Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3)

Serological Markers of Selected Sexually and Blood Transmitted Infections in Pregnant Women and in Newborns of HIV-positive Mothers in SR

Danica Staneková, Jarmila Adamčáková, Tana Kopilcová, Ján Kotuliak, Elena Vaculíková, Monika Hábeková, Miloš Mokráš

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):104-108 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3379  

Aim of the study was to investigate serological markers of selected sexually and blood transmitted infections (HBV, HCV, CMV, and Treponema pallidum) in the group of pregnant women and in newborns of HIV-positive mothers in Slovakia.IgG antibodies to CMV were found in 78 of 97 women, from them in 6 of 7 HIV-positive and in 72 of 90 HIV-negative persons. Occurrence of HbsAg and HCV was significantly higher in the group of HIV-positive women (1/7 and 2/7) comparing to the HIV-negative one (4/90 and 0/92, respectively). Antibodies to T.pallidum were found only in one HIV-negative woman from 92 women tested.Five of seven children born to HIV-1...

Improving Family and Community Health in Eastern Europe - the Lifecycle Approcach at WHO

Jeffrey V. Lazarus, Christina Bjørk, Mikael Østergren

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):109-112 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3382  

There are great differences in the health status of young children in the European Region. Central Asia and the Caucasus are the worst-off areas. After reviewing under-five mortality in the eight countries of this part of Eastern Europe, a new WHO strategy to improve child survival is presented. Adopted in late 2005, the strategy has four main principles: a lifecycle approach, youth participation, equity and intersectoral collaboration.

Cancer Mortality in Greece: Where Are We Heading? A 20-year Comparative Study in Four Greek Counties

Zeppos Mostratos, Philip R. Domeyer, Dimitrios Michalis

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):113-116 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.b0044  

Aim: Comparison of cancer mortality rates in four Greek counties during the decades 1979-1988 and 1989-1998 and drawing out of cause and effect relationships that could lead to organization of prevention programs.Methods: We used the Wilcoxon-White test to statistically compare data between the two decades as well as between the four counties separately.Results: We found that the total proportional mortality during the decade 1988-1998 significantly increased, compared to 1979-1988, in all counties we studied. We noted a statistically significant increase of the proportional mortality of organs of the gastrointestinal tract and peritoneum (W...

Alcohol Use in Czech Pharmacy Students

Alena Trojáčková, Peter Višňovský

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):117-121 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3384  

In academic years 2002/3-2004/5, the use of alcohol was investigated by anonymous questionnaire in 1,032 first and third year pharmacy students in the Czech Republic. Frequencies of beer, wine and spirits use, the age of the first contact with alcoholic beverages, the age of the first drunkenness and the frequency of drunkenness in the last month were ascertained. Average age of the first contact with alcoholic beverages was 12.9 years. 40.5% and 10.9% of students reported regular and hazardous drinking, respectively, with significantly higher proportion of men than women. Hazardous alcohol drinking significantly increased between academic years 2002/3...

Incidence of Orofacial Clefts in the Slovak Republic

Erika Macháčová, Roman Bánsky, Margita Špaleková, Štefan Guzanin, Robert Sabovčík, Ladislav Slobodník

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):122-125 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3387  

Orofacial clefts (OC) are quite common congenital defects. Retrospective active survey collecting clinical data of children with OC examined and operated on in the three main specialized departments of plastic surgery in the Slovak Republic over 16 years (1985-2000) revealed total incidence of 1.61/103 live births (LB). 1,849 children suffering from OC were recognised out of 1,147,236 live births.Total incidence (TI) of OC per 1,000 live births was determined by types, gender, regions, districts and seasonal variation. The highest rate, 40.5% of clefts, affected the primary and secondary palate (CLP), more than 32% were of cleft palate type (CP),...

