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COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE IN CROATIA

•      Communicable disease case notification in November

S a l m o n e l l o s i s . Incidence decreased according to the season (196:312),  being somewhat lower than in November last year (203). The only small cluster is present in Virovitica (12).

H e p a t I t I s   A (epidemic jaundice). In November there were 3 cases reported: 2 from Rijeka, 1 from Osijek. This was about equal to the previous month (1) and November last year (2.

S t r e p t o c c o s i s (sore throat & scarlet fever).  Incidence raises as expected for the season: angina: 615 : 440, scarlatina: 133 : 63. Intensity is lower than last year,  when 710 sore throat and 214 scarlet fever cases have been reported in November.

M o r b i l l i  (measles). No reports in November.

R u b e l  l a. No reports in November.

V a r i c e l l a (chicken pox). Usual seasonal increase is seen (966: 239), intensity lower than in November last year (1015).

A I D S. In November 13 cases were reported, cumulating  through the last 6 months.

M a l a r i a. One case imported from Ghana, was reported in November from Rijeka.

B o t u l i s m u s.  There were 3 diseased in November all in Županja (see Epidemic outbreaks).

C a m p y l o b a c t e r i o s i s. This bacterial enteral disease shows a natural winter decrease of incidence (107: 143). However last years November incidence was higher (126). Small clusters are seen in Rijeka (10) and Šibenik (11).

A m o e b i a s i s. This parasitic disease is rare, owing to sanitary conditions. In November there were 2 cases reported (Korenica, Sesvete), 1 in previous month, 1 in  November last year.

•      No reports in November from:

Vukovar, Dvor, Opatija, Gračac, Drniš, Knin, Lastovo, Donja Stubica and Zlatar - Bistrica. Total: 9 out of 113 epidemiological districts.

•      Epidemic outbreaks

Following outbreaks were reported in November:

Note: in all outbreaks mentioned here, the epidemiological investigation and all necessary measures were undertaken preventing thus more cases.

Županja – family outbreak of botulismus with 3 diseased (two hospitalized) between 17.8. and 19.8. 2011. Vehicle: own home made dried pork ham, 2.5 years old. The diseased reported that ham did not taste good, so they discarded the rest. So no samples left for analyses.

Dugo Selo – food poisoning in a social institution on 26.9. 2011. There were 34 diseased out of 73 exposed persons. Causative agent not found (laboratory examinations negative). Vehicle epidemiologically: chicken risotto which, however turned negative on laboratory testing. 

Čakovec – salmonellosis (S. enteritidis) in a group harvesting a family vineyard,  on 2.10.2011. There were 7 diseased out of 12 exposed. Vehicle epidemiologically: paned (crumb coated) chicken, backed chicken, backed pork meat, sausages, potato, salad. All items were prepared a day earlier and kept outside refrigerator.

Varaždin – salmonellosis (S. enteritidis) on 26.10.2011 in a family. There were 8 diseased out of 8 exposed members. Vehicle epidemiologically: paned chicken, not microbiologically examined.

Vukovar – staphylococcal food poisoning at a family celebration  8.11.2011. There were12 diseased, some coming from neighboring countries. Vehicle epidemiologically: chocolate jaffa – cake, purchased in an pastry shop. Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed in cake samples examined. However, epidemiological investigation points to a secondary contamination, as all other consumers of the same cake in wide surrounding of the pastry shop, stayed well, while in persons engaged in food preparation in a family acute sore throat was reported. Cake was kept at home  outside the refrigerator for 28 hours. Guests  not eating the cake were all well.

NEWS AND COMMENTS

•       Cancer in Croatia 2009,  new publication

Recently  the regular annual edition  of the Cancer registry of the Epidemiology service of the Croatian national institute of public health was released, presenting data for the year 2009. Such a delay is usual for such a type of publication i.e. for cancer registry data. This becouse all data collected has to be carefully checked using all expert epidemiological knowledge in order to eliminate duplications, migrations, deaths for other reasons etc, to check if diagnoses were histologically confirmed etc,  in order to get completely reliable information about new cases i.e. cancer incidence, their age, sex, place of residence, diagnosis and site of cancer as well as all mortality data. Here in the Epidemiological news bulletin we usually excerpt some interesting details from this annual book. This year, data about five most common and five rarest cancer types/sites in Croatia in 2009 are given. In addition,  data about recently very interesting skin melanoma for the last five years  were chosen, completed with previous five year data obtained from earlier annual publications (see ENEWS 12/2007).

Table 1  New cases of cancer in  Croatia in 2009  - males

Table 2 New cancer cases in Croatia 2009 - females

Table 3.  Melanoma malignum cutis in Croatia  2000 – 2009

In Table 3 a moderate increase of incidence of skin melanoma during last ten years can be noticed, gradual in females, in two steps in males, i. e.with lower and  higher stationary periods, sexes being generally equally affected.

Data about the book:

Title: Incidencija raka u Hrvatskoj 2009 / Cancer incidence in Croatia 2009,  Editor: Croatian national institute of public health, Chronic mass disease epidemiology service, Cancer registry,  Zagreb, 2011. Tables and graphs bilingual: Croatian and English, English summary, 19 complex tables, 13 colored graphs, 40 pages, format: 28 x 21 cm. Can be ordered at the editor.  Some data  can be also found on the web site of the Cancer registry: www.hzjz.hr/rak_index.htm

•       Operation "Ambrosia"

This summer and autumn, large ground construction works took place around buildings of the Croatian national institute of public health, Institute of immunology and School of public health of the Zagreb medical faculty. Huge tracks and bagger machines brought on their wheels and weasels, also the seed of ambrosia plant, resulting in a green area of well grown ambrosia, unfortunately responsible for allergies in many people.

Thus the members of the Communicable disease epidemiology service staff, together with some other Institute members, performed an action of removal of ambrosia plants on 6^th of September 2011, before the seed become ripe. Plants were pulled out with their root, only few biggest had to be cut at the ground level. Personal protection of respiratory organs (masks) was used during the work. At the end, the total of 6 big garbage (bags) sacks were filled with ambrosia plants and discarded.

When all construction works were finished and the final flattening of the terrain done, new green plants emerged all around, but without any new ambrosia plant up to now.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN CROATIA                  November 2011

Last change - 16.01.2012 - Posljednja promjena