosuppression and relatively frequent complications related to respiratory tract and central nervous system. Development of an effective vaccine and vaccination has significantly reduced measles incidenceall over the world, with elimination of measles declared in the United States in 2000. In Europe,during last six years the incidence decreased by 90 %, but occasional outbreaks are still detected. In the developing world, measles is still one of the leading causes of death in children, while in the developed countries measles occur in unvaccinated young and middle-aged persons,representing a public health challenge globally. In Croatia, the mandatory vaccination was introduced in 1969. During last 20 years approximately ten cases have been detectedannually,with occasional small outbreaks caused by imported viruses. Large outbreak with a total of 220 reported cases has been recorded in 2014/2015. Detection of clinical cases, epidemiological surveillance and laboratory confirmation of measles including genotyping, are crucial steps in tracing the source of infection and monitoring transmission. Eradication of measles can be achieved only by a consistent vaccination with twodoses schedule regimen

An overview of mosquitoes and emerging arboviral infections in the Zagreb area, Croatia

Mosquito control in the Zagreb area has been conducted for many years, whereas the fauna has only been investigated in the last 20 years. So far 30 mosquito species have been detected in the city area. Culex pipiens form molestus is the dominant mosquito species in indoor breeding sites. In forested areas and areas exposed to flooding, the active period is early spring and the dominant species are Ochlerotatus sticticus, Ochlerotatus cantans, Ochlerotatus geniculatus and Aedes vexans. The eudominant mosquito species found in the artificial breeding sites are Culex pipiens and the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Invasive Ae. albopictus, present in the Zagreb area since 2004, has expanded to a larger area of the city during the last three years. The recent emergence of the human West Nile virus and Usutu virus neuroinvasive disease in Zagreb and its surroundings highlighted the role of mosquitoes as vectors of emerging arboviruses. The paper focuses on mosquito species and arboviral infections detected in humans and animals in the Zagreb area, Croatia