Cadmium Blood Concentrations in Relation to Nutrition

Marica Krajčovičová-Kudláčková, Monika Ursínyová, Vlasta Mašánová, Alžbeta Béderová, Martina Valachovičová

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):126-129 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3385  

Cadmium is a toxic element ubiquitous in the environment, which damages biological systems in various ways. The major source of cadmium exposure is food. High cadmium content in the soil leads to high cadmium concentrations in certain plants such as grains (above all surface layers and germs), oil or non-oil seeds, fruit and vegetables. These food commodities are the crucial components of a vegetarian nutrition. Blood cadmium concentrations were measured in two non-smoking population groups: the vegetarian group (n = 80) and the non-vegetarian (control) group of general population on traditional mixed diet (n = 84). The significantly higher blood cadmium...

Preventive Administration of GS Imunostim as a Protection against Acute Respiratory Infections

Jiří Stanek, Vladimír Príkazský, Jozef Rosina, Alexander M. Čelko, Boris Šťastný

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):130-132 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3372  

With respect to the fact that acute respiratory infections (hereafter ARI) are a world-wide serious social and economic problem, more and more attention is being paid to the development and application of oral bacterial immunomodulators.The preventive effect of GS Imunostim has been evaluated during the respiratory season 2005. The study took place at 10 outpatient sites of general practitioners and lung specialists in Prague, Pilsen and Brno in the respiratory season from January to April 2005. The comparison with the ARI morbidity reports in the studied period revealed statistically significant morbidity reduction in the study participants compared...

Effect of Solar Radiation on Survival of Indicator Bacteria in Bathing Waters

Sigrid Deller, Franz Mascher, Sabine Platzer, Franz Ferdinand Reinthaler, Egon Marth

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):133-137 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3380  

Sunlight exposure is considered to be the most important cause of "natural disinfection" in surface water environments. The UV-B portion of the solar spectrum is the most bactericidal, causing direct (photo-biological) DNA damage.In the present experimental study, the effect of solar radiation on the elimination of bacteria in water, especially in surface water, was studied. The influence of depth and UV-B transmittance of water was determined. Comparing Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis proved to be the most resistant organism.Pseudomonas aeruginosa was shown to...

The Association between Copper Containing IUCD and Bacterial Vaginosis

Şayeste Demirezen, Ayşegül Küçük, M. Sinan Beksaç

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):138-140 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3339  

This study was designed to investigate whether there is an association between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the use of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD). Six hundred Papanicolaou stained cervicovaginal smears were analyzed cytologically. 56 of 600 patients (9.3%) were detected as having IUCD. Four of 56 (7,1%) and 10 of 544 (1.8%) were positive for BV [Bv (+)]. The duration of the use of IUCD was higher than 4 years in 3 of 4 patients who were BV (+). This study showed a significant correlation between the use of IUCD and the presence of BV statistically (p < 0.05). Our findings also suggest that time limited BV infection is associated with...

Prevalence of Some Bacteria Yeasts and Molds in Meat Foods in San Luis, Argentina

Patricia V. Stagnitta, Blas Micalizzi, Ana M. Stefanini de Guzmán

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):141-144 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3378  

In this work we evaluate the microbiological quality and the hygiene degree of meat foods consumed in the city of San Luis. A total of 515 meat food samples (315 from fresh sausages, 100 from hamburgers and 100 from ground beef) were processed, being the most of them non-industrial products. The microbiological quality was determined by counts of total mesophilic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, molds and yeasts, and Clostridium perfringens. The number of total mesophilic aerobes was within the 106 cfu/g limit set by the Argentinaan Alimentary Code (AAC). Two hundred seventy six samples exhibited E. coli levels between 101 and 103 cfu/g. The...

Bioremediation. Applied Microbial Solutions for Real-World Environmental Cleanup

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):145  

Tuberculosis and the Tubercle Bacillus

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):145  

The Innate Immune Response to Infection

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):146  

Biology and Biotechnology. Science, Applications, and Issues

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):146  

Bacterial Ion Channels and Their Eukaryotic Homologs

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):147  

HIV/AIDS in Europe. Moving from death sentence to chronic disease management

M. Brůčková

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):147-148  

Prof. MUDr. Bohumil Ticháček, DrSc. (1924-2006) has passed away

Miroslav Špliňo, Roman Prymula, Jiří Beran

Cent Eur J Public Health 2006, 14(3):103