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Objectives: Yeasts may become potential human and animal pathogens, particularly for individuals with a depressed immune system. Their presence in the environment, especially in soil, may favour their spread into human ontocenoses. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four soil samples obtained from 21 children's recreational sites in Łódź in autumn 2010 and spring 2011 were evaluated. The yeasts were isolated by classical microbiological methods and identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical features. Results: The fungi were found in 73.8% and in 69.0% of the examined samples collected in autumn and spring, respectively. Among 97 isolates of yeasts, the species potentially pathogenic to humans and animals were Candida colliculosa, C. guilliermondii, C. humicola, C. inconspicua, C. lambica, C. lusitaniae, C. pelliculosa, C. tropicalis, Cryptococcus albidus, C. laurentii, C. neoformans, C. terreus, Kloeckera japonica, Geotrichum candidum, G. penicillatum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, R. glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Sporobolomyces salmonicolor and Trichosporon cutaneum. The most frequently isolated fungi included the genus Cryptococcus (38 isolates) and two species: Rhodotorula glutinis (15), Trichosporon cutaneum (14). C. neoformans, an etiological factor of cryptococcal meningitis, was present in the sandpits of 3 kindergartens. The Candida species were identified from park playgrounds and school sports fields mainly in autumn 2010 (14 isolates), in spring 2011 - only 1 isolate. The concentration of fungal species in particular samples varied considerably, but in the majority of samples, fungi were present at concentration of up to 1×102 CFU/1 g of soil. Conclusions: Yeasts were present in the soil of parks, schools and kindergarten recreational areas; the fact may pose a health risk to humans, especially to children, and this type of biological pollution should be regarded as a potential public health concern.

Objectives: Yeasts may become potential human and animal pathogens, particularly for individuals with a depressed immune system. Their presence in the environment, especially in soil, may favour their spread into human ontocenoses., Materials and Methods: Eighty-four soil samples obtained from 21 children's recreational sites in Łódź in autumn 2010 and spring 2011 were evaluated. The yeasts were isolated by classical microbiological methods and identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical features., Results: The fungi were found in 73.8% and in 69.0% of the examined samples collected in autumn and spring, respectively. Among 97 isolates of yeasts, the species potentially pathogenic to humans and animals were Candida colliculosa, C. guilliermondii, C. humicola, C. inconspicua, C. lambica, C. lusitaniae, C. pelliculosa, C. tropicalis, Cryptococcus albidus, C. laurentii, C. neoformans, C. terreus, Kloeckera japonica, Geotrichum candidum, G. penicillatum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, R. glutinis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Sporobolomyces salmonicolor and Trichosporon cutaneum. The most frequently isolated fungi included the genus Cryptococcus (38 isolates) and two species: Rhodotorula glutinis (15), Trichosporon cutaneum (14). C. neoformans, an etiological factor of cryptococcal meningitis, was present in the sandpits of 3 kindergartens. The Candida species were identified from park playgrounds and school sports fields mainly in autumn 2010 (14 isolates), in spring 2011 - only 1 isolate. The concentration of fungal species in particular samples varied considerably, but in the majority of samples, fungi were present at concentration of up to 1×10(2) CFU/1 g of soil., Conclusions: Yeasts were present in the soil of parks, schools and kindergarten recreational areas; the fact may pose a health risk to humans, especially to children, and this type of biological pollution should be regarded as a potential public health concern.

Objectives: The first aim was an attempt to evaluate the level of knowledge on Lyme disease among people whose profession involves working in the forest; the second--recognition of the health problems that should be included in health education programmes concerning Lyme disease in this group of professionals., Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 159 subjects., Results: Only 15% know the etiological factor of disease, 98%--the main cause of infection, and route of pathogen transmission., Conclusion: Propagation of knowledge on Lyme disease, particularly among risk group people, is not satisfactory. Little knowledge on tick risk among secondary school students indicate the necessity for cooperation between teachers, epidemiologists, and health service providers in order to propagate the knowledge on parasites, symptoms, spread and methods of prevention.

All over the world an increase in the number of subjects addicted to various chemical substances has been observed. The studies of their toxic effect on the hearing have been so far most frequently limited to acute intoxication or direct effect: there are no data concerning distant and persistent effects. The aim of the study was to determine the type of hearing loss in drug addicts and individuals drinking non-consumable alcohols, examined during the period of abstinence. A group of 210 subjects addicted to various substances was examined using acumetry test and tuning forks, as well as threshold, suprathreshold and speech audiometry. Taking into consideration the threshold results for particular subjects, the percentage of hearing loss for both ears was calculated using CPT index. Most frequent complaints connected with the organ of hearing, such as tinnitus and hearing impairment were reported by alcoholics and opioid addicts. In the age adjusted threshold audiometry, perceptive hearing loss was diagnosed in nearly 50% of the subjects. The percentage of hearing loss calculated for both ears, using CPT index, demonstrated the highest values in the group of subjects drinking non-consumable alcohols and addicted to volatile organic substances.