Lyme disease in Poland in 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia spirochetes transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. In Poland, Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease. The entire territory of Poland is recognized by ECDC as an endemic area of Lyme disease. Environmental factors and climate change are responsible for the increase in the number of tick habitats, which leads to an increased risk of Lyme disease. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study is to present the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland in 2019 compared to the previous year. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis of the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland was based on data sent to NIPH NIH - NRI by voivodeship sanitary-epidemiological stations and published in the bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland in 2019." RESULTS: In 2019, 20,630 cases of Lyme disease were registered, and 1,701 people were hospitalized. Compared to 2018, there was a shift in the incidence from the first and second quarter to the fourth quarter. The highest incidence of 107.7 / 100,000 population was recorded in the Podlaskie voivodeship, which has belonged to the voivodeships with the highest incidence in the country for many years. Despite an increase in the total number of cases by 2.4% compared to 2018, the percentage of hospitalized cases was lower than in the previous year. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: Difficulties in the diagnosis of Lyme disease make it impossible to define an unequivocal trend in the epidemiological situation in Poland. A slight increase in the incidence may result from the growing number of infected ticks and a better understanding of the problem of Lyme diagnosis by doctors.

Mumps in Poland in 2019.

BACKGROUND: Mumps is a highly infectious viral disease, the source of infection is an infected person. In 2003, compulsory vaccination against mumps was introduced in Poland, carried out according to a two-dose schedule. The combined MMR vaccine (against measles, mumps and rubella) is used as part of the Protective Vaccination Program (PVP). Mumps vaccination has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of mumps in Poland. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the epidemiological indicators of mumps in Poland in 2019 compared to previous years. METHODS: The analysis of the epidemiological situation of mumps in Poland in 2019 was based on the interpretation of data from the bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2019" and "Vaccinations in Poland in 2019". RESULTS: In 2019, 1,338 mumps cases were registered in Poland. The total incidence was 3.5 per 100,000 inhabitants and was lower compared to 2018. The highest incidence 4.6 per 100,000 inhabitants were registered in the Opolskie Voivodeship and the lowest - 2.5 in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The incidence was the highest among 6-year-olds and amounted to 32.3/100,000. Comparing the differences between the sexes, the incidence of men (4.1/100,000) was higher than that of women (2.9). In 2019, 22 patients were hospitalized due to mumps in Poland, which was less than in 2018 (28). The level of mumps vaccination in children at 3 years of age was lower by 0.3% compared to 2018 and amounted to 92.6% in Poland. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining a high percentage of children vaccinated against mumps will provide sustaining decline in cases of mumps in the coming years.

Pertussis in Poland in 2018-2019.

INTRODUCTION: Pertussis is an endemic, highly contagious disease that can be prevented through vaccination. In Poland, since the second half of the nineties, changes in the epidemiology of pertussis have been observed - an increase in the number of cases, despite the high level of vaccination of the population. The highest percentage of registered cases of pertussis concerned people aged 15 and over. The causes of the increased incidence of pertussis are a complex problem. Immunity after pertussis vaccination is unstable, disappears within 4-12 years, and the risk of the disease increases with time after the last dose of the vaccine. Due to the loss of protection against pertussis in adults, it is important to repeat immunization with dTpa every 10 years. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of pertussis in Poland in 2018-2019 compared to the situation in previous years, with particular emphasis on the assessment of the vaccination status of children against pertussis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The assessment of the epidemiological situation of pertussis in Poland was performed on the basis of the results of the analysis of unit reports of pertussis registered in the NIPH-NIH through the SRWE system and data from the bulletins "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland" for 2018 and 2019 and the bulletins "Vaccinations in Poland" for 2018 and 2019. RESULTS: In 2018, 1 548 were registered, and in 2019 - 1 629 cases of pertussis. The incidence was respectively: 4.0 and 4.2 per 100 000 population and was lower compared to the incidence in 2017 (8.0). The highest incidence of pertussis was in the age group 0-4 years (20.6 and 23.6 respectively), and high in children and adolescents aged 5-9 (10.9 and 11.5 respectively) and 10-14 years (respectively: 12.2 and 11.2 - per 100 000 population). About half of the cases concerned people over 15 years of age. In general, a higher incidence among women was observed than in men, as well as a higher incidence in cities than in rural areas. In 2018, among people with pertussis, 434 people (i.e. 28%) and in 2019 - 482 people (i.e. 29.6%) were hospitalized. In 2019, one fatal case of the disease was reported to the epidemiological surveillance system. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: In Poland, in the years 2018-2019, there was a decrease in the number of cases of pertussis, the most common were children under the age of four (the highest incidence). A worrying trend is the decreasing number of vaccinations in children aged 2 years against pertussis covered by compulsory primary vaccinations in individual provinces. In the current epidemiological situation, the best way to prevent new cases of pertussis is to use vaccination according to the current regimen and to recommend to adults a single dose of dTpa vaccination, which should be repeated every 10 years.