Background Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes, is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Europe. The condition is characterised by a varied clinical course and diagnostic challenges, particularly during the early stage of infection. The rising number of cases underscores the need for effective prevention. Objective The aim of this study is to discuss the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland in 2024 compared to previous years. Material and methods To assess the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland, data submitted to the National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene – National Research Institute by the Voivodeship Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations and published in the annual bulletin: "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2024" were used. Results In 2024, 29,897 cases of Lyme disease were recorded, corresponding to an incidence rate of 79.6 per 100,000 population, with 1,072 hospitalisations due to the disease. Cases and the incidence rate increased by 18.2% and 18.6%, respectively, compared with the previous year. A seasonal pattern in the occurrence of borreliosis is evident across the quarters: the number of cases rose from 2,218 in Q1 to 13,449 in Q3, before falling to 7,263 in Q4. The highest incidence rates were recorded in the Podlaskie (134.2 per 100,000 population), Małopolskie (132 per 100,000 population), and Warmińsko-Mazurskie (108.6 per 100,000 population) voivodeships. Conclusions The number of Lyme disease cases reported in 2024 was higher than in the previous year and exceeded the levels recorded in Poland prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although neuroborreliosis accounted for only 1.4% of all Lyme disease cases, it was responsible for 36.7% of all cases of bacterial meningitis and/or encephalitis in 2024. The seasonality of Lyme disease remained consistent, with a peak in incidence during the third quarter (Q3) and a decline in the fourth quarter (Q4). As in previous years, the eastern part of Poland, specifically the Podlaskie, Małopolskie, and Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodeships, recorded the highest incidence rates.
Poland's Western and Northern Territories after the Second World War were shaped by overlapping mass population movements, infrastructure destruction, workforce shortages and a high risk of infectious diseases. The aim of this paper is to synthesise public health developments in these territories between 1945 and 1956 and to assess the transition from emergency measures to permanent sanitary and epidemiological surveillance. A narrative historical review of scholarly literature, published statistical sources and legal acts was conducted, including studies on Western Pomerania, Warmia and Masuria, Gdańsk Pomerania, Lower Silesia, Silesia and the Lubusz region. Selected regional data were compared with nationwide figures. In 1945-1947, public health activity was dominated by outbreak detection, isolation, disinfection and delousing, vaccination and restoration of basic services. Typhoid fever, epidemic typhus, dysentery, diphtheria, tuberculosis, venereal diseases and malaria were among the major concerns. The comparisons indicate a clearly elevated burden of some problems, particularly typhoid fever and malaria in selected regions and venereal diseases in the Recovered Territories, while no analogous excess was evident for every infection, as illustrated by diphtheria. In 1948-1951, health services became increasingly centralised and planned, while in 1952-1956 the development of sanitary-epidemiological stations consolidated permanent surveillance. The establishment of the State Sanitary Inspection in 1954 marked the institutional culmination of this transition. Public health was therefore not only a response to epidemiological threats but also part of rebuilding institutions and stabilising everyday life in a region undergoing exceptionally rapid demographic and administrative change.
Background The Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries face multiple and diverse challenges in the fight against HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis vertical transmission. In addition accurate data collection and reporting on vertical transmission prevention outcomes are inconsistent across some countries, making it difficult to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The two-day subregional workshop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan March 2026 brought together international experts and national implementers from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova to align on integrated screening, the continuum of care, and prevention to eliminate vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. Expert sessions showcased recent evidence and policies, as well as service delivery innovations such as opt-out testing in emergency departments, vaccination during pregnancy and long-acting prevention modalities. Participants engaged actively through plenaries and three working groups that co-created actionable recommendations in screening, care, and prevention. Based on group discussions, some key recommendations to ensure triple elimination were developed for the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Health's consideration.
Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a frequent complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but data on its risk factors after autologous transplantation (autoHSCT) are limited. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of CDI after autoHSCT and its association with the underlying diagnosis, the conditioning regimen and fluoroquinolone prophylaxis (FQP). Material and methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 113 consecutive autoHSCT procedures performed in a single center between September 2020 and November 2023. Patients with multiple myeloma received melphalan conditioning and patients with lymphoma received BeEAM (bendamustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan). Ciprofloxacin prophylaxis was given in 83 procedures and no antibacterial prophylaxis in 30. Groups were compared using nonparametric tests, and an exploratory logistic regression model with Firth correction was adjusted for the year of transplantation. Results CDI was diagnosed after 26 of 113 procedures (23.0%). CDI was more frequent in lymphoma patients conditioned with BeEAM than in myeloma patients conditioned with melphalan (44.4% vs. 18.9%; p = 0.030), and this difference remained after adjustment for FQP and year of transplantation (OR = 4.25; 95% CI 1.37-13.22). CDI was less frequent after FQP than without prophylaxis (18.1% vs. 36.7%; p = 0.046). When only toxin-positive cases were counted, the difference between lymphoma and myeloma remained (41.2% vs. 14.4%; p = 0.017), whereas the difference related to FQP was not significant (15.0% vs. 29.6%; p = 0.150). No CDI-related deaths occurred. Conclusions CDI was common after autoHSCT, especially in lymphoma patients conditioned with BeEAM. The association between FQP and CDI was not consistent and was probably influenced by changes in clinical practice over time. These results should be confirmed in larger, multicenter cohorts.
Background Adult obesity and insufficient physical activity co-evolve with economic development, urbanisation and digitalisation, which complicates interpretation of country-level associations. Objective To examine whether within-country changes in insufficient physical activity were associated with adult obesity after accounting for internet penetration and other structural factors, whether internet penetration remained associated with obesity, and whether deviations from common GDP/year benchmarks co-varied. Material and methods An unbalanced ecological panel included 2,707 country-year observations from 164 countries during 2000-2022. Two-way fixed-effects linear models with country-clustered standard errors estimated associations with adult obesity after adjustment for internet use, log GDP per capita, dietary energy supply, unemployment, urbanisation, population ageing, secondary enrolment and services employment. Obesity and inactivity benchmark residuals were defined as observed minus values predicted by log GDP per capita and year effects. Sensitivity analyses added health expenditure, excluded countries with fewer than five observations and decomposed the residual association into between-country and within-country components. Results Insufficient physical activity was positively associated with obesity (β=0.174, SE=0.041, p<0.001); internet use also remained positively associated (β=0.037, SE=0.010, p<0.001). The inactivity benchmark residual was associated with the obesity benchmark residual in the fixed-effects model (β=0.163, SE=0.045, p<0.001), with similar estimates after health-expenditure adjustment (β=0.164) and restriction to countries with at least five observations (β=0.162). The unadjusted between-country and within-country components were both positive (β=0.285 and β=0.189, respectively; both p<0.001). Conclusions Within countries, higher insufficient physical activity and higher internet use were associated with higher adult obesity. Country-years above the GDP/year benchmark for inactivity also tended to be above the corresponding obesity benchmark. These ecological results are associational; the residuals are model-dependent descriptive diagnostics, not validated indices or causal estimates.
