THE AIM OF WORK To evaluate the incidence of human Q-fever in individual regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to determine the prevalence and areas at risk of Q-fever incidence, to assess Q-fever seroprevalence and to demonstrate seroprevalence ratings in regard to relevant criteria (sex, age, location of residence). METHODS The research has involved 708 individuals from different cantons, whose sera were tested in Laboratory for Specific Diagnosis of Human Q-fever on the Microbiology Desk of Medical Faculty of University in Sarajevo, during the period from July 2000-December 2003. Sera were tested by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA), using commercial test kit, reagents for Q-fever IFA IgM and IFA IgG for in vitro diagnostic use (Focus technologies). THE RESULTS Specific anti-C. burnetii antibodies were detected in 249 (35.2%) individuals, whereof 75 (30.12%) female individuals, and 174 (69.9%) male individuals. Individuals suffering from Q-fever were mostly included in 31-40 aged group (26.8%). Most seropositive individuals were from Zenica-Doboj Canton (35.4%), then from Herzegovinian-Neretvian Canton (22.9%), from Sarajevo Canton (14.5%), from Una-Sana Canton (11.6%), and from Middle-Bosnian Canton (11.6%). CONCLUSIONS In our four-year study, it is serologically demonstrated that Q-fever is imminent in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that it is going to be the actual concern of public health. The number and distribution of seropositive individuals suggest that Q-fever is endemic phenomenon in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Interferons belong to the group of the regulatory glycoproteins, of low molecular mass. They are the products of infected cell-genome, but not virus, as a consequence of the cause answer by different inductors. Human IFN are divided on the sequence of amino-acids into three groups: Alpha, Beta and Gamma interferons. Recently are discovered new types of IFNs: Omega and Tau, but bigger than alpha molecules. Also, has been performed the division into two types: I and II. Besides the antiviral and antiproliferative effects, they have also the effect in the treatment of malignant diseases, and act protectively against the radiation.

Rotaviruses are the major causes of viral gastroenteritis in infant and the young children. There are a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms of rotavirosis. Rotavirus infection is fecal-oral infection. Rotaviruses prove with Latex agglutination test and electron microscopy. In a four year period 943 stool samples out of 527 hospitalized patients had been analyzed. A presence of rotavirus is proved with a LA and EM tests at 170 (32,2%) patients age 0-7 years, in their stool samples. Analyzing age groups of these patients, it was found that the rotaviruses infection the most frequently occurred at age group from 7-24 months. From 170 positive patients, 122 or 71,8% were in this age group. At all patients was found diarrhea, vomiting in a 90,5% cases. Mild fever had 65,5% patients, signs of a respiratory infection appeared at 60,7% patients, abdominal pain at 13,3% patients. Severe dehydration had 49,9% patients and metabolic acidosis had 79,2% cases. Macroscopically blood in stool had 6,4% patients, slime in a stool 46,0% patients was found, and aholic stool had 8,4% patients. In all hospitalized patients disease lasted in average 12,6 days, and the hospitalization in average 10,2 days. None of the patient had any kind of complication, all of them very successfully cured. These results confirm that rotaviruses are important health problem among infant and the young children in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Microscopic demonstration of chlamydial inclusions within cells offered the first laboratory procedure supporting the clinical diagnosis of chlamydial infection. Our aim is to evaluate the usefulness of different endocervical staining methods in diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection within exfoliated cells of the endocervix. The cytological test for the detection of chlamydial inclusions in genital tract infection, though not as sensitive and specific as isolation in the cell culture monolayers, is still of the diagnostic value. The present study discusses the collection of clinical smears for microscopic examination, their preparation; fixation and staining of slides by a variety of staining methods that have been used to detect Chlamydia in clinical smears and biopsies. Most of these methods such as Giemsa stain, Papanicolaou, iodine, and immunofluorescence (IF) using monoclonal antibodies, are based on the combination of dyes designed to obtain optimum differentiation of the various structures. The utilization of different endocervical smear stains together with the clinical information can be used to identify women at high risk for CT infection.

OBJECTIVE Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) causes infertility, ectopyc pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and conjunctivitis. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a virus with broad spectrum effects. This particularly refers to HPV of high oncogenic potential (HPV - HR) because of its participation in cervical oncogenesis. The authors wanted to determine correlation between cervical HPV infection and detection of CT taken from female patient's smear of different levels of cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN I - III) and ASCUS (Atypical Squamous Cells of Uncertain Significance) modifications. METHODS Cytological analysis was used for 94 cervical samples--Papanicolaou method. The samples were presented in accordance with valid Bethesda Classification. The samples were treated by HPV DNA assay (Digene Hybrid Capture II). RESULTS Out of 64 HPV positive samples, detected CT was found in 24 (37.5%) samples. Out of 50 HPV positive group samples with high degree risk ( HPV - HR), 18 (36%) contained CT. Frequency of CT was registered in ASCUS modifications in 55.6%, CIN I 16.7%, CIN II 16.7% and CIN III 11.0% samples. We found 3 (10.0%) of detected CT in HPV negative control group. CONCLUSION Research results showed correlation between HPV cervical infection and CT. The higher the level of cell dedifferentiation (ASCUS CIN I - III) is, the higher number of cervical infections with CT is.

The epidemiologic model for the estimation of the incidence growth step of the acutely diseased from the hepatotroic virus with the emphasize on HBV and HCV infections, as well as worryingly high step of carriers of these viruses requires sure and the official methods by which will be over common of the infections, to prevent the development of the chronic phase and will lead to its recovery. The timely detection of HBV and HCV by serