[Evaluation of professional training of occupational medical personnel in Latvia].

System of training for occupational health and safety experts and occupational physicians has been analyzed in comparison with one of the most reliable occupational health and safety indicators--occupational diseases level and its changes during 1981-2010. Increased number of occupational diseases has been registered since 1996, reaching maximum in 2009 with 138.6 cases of occupational diseases per 100 000 employees.

[Analysis of health concept in low-educated workers of 4 European Union countries for improving efforts to preserve health at workplace].

Study carried out in 4 EC countries revealed significant differences in attitude towards health between two examined groups of workers with various education levels, and between countries. Low-educated workers, when compared to more educated workers, are different in acceptable information sources on health state and in general view of study.

[Work conditions, risk factors on workplace and their influence on workers' health in Latvia].

The authors demonstrated changes in occupational morbidity in Latvia over 1996-2007--that characterizes general state of the work safety system functioning. Analysis of occupational morbidity structure and occupational accidents rate proved trends of changes in those parameters. Considerably higher occupational morbidity was seen since 1996 to 2004. Afterwards slight decrease in the morbidity was demonstrated, but since 2007 the occupational morbidity increased again. Occupational incidence per 100,000 workers was 20.4 in 1996, 184.5 in 2004, 139.3 in 2007. Occupational accidents rate per 100,000 workers reached 163 in 1996 and 194 in 2007.

Clinical aspects of the health disturbances in Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident clean-up workers (liquidators) from Latvia.

The health status of some 6,000 workers from Latvia who went to clean-up the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) site following the explosion on 26 April 1986 has been analyzed. The data on these workers have been recorded in the Latvian State Register of Occupational disease patients and people exposed to ionizing radiation due to Chernobyl NPP accident (Latvian State Register) that was established in 1994. From these data, estimates have been made of external ionizing radiation to which these workers were exposed together with observations on the impact of exposure to heavy metals (especially lead and zinc) and radioactive isotopes released during the reactor 'meltdown'. These factors along with psycho-emotional and social-economic stresses account for a marked excess of mortality and morbidity in the group of CNPP accident clean-up workers compared with that of the non-exposed normal Latvian population adjusted for age and sex. The number of diseases or conditions in the CNPP accident clean-up workers has progressively risen from an average of 1.3 in 1986 to 10.9 in 2007. This exceeds for the Latvian population when adjusted for age and sex. The most serious conditions affect the nervous, digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine (especially thyroid) and immunological systems. While the morbidity associated with diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems has decreased in recent years that in the other systems is increasing. In recent years, there has been an increased occurrence of cancers affecting the thyroid, prostate and stomach. Clinical and laboratory investigations suggest that surviving CNPP accident clean-up workers exhibit signs of immuno-inflammatory reactions causing premature aging with evidence of autoimmune diseases and immunological deficiencies or abnormalities. It is suggested that the CNPP accident clean-up workers may have a specific syndrome, the 'Chernobyl post-radiation neurosomatic polypathy', due to sustained oxidant stress injury, as a result of exposure to radiation and lead.

[Occupational medicine in Latvia]. / Meditsina truda Latvii.

New system of occupational medicine in Latvia is under development already for 10 years. The biggest efforts have been invested in creation of legal basis harmonized to the legislation of EU and extensive training of specialists. The State Labour Inspectorate was established, the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health and other medical institutions have been reorganised. A new system of information is under construction; as well as new hygienic standards are being elaborated.

[Industrial medicine in Latvia]. / Meditsina truda v Latvii.

The authors have reflected new trends in occupational health in Latvia. At present the whole system of general health care in Latvia is under consolidation and reconstruction. Thus, the occupational health and safety system of Latvia, as a nature part of general health care system is also under changes and reconstruction. Today Latvia's workforce consist of 1.68 million people, working in a large number of workplaces, mainly in industry and agriculture. There are still very hazardous working conditions in many workplaces. The total number of diagnosed occupational diseases ranges from 90 to 220 cases per year. If counted per 100,000 workers the rates of occupational diseases are 5.1 in 1981 and 23.4 in 1995. New system of occupational health is under development in Latvia. New legislation and regulations are published and extensive training for specialists provided. A new system of information is under construction as well as new hygienic standards. Main stress is paid to ensure that standards of EC are met.

[Problems of work hygiene and occupational pathology in industrial poultry breeding farms]. / Problemy gigieny truda i professional'noi patologii v ptitsevodstve na promyshlennoi osnove.

The major hazardous factors of the labour conditions in modern poultry farms are presented by dust mixtures including both vegetable and organic substances, biologically active substances and microorganisms, gaseous products, as well as unfavourable microclimate conditions and physical overload. Detailed medical examinations of poultry farmers revealed dependence of respiratory and pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular and nervous disorders on the labour conditions, the major etiologic factor being such allergens as feathers, down, blood serum, poultry excrements, bacteria and fungi.

[Immunological monitoring and correction of the immune disorders in allergic diseases in poultry growers]. / Immunologicheskii monitoring i korrektsiia immunnykh narushenii pri allergicheskikh zabolevaniiakh u ptitsevodov.

It was established that allergic diseases of poultry farmers were characterized by the shifts in immunoregulation expressed in terms of the decrease of the number of T-lymphocyte-suppressors, precursors of effectory and immunoregulatory T-lymphocytes, reduction of functional actifity of T- and B-cells along with an increase in the content of B-lymphocytes with antibody-dependent killers' sensitization and suppression of nonspecific protective factors. The results suggested that the use of immunomodulatory drugs helped to improve clinicoimmunologic indicators.

[Aerogenic microflora in animal husbandry and poultry breeding areas, criteria of its harmful effect and hygienic regulation]. / Aérogennaia mikroflora zhivotnovodicheskikh i ptitsevodicheskikh proizvodstvennykh pomeshchenii, kriterii ee vrednogo deistviia i gigienicheskaia reglamentatsiia.

In consequence of the analysis of workers' health status and microbic contamination of the working zone of animal and poultry husbandry production area the study established direct dependence of microorganism sensitization rate, incidence of infectious and allergic skin and respiratory diseases on microbic aerosol concentration. Feasibility of aerogenic microflora standardization was substantiated proceeding from the comparison of hygienic and clinical findings; MAC for microbic aerosol was set up for the working zone.