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Foodborne illnesses represent a substantial cause for disease among the population. The Norwegian fermented fish is a traditional way of conserving fish during winter. If wrongly prepared or stored, fish contaminated with Clostridium botulinum may be contaminated with neurotoxin due to favorable conditions for the anaerobic bacterium. The classical form of botulism is due to ingestion of preformed neurotoxin in food that has been contaminated with spores. Hygiene is one of the main preventive factors in order to decrease contamination of the fish with unwanted bacteria, including C. botulinum. Norwegian fermented fish („rakfisk“) is made with attention to key steps and strategies to prevent contamination by bacteria, with C. botulinum especially. The temperature and salt concentration are some of the most important hurdles in order to prevent unwanted microbial growth. The hurdle principle refers to a combination of obstacles which are placed to have a safe end-product. Botulism is a rare disease in Norway, but it does occur. As such it is still relevant when discussing „rakfisk“, especially if it is homemade. Clinicians should be aware of botulism and „rakfisk“ could provide an important diagnostic clue when the condition is suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To document the status of imported malaria infections and estimate the costs of treating of patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of imported malaria in the Slovak Republic during 2003 to 2008. Case study Calculating and comparing the direct and indirect costs of treatment of patients diagnosed with imported malaria (ICD-10: B50 - B54) who used and not used chemoprophylaxis. The target sample included 19 patients diagnosed with imported malaria from 2003 to 2008, with 11 whose treatment did not include chemoprophylaxis and eight whose treatment did. Results The mean direct cost of malaria treatment for patients without chemoprophylaxis was 1,776.0 EUR, and the mean indirect cost 524.2 EUR. In patients with chemoprophylaxis the mean direct cost was 405.6 EUR, and the mean indirect cost 257.4 EUR. Conclusions The analysis confirmed statistically-significant differences between the direct and indirect costs of treatment with and without chemoprophylaxis for patients with imported malaria.

Objective This experimental study evaluated the anti-asthmatic capacity of the dihydroxyflavone chrysin in the settings of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic inflammation. Methods The parameters that were used to assess the anti-asthmatic activity of chrysin included the specific airway resistance to histamine, the sensitivity to a chemically induced cough and the activity of chrysin on the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of the respiratory epithelium. The anti-inflammatory potential was confirmed by the measurement of cytokine concentrations Th2 (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13), Th1 (Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], INF-γ and IL-12), leucocyte count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and growth factor TBF-β1 in lung homogenate. Key findings Chronic administration of chrysin (30 mg/kg/day for 21 days) to OVA-sensitised guinea pigs showed bronchodilatory activity comparable to that of long-acting β 2 receptors agonist (LABA) salmeterol. Chrysin revealed antitussive efficiency but was not able to abolish the negative effect of OVA on CBF. Chrysin managed to ameliorate the progression of chronic airway inflammation by decreasing the count of eosinophils, lymphocytes and basophils, IL-5, L-13, GM-CSF, INF-γ in BALF, and TGF-β1 in lung homogenate. Conclusions The acquired results support the complex anti-asthmatic profile of chrysin. The flavone may represent an attractive compound for further studies concerning the prevention or treatment of asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to show that the multi-step algorithm contributes to fast and more accurate diagnostics and enables to start an early treatment of C.difficile infection (CDI). Materials for the study was 2,894 stool samples suspected of having CDI, were analyzed retrospectively. The biological samples from a nearby region were tested by different testing methods in Klinicka Biochemia laboratory in Zilina. The laboratory diagnosis was performed according to two- or three- step algorithm. The cultivation methods and identification of C.dificille strains by MALDI-TOF MS was performed. Most of the samples suspected of CDI could be assessed as negative within the applied two-step algorithm. In discordant results - samples with GDH positive and toxins A/B negative results were tested by further methods with higher sensitivity - ELISA test and the real-time PCR method in three-strp algorithm. The most positive results were from the departments of internal medicine and long-term-care patients over 60 years of age. Seasonality has shown a slight increase in positivity in the spring and autumn months, especially in 2015. The algorithm contributed to increasing the accuracy of the CDI suspect samples to reduce morbidity and mortality as well as the economic burden on CDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the risks associated with inequalities in vaccination coverage among the European population. Topics covered include adverse reaction of MMR vaccination according to the Summary of Product Characteristics and literature, direct cost of diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated measles and common complications, and cases of imported measles by refugees.