Epidemiological study on the incidence of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in five Western Balkan countries for a 10-year period: 2006-2015.

BACKGROUND: Large-scale epidemics of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) have been reported mostly in Asia and Europe, with around 100,000 people affected each year. In the Southeast Europe, Balkan region, HFRS is endemic disease with approximately 100 cases per year. Our aim was to describe epidemiological characteristics of HFRS in five Western Balkan (WB) countries and to describe correlation between HFRS incidence and major meteorological event that hit the area in May 2014. METHODS: National surveillance data of HFRS from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia obtained from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2015 were collected and analysed. RESULTS: In a 10-year period, a total of 1,065 HFRS patients were reported in five WB countries. Cumulative incidence rate ranged from 0.05 to 15.80 per 100.000 inhabitants (in North Macedonia and Montenegro respectively). Increasing number of HFRS cases was reported with a peak incidence in three specific years (2008, 2012, and 2014). Average incidence for the entire area was higher in males than females (5.63 and 1.90 per 100.000 inhabitants respectively). Summer was the season with the highest number of cases and an average incidence rate of 1.74/100.000 inhabitants across 10-year period. Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome incidence was significantly increased (7.91/100.000 inhabitants) in 2014, when a few months earlier, severe floods affected several WB countries. A strong significant negative correlation (r = -.84, p < .01) between the monthly incidence of HFRS and the number of months after May's floods was demonstrated for the total area of WB. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the HFRS incidence had similar distribution (general, age, sex and seasonality) across majority of the included countries. Summer was the season with the highest recorded incidence. Common epidemic years were detected in all observed countries as well as a negative correlation between the monthly incidence of HFRS and the number of months after May's cyclone.

[Violence and injuries among school children in the Republic of Serbia].

INTRODUCTION: There are only a limited number of researches on the frequency, extent, causality and the location of injuries among young people. It is difficult to say to which extent the risky behavior in youth is really spread, because there are no routine data on this issue. In the Republic of Srpska, the first nationwide survey on health behavior of school aged children was conducted, comprising a very important area of health behavior related to injuries, violence and harassment. The aim of this paper was to investigate the risky behavior of school children in the Republic of Srpska in relation to injuries, violence and harassment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted throughout the entire territory of the Republic of Srpska during 2002, on a selected sample of schools and covered a total of 1783 pupils, 15 years of age. The survey instrument was the international standard questionnaire, modified for the Republic of Srpska region. RESULTS: Almost a quarter of all polled school children of both sexes have participated in fights. More than 10% of boys carry weapons. Injuries have mostly occurred during sports activities, on sports grounds (35.8%), at home (26.9%), in the school yard (14.5%), in the street or parking lots (11.4%) and in the countryside (5.6%). CONCLUSION: The existing violence and injuries among school children indicate a clear need for improvement of mutual communication and tolerance among pupils and involvement of all relevant community members: parents, teachers, health workers and the entire society in health education of school children.