Giardia duodenalis and Giardia enterica in children: first evidence of assemblages A and B in Eastern Slovakia.

For an overview on the occurrence of Giardia assemblages in children in Eastern Slovakia, we examined 259 faecal samples of children from the segregated settlement in Medzev, 30 samples of children from the orphanage in Medzev and 40 samples of children with autism from the Special Elementary School in Kosice. Thirty-eight samples (14.67 %) from the segregated settlement, 19 samples (63.33 %) from the orphanage and two samples (5.0 %) from the Special Elementary School were positive for Giardia by flotation. The initial microscopic diagnostics were completed by the genotyping of the triosephosphate isomerase-gene loci (tpi genes) which revealed the existence of two Giardia assemblages in Slovak population, namely Giardia duodenalis (assemblage A) and Giardia enterica (assemblage B). These results represent the first evidence of A and B assemblages in children in Slovakia. Epidemiological significance and the impact on the public health of Giardia infection are highlighted.

Seroprevalence of human Toxocara infections in the Roma and non-Roma populations of Eastern Slovakia: a cross-sectional study.

Socioeconomic conditions and health of the Roma population, the most numerous minority in Europe, are worse than that of the non-Roma population. Information about the occurrence of human toxocarosis and other parasitic diseases in the Roma population is scarce or completely missing. The aim of this study was to map the seroprevalence of toxocarosis in the population living in segregated Roma settlements and to compare the data with the occurrence of antibodies in the non-Roma population of Eastern Slovakia. The seropositivity to Toxocara in 429 examined Roma inhabitants of segregated settlements reached 22·1%, while only 4/394 samples of the non-Roma population were found to be positive (odds ratio 27·7, P < 0·0001). Headache, muscle pain, influenza-like symptoms and diarrhoea occurred significantly more often in seropositive persons than in seronegative individuals. In the Roma population positivity was not influenced by gender, level of education and poverty, but age, lack of sanitary facilities and heating with wood significantly increased the risk of infection. It can be assumed that besides the high prevalence of toxocarosis, other parasitic diseases and communicable diseases will also be more prevalent in the Roma population living in segregated settlements.

Significantly higher occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in Roma children compared with non-Roma children in Slovakia.

Cryptosporidiosis is considered to be a widespread world zoonosis. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium species was investigated in Roma children in a district of Eastern Slovakia and, at the same time, also in children of non-Roma parents. In total, 103 children (54 boys and 49 girls) between 0 and 14 years of age were involved in this study. Fifty-three were Roma children and 50 children represented a non-Roma control group. Fecal samples were examined: immunologically [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test to prove antigen in the feces] and by molecular analysis [nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR)]. After the sequencing of the PCR, the products were identified as species of Cryptosporidium muris. Based on the results, the relative risk (RR) of the Cryptosporidium infection occurrence was calculated and we came to the conclusion that the risk of Cryptosporidium infection was almost 12 times higher in the Roma children compared to the non-Roma children.

Urogenital chlamydiosis among Slovak women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of urogenital chlamydial infections in women from Eastern Slovakia and to compare the occurrence in women with and without clinical signs of disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined a total of 1978 women from Eastern Slovakia for the presence of C. trachomatis over a three year period. Antichlamydial antibodies of classes IgG and IgA were detected by ELISA while PCR was applied to detect pathogen. RESULTS: 3.6 % of the population had presence of antibodies while 10.1 % of the women showed presence of bacteria by PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained results when compared with clinical examination revealed clear distinction, which was age dependent. Lower age categories were more likely affected by acute infection with positivity for IgA and IgG antibodies as well as PCR. Middle age categories showed significantly higher level of IgG antibodies in comparison to IgA, while pathogen was readily detected by PCR. In women older than 51 years the results reflected more likely a past infection that is presence of only IgG and negative PCR (Tab. 4, Ref. 18).

Chlamydophila felis in cats--are the stray cats dangerous source of infection?

Chlamydophila felis is a causative agent of acute or chronic conjunctivitis, and pneumonia in cats. Natural transmission mostly occurs consequently to close contact with other infected cats, their aerosol and fomites. We have examined 93 cats with symptoms of acute or chronic conjunctivitis, from Kosice region in Slovakia, during the period of 2 years. Conjunctival samples were obtained from 55 domestic cats (59.14%) and 38 stray cats (40.86%). Of the total number of 93 examined animals, 42 cats were positive, which represents 45.16% overall positivity. Out of the 42 positive cats, 25 cats were stray and 17 positive cats were classified as domestic, which means that of 38 stray cats, 25 were positive (which represented 65.78% positivity) and of 55 domestic cats, 17 were positive (positivity was 30.90%). Our results showed that cats, especially stray cats, could be a dangerous source of chlamydiosis for humans.

[Detection of anti-microsporidial antibodies in patients with secondary immunodeficiency]. / Sledovanie výskytu antimikrosporídiových protilátok u pacientov so sekundárnou imunodeficienciou.

Microsporidia are a group of eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites that infect most invertebrates and all classes of vertebrates, including man. In human population, microsporidia are emerging as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. Two groups of human sera (318 serum samples) were tested by ELISA for the presence of specific antimicrosporidial (anti-Encephalitozoon intestinalis) antibodies. Group 1 included 120 patients with secondary immunodeficiency, group 2 consisted of 198 immunocompetent controls. Anti-Encephalitozoon intestinalis antibodies were detected in 29 (24.16%) patients and 20 (10.1%) immunocompetent controls. The difference in prevalence of antibodies against Encephalitozoon intestinalis between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05%).

[Microsporidial infections in immunocompromised hospitalized patients]. / Mikrosporidiálne infekcie u imunokompromitovaných hospitalizovaných pacientov.

Microsporidia Encephalitozoon cuniculi, obligate intracellular sporeforming protozoan parasite infecting a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate host, has been described as opportunistic pathogen in severely immunocompromised human host. An antibody immune response to the presence of antibodies against Encephalitozoon cuniculi was investigated serologically using indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Of the total number of 113 sera from immunologically compromised patients examined, 5 were positive at the titre 1:32, 5 at the titre 1:64, and 6 at the titre 1:256. From total number of positive respondent patients were 12 children and 4 adults.

The first finding of antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in cows in Slovakia.

The presence of antibodies against Encephalitozoon cuniculi in cows was observed by the method of indirect immunofluorescence (IFAT). The animals reacting at the titre 1:64 and more were considered positive. Of the total number of 55 sera examined, 20 were positive at the titre 1:64, from which four were positive at the titre 1:256 also. Our results indicate that it is very important to carry out screening examinations in large-scale breeding of cattle due to the persistent high percentage of bovine abortions and disorders in the reproductive cycle of unknown etiology.

Lethal encephalitozoonosis in cyclophosphamide-treated rabbits.

Encephalitozoonosis is an opportunistic infection in animals and humans. Its clinical form is observed in immunosuppressed hosts. We studied the occurrence of the manifest form of rabbit microsporidiosis under cyclophosphamide immunomodulation in 40 New Zealand rabbits. The experimental animals were intraperitoneally infected with 5 x 10(7) Encephalitozoon cuniculi spores. Two weeks after infection the animals were treated intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide, first with 50 mg/kg and then with 15 mg/kg weekly during the 12-week experimental period. Positive controls were either E. cuniculi-infected or cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed animals. The negative control rabbits remained untreated. Both clinical signs of encephalitozoonosis and depression of peripheral blood cell count developed between weeks 4 and 6 in the experimental animals which died during week 6 of the experiment. No clinical signs compatible with encephalitozoonosis were observed in any of the controls. The results suggest that immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide can give rise to a lethal form of encephalitozoonosis.

[Encephalitozoon cuniculi--clinical and epidemiologic significance. Results of a preliminary serologic study in humans]. / Encephalitozoon cuniculi--klinický a epidemiologický význam. Výsledky orientacného sérologického vysetrenia u l'udí.

Recently attention in human medicine has been drawn to encephalitozoonoses. Increased liability to develop the infection is found in particular in people with an impaired immunobiological condition. Evidence of this are more numerous infections in AIDS patients. However, the impact of encephalitozoonoses cannot be ruled out in other groups of patients. This calls however for specific aimed investigations. The authors examined 98 sera of employees of a slaughterhouse for encephalitozoonosis. Five sera (5.1%) were positive. Sera of 92 forestry workers, 22 dog breeders and 150 blood donors were negative. In future it will be necessary to focus attention on seropositive subjects in conjunction with the possible transmission of the disease from animals to man.