Intercomparison exercises as a tool for improving the quality of radiochemical measurements in drinking waters - Radon-222 determinations.

The results of a European intercomparison on 222Rn in water were analyzed to evaluate the performances of standard and non-standard methods. Then, results obtained with a specific LSC method (ISO 13164-4) based on two-phase liquid scintillation counting which has been employed by a considerable number of participants were examined in detail. This ISO LSC method was proved to be accurate, reliable and its reproducibility has been also sufficient. The intercomparison could be used as a collaborative study and the analysis of its results allowed to estimate the method reproducibility.

Genetic classification of Cryptosporidium isolates from humans and calves in Slovenia.

To assess the importance of cattle as a source of human cryptosporidial infections in Slovenia, Cryptosporidium isolates from calves and humans with cryptosporidiosis were characterized genetically by direct DNA sequencing, targeting a variable region of the 60 subtypes', were identified, of which 7 were novel. In humans, C. hominis Ia (subtype IaA17R3) and Ib (IbA10G2) and Cryptosporidium parvum IIa (IIaA9G1R1, IIaA11G2R1, IIaA13R1, IIaA14G1R1, IIaA15G1R1, IIaA15G2R1, IIaA16G1R1, IIaA17G1R1 and IIaA19G1R1), IIc (IIcA5G3), and IIl (IIlA16R2) were recorded; this is the first record of the latter subtype in humans. In cattle, C. parvum IIa (IIaA13R1, IIaA15G2R1, IIaA16R1 and IIaA16G1R1) and IIl (IIlA16R2 and IIlA18R2) were recorded. Of the 15 subtypes identified, subtypes of C. parvum IIa were the most frequently encountered (>90%) in both humans and calves. The present findings suggest that zoonotic transmission plays an important role in sporadic human cryptosporidiosis in Slovenia.

Human alveolar echinococcosis in Slovenia.

Between January 2001 and December 2005, 1263 patients suspected of having echinococcosis were screened serologically by indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA). IHA-positive patient sera were then retested by western blot for confirmation and differentiation between Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis infection. Of 43 sera confirmed as Echinococcus-positive, nine appeared to be specific for alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by E. multilocularis. AE-positive serological results corresponded to the clinical and/or imaging findings concerning the patients' liver cysts. The detected incidence of AE was 0.45/10(5) inhabitants, which suggests that clinicians and health authorities in Slovenia should give greater attention to AE in the future.

Molecular characterisation of Cryptosporidium isolates from humans in Slovenia.

Twenty-nine faecal specimens from Slovenian patients in which Cryptosporidium oocysts had been identified were studied. A fragment of the Cryptosporidium 18S rRNA gene and a fragment of the Cryptosporidium COWP gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Cryptosporidium parvum was identified in 26 of the 29 specimens, Cryptosporidium hominis in two, and Cryptosporidium cervine genotype in one. The fact that C. parvum, which is associated traditionally with animals, was identified in the majority of human faecal specimens suggests that cryptosporidiosis may have primarily a zoonotic origin in Slovenia.

Seasonal variations in acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Slovenia.

Between December 1999 and December 2004, 40 081 pregnant women were examined for toxoplasmosis with Toxo-IgG, Toxo-IgM enzyme immunoassay. Women with positive results were then retested with the Toxo-IgG avidity assay for recent toxoplasmosis. Recent acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be significantly more frequent (p < 0.01) during winter than summer. The incidence of acute toxoplasmosis during winter-spring was also significantly more frequent (p < 0.025) than summer-autumn. This phenomenon should be taken into account when formulating preventive measures for toxoplasmosis, especially for pregnant women.

Acanthamoeba corneal infection in a contact lens wearer.

Corneal infections cause by micro-organisms are the most serious complications of wearing contact lenses. The paper presents the first case of contact lens-associated keratitis caused by the protozoon Acanthamoeba sp. identified in Slovenia so far. The identification of Acanthamoeba as a cause of keratitis in a soft contact lens wearer alerted us to the fact that this health issue should be given more attention in the future.

Incidence of Blastocystis hominis in patients with diarrhoea.

We studied the occurrence of the parasite Blastocystis hominis in 1066 stool specimens from patients with diarrhoea, and investigated the relationship between the presence of B. hominis in the faeces and the age of patients. The parasite was recovered from 3.7% samples, but as the sole species of micro-organism in the stool it was recovered from 1% samples. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of B. hominis-positive stools between the younger and the older patients (P < 0.25), yet in the latter, B. hominis was more frequently identified as the only species of micro-organism as compared with the younger group (P < 0.005). The presence of B. hominis in faecal samples of patients with diarrhoea harbouring no other intestinal pathogens suggests an aetiology that should receive more attention in Slovenia.

Subcutaneous infection caused by Dirofilaria repens imported to Slovenia.

A case of human subcutaneous dirofilariasis is presented. A complete nematode removed from the tumour in the occipital region of a 61-year-old woman was identified, on the basis of its anatomical and histological characteristics, as a nongravid adult female of the species Dirofilaria repens. The patient had probably been infected on the Canary Islands, Spain, 7 months previously. In the future, the clinical and laboratory staff in Slovenia will have to be more alert to the possibility of dirofilariasis in patients with subcutaneous tumours, particularly in individuals who had travelled to endemic areas several months or years before the tumour was detected.

Slovenian-Romanian bilateral intercomparison on tritium samples.

A Slovenian laboratory from the Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI) and a Romanian laboratory from the National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies (ICIT) performed bilateral intercomparisons of tritium determination in environmental samples. On the basis of the results, the measurement and analysis methods were compared. Comparability and traceability were confirmed with the results from international radioactivity proficiency test exercises organized by IAEA and NPL where both laboratories participated. New knowledge gained leads to harmonized, precise and traceable results of low level tritium environmental samples measurements.

Detection of Fukushima plume within regular Slovenian environmental radioactivity surveillance.

After the Fukushima accident aerosol and rain water samples collected within regular national monitoring programmes were carefully analysed. In rain water samples, aerosol and iodine filters collected in the second half of March and in April 2011 I-131, Cs-134 and Cs-137 were detected. In May 2011 the activities of I-131 and Cs-134 were close or below the detection limit and Cs-137 reached values from the period before the Fukushima accident. Additionally plutonium and americium activity concentrations in aerosol filters were analysed. These measured data were compared with measured data after the Chernobyl contamination in Slovenia in 1986. We can conclude that with adequate regular monitoring programmes influences of radioactivity contamination due to nuclear accidents worldwide can be properly assessed.

Toxocara antibodies in patients with visceral or ocular disorder in Slovenia.

The incidence of Toxocara antibodies was determined in 319 sera from patients suspected of having Toxocara infection. Serological responses were compared with clinical manifestations and age of the patients. A seropositive reaction was found in 24% of the patients. Highly positive results (OD 0.510-1.000 and OD > 1.000) by ELISA were obtained significantly more frequently in younger patients than in older ones (p < 0.005). The percentage of seropositive patients with visceral disorder was found to decrease with age, whereas the proportion of seropositive patients with ocular disorder increased with age. Serologically confirmed Toxocara infection in Slovenia alerted us to the fact that this health issue should be given due attention in the future.

Subcutaneous myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis.

A case of subcutaneous myiasis caused by the larvae of the Dermatobia hominis fly is described, involving the ankle region of a 25-y-old man who had returned from Peru. After removal of 4 larvae from the affected sites, the lesions healed in 2 weeks without further treatment. Because of the increasing number of people travelling to tropical America, physicians in Slovenia will have to consider Dermatobia myiasis in the differential diagnosis of furuncular lesions in patients with a relevant travel history.

Serological screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy in Slovenia.

In the period from 1981 to 1994, serological screening for toxoplasmosis was carried out in 20,953 pregnant women in Slovenia. Seropositivity among pregnant women was found to have decreased from 52% in the 1980s to 37% in the recent period, 1991-94, while during the same period the incidence of suspected primary infections acquired in pregnancy rose from 0.33% to 0.75%. These latest figures ought to promote an informed debate on the possible need for obligatory serological screening of pregnant women in Slovenia for toxoplasmosis.

Incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in the Republic of Slovenia.

Over a 12-month period, 3959 pregnant women were systematically tested with the Sabin-Feldman dye test in order to assess the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Slovenia. The results suggest that this is approximately 3/1000 live births. This relatively high incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Slovenia may make the costing of preventive screening programmes justifiable.