Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Borcić.
The authors present data from the Republic of Croatia on schizophrenia rates in a birth cohort prenatally exposed to the 1957 A2 influenza epidemic and in comparison (unexposed) birth cohorts. The rate of schizophrenia did not differ significantly between the exposed and unexposed cohorts.
Between 1986-1988 sera from 245 game animals--37 roe deers, 102 red deers, 81 wild boars and 25 hares--shot in 8 different localities of Nort Croatia, a well-known nosoareal of tick-borne encephalitis, were tested for TBE virus heminhibiting antibodies. The following percentages of positive animals were found: 24, 39, 39 and 0% respectively. Most of the animals examined, 180 of them, were shot in lowland woods of the commune of Nasice and its surroundings. There the percentage of positive animals was somewhat higher: 36, 41, 42 and 0 respectively. As these animals regularly participate in the feeding cycle of the ubiquitous wood tick Ixodes ricinus, the main vector of the tick-borne meningoencephalitis virus, it is infered that they (the hare being excluded in this study), apart from myomorphous mammals, play an important role in the transmission chain of the tick-borne meningoencephalitis virus in the respective natural foci of this zoonosis.
A group of 67 health workers with no markers indicating previous hepatitis B infection were vaccinated against hepatitis B with a new DNA recombinant vaccine, Engerix B (commercially manufactured by Smith-Kline-RIT, Belgium). Three injections were given according to the 0-1-6 schedule. One month after the last injection the vaccinees were tested for anti-HBs antibodies by the enzyme-linked assay. Antibody titers equal or less than 10 mIU/ml were found only in three subjects or in 4.5% of them. Titers ranging from 11 to 99 mIU/ml were found in 7 subjects (10.4%), from 100 to 999 mIU/ml in 28 (41.8%) and those equal or more than 1000 mIU/ml in 29 subjects (43.3%). It is inferred that the seroconversion rate is 95.5%. Only one subject did not develop detectable antibodies but three subjects had titers over 10000 mIU/ml. No one developed overt hepatitis B during the trial nor did the high responders experienced inapparent infections. They were tested for anti HBc with negative results. Postvaccinal reactions were mild and almost exclusively local. There were no complications. For its high immunogenicity and acceptable reactogenicity the Engerix B vaccine has a promising future.
An outbreak of legionnaires' disease and epidemic control measures taken at one of our hotels are described. Twenty (1% morbidity) hotel guests were affected with one dying. As a result of field investigations and survey the hot water supply system has been identified as the source of infection. Control measures which created conditions unfavourable to Legionella growth and replication in the hot water system stopped the outbreak.
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The live Edmonston-Zagreb measles vaccine is currently produced either on chick-embryo fibroblasts (CEF) or on human diploid cells (HDC). Its stability meets the WHO requirements. Since the vaccine licensure in 1967 the Edmonston-Zagreb measles virus strain has been administered to over 20 million vaccinees either as a monovalent vaccine or as a component of the combined MR, MMR and MM vaccines. Immunogenicity studies have shown the persistence of the elicited HI antibody for a minimum of 16 years. In children aged 13-17 months a greater than 95% seroconversion was recorded after subcutaneous administration both CEF and HDC vaccines. The vaccine has also been shown to be highly immunogenic when administered intranasally. In 6-12 month old infants the Edmonston-Zagreb monovalent vaccine elicited a 100% HI antibody response after both s.c. and i.n. administration. The GMT of antibody 42 days after vaccination was significantly higher in those given HDC vaccine, regardless of the age of the vaccinees or the route of immunization.
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Small mammals trapped in seven sites along the river Sava in Croatia were examined for leptospiral infection by renoculture and serological methods. Of the 1749 animals caught 702 were examined by renoculture method and 626 were tested by microagglutination-lysis. The dominant animals species caught were Microtus arvalis (672 animals) and Apodemus agrarius (552 animals). Of the 115 strains of leptospires isolated the dominant serotypes were L. grippotyphosa (40) and L. pomona (35). Five strains of L. sejroe, 9 strains of L. australis, 1 strain of L. bataviae and 25 undetermined strains were isolated, the infection rate ranging from 3 to 32%. Serologic evidence of infection was demonstrated in 91 animals, the prevalence ranging from 0 to 43% of animals depending on the trapping site. Specific agglutinins most frequently encountered were those against L. pomona (50) and L. grippotyphosa (26), though agglutinins against L. jalna (5), L. bataviae (4), L. bratislava (3) etc., were also found. A high degree if association between L. grippotyphosa and the common vole as well as between L. pomona and the field mouse was found indicating that as far as these two types of leptospires are concerned the Sava valley may be considered as their vast natural focus. It was also concluded that wild small mammals in this region of Croatia may be a source of leptospiral infection for the local population as well as for outdoor-reared domestic animals (swine, bovine).
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