Interactions between Babesia microti merozoites and rat kidney cells in a short-term in vitro culture and animal model.

Babesiosis is one of the most common infections in free-living animals and is rapidly becoming significant among human zoonoses. Cases of acute renal failure in humans caused by Babesia spp. have been described in the literature. The kidneys are characterised by intense blood flow through the blood vessels, which increases the likelihood of contact with the intra-erythrocyte parasite. The aim of this study was to observe the influence of B. microti (ATCC 30221) on renal epithelial cells in vitro cultured (NRK-52E line) and Wistar rats' kidney. Both NRK-52E cells and rats' kidney sections were analysed by light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Necrotic changes in renal epithelial cells have been observed in vitro and in vivo. In many cross-sections through the rats' kidney, adhesion of blood cells to the vascular endothelium, accumulation of erythrocytes and emboli were demonstrated. In NRK-52E culture, elements with a distinctly doubled cell membrane resembling B. microti were found inside the cytoplasm and adjacent to the cell layer. The study indicates a chemotactic tendency for B. microti to adhere to the renal tubules' epithelium, a possibility of piroplasms entering the renal epithelial cells, their proliferation within the cytoplasm and emboli formation.

Outbreaks of nosocomial infections in Poland in the years 2011-2015

INTRODUCTION: In hospitals outbreaks of nosocomial infections are recorded i.e. the occurrence of at least two clearly related cases of infections. In these outbreaks not only patients but also hospital staff are getting infected. Due to the fact, that nosocomial infections are inseparably related to the hospitalisation of the patients, there is a need to build a culture of active surveillance of emerging infections and their reporting to the authorities of the State Sanitary Inspection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This article was developed on the basis of the information gathered in the report about the occurrence of outbreaks in entities carrying out the medical activities. This report is the result of the analysis of the preliminary reports submitted by the hospitals in the cases where there was a suspicion of or an epidemic outbreak and the final reports of the epidemic outbreak suppressions. RESULTS: In the years 2011-2015 in all hospitals in Poland a total number of 1 912 outbreaks of nosocomial infections was reported; in those outbreaks 15 282 patients and 1 226 medical personnel were infected. The biggest numbers of outbreaks of nosocomial infections were reported in the voivodeships: Masovia and Silesia. The most frequently etiological factor was Clostridium difficile; it caused 519 hospital outbreaks. Out of the viral factors, most of the outbreaks were due to the rotavirus - 359 of such instances. In addition to the numerous bacterial and viral factors, the outbreaks of nosocomial infections were also caused by fungi and parasites.

Induction of Apoptosis in Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts Infected with Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato.

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. can enter into different eukaryotic cells. Intracellular localization of bacteria may cause many changes in different cell pathways like apoptosis-mediated caspase cascade. The present studies focused on gene expression associated with caspase cascade after normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) infection with Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii, and B. burgdorferi s.s. The use of oligonucleotide microarray technique enabled an expression level comparison of genes associated with caspase cascade in NHDF infected with spirochetes. The increased expression of genes associated with caspase cascade was observed in case of CASP5, CASP2, CARD10, CASP10, MALT1, and NLRP1. The decreased expression was observed in case of CASP4, CASP6, and CASP1. The mRNA expression for CASP3 was inhibited in cells infected with three genospecies of Borrelia. However, the intensity of fluorescence was not statistically significant. In addition, cell cultures were fixed and procedure of caspase-3 detection and the TUNEL assay were performed. The in situ caspase-3 detection procedure confirmed the results obtained from microarray analyses. Only several fluorescent signals were observed. Many apoptotic cells were detected in NHDF-infected cultures with all spirochete genospecies found using the TUNEL reaction.

The epidemiological situation of chickenpox in the Silesian voivodeship in the years 2011-2015 in view of data of the situation in Poland / Sytuacja epidemiologiczna ospy wietrznej na terenie województwa slaskiego w latach 2011-2015 w swietle danych dotyczacych sytuacji w Polsce

INTRODUCTION: Despite the availability of preventive vaccination against chickenpox, this form of prevention is rarely used and is not available to the entire population of children. In order to evaluate an acquired immunity against the virus Varicella-Zoster examining of the presence of specific IgG antibodies to VZV in serum or plasma is required. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological situation of chickenpox in Slaskie Voivodeship in 2011-2015. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The evaluation of the epidemiological situation of chickenpox in the past five years was based on analysis of data from the bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland" for the period 2011-2014 and 2015 data, received from the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations. Analysis of the vaccinated population was made on the basis of data available in the bulletin "Vaccinations in Poland" for the period 2011-2014 and 2015 data obtained from the NIPH-PZH. Samples of patients from Slaskie were tested with the use of Novalisa Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) IgG - ELISA (Novatec Immunodiagnostic GMBH, Germany). Samples were delivered to the Laboratory of the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in the course of 2011-2015. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2015, in Slaskie, 136 094 chickenpox cases were registered (14% of all occurring in Poland). Based on the number of cases, Slaskie is ranked second place, just after Mazowieckie, in which during the same period of time 143 392 illness were registered. The average annual incidence in Slaskie was 591 per 100 thousand residents. Between 2011 and 2015, a total of 360 serum samples were examined. The percentage of positive IgG in each year ranged between 59.6 and 75.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting vaccination and preventing the sick children to contact the healthy ones as well as the protection of adults susceptible to infection can improve the epidemiological situation regarding incidences of chickenpox. Thanks to vaccines the risk of incidence of chickenpox can be reduced or even the incidences can be prevented. Information about acquired immunity, acquired before the pregnancy, allows to take the action in order to protect the mother from getting chickenpox in form of a preventive vaccination.

Application of a real-time PCR method for Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens detection in water samples.

The diagnostic assessment of water sanitary state is based mainly on the cultivation of bacteria retained on membrane filters. However classical microbiology methods have a lot of disadvantages. More and more frequently, rapid detection and identification of pathogens present in water is based on molecular biology techniques. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and usefulness of a real-time PCR method, when compared to the recommended bacteria culture method, in diagnostics of pathogens in water samples. The research concerned the detection and identification of main sanitary indicators of water such as: Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens. The analyses were conducted in water samples contaminated with the reference material (the aforementioned bacteria) and real environmental samples, which were examined for the presence of nucleic acid of: Salmonella spp., E. coli, S. aureus and C. perfringens using a real-time PCR method.