[Snake bites]. / Ukaszenia przez zmije.

Vipera berus is the only viper i.e. venomous (poisonous) snake that is found in Poland. Snakebites occur rarely und usually follow attempts of catching the viper or accidental treading on it. Appropriate treatment consists of administering specific antivenom serum (antivenin). Four cases of snakebites hospitalized in 1989-1995 in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the University Medical School in Bialystok are reported.

[Detection of the parasite Giardia intestinalis during feces examination with immunoenzymatic and microscopic methods]. / Wykrywalnosc pasozyta Giardia intestinalis w badaniach koproskopowych metoda immunoenzymatyczna i mikroskopowa.

Detection rate of G. intestionalis in feces with direct microscopy has been compared with the immuno-enzymatic technique detecting protein GSA 65 with Alexon Inc., ProSpec T/Giardia reagents kit. The results obtained with both methods have further been compared with those obtained by microscopic examination of the duodenal content. Detectability of Giardia intestinalis with EIA technique with the use of ready-made kit has been assessed. Feces have been collected from 371 patients. Protein GSA 65 has been present in 170 samples, 45.8%, examined with the use of ProSpec-T/Giardia kit. Giardia intestinalis cysts have been detected microscopically in the feces of 37 patients, i.e., in 22.3%. Microscopic examinations carried out by three independent examinators have shown marked diversity in the rate of positive results, being 0.1% (examinator A), 28.6% (B), and 45.2% (C). Comparison of G. intestinale detectability of all 3 techniques used have shown absence of protein GSA 65 in 2 out of 9 examined patients. However, trophozoites have been present in the duodenal content. Test performed with kits made by Alexon Inc. and DIALAB have given 45.8% and 60.7% of the positive results, respectively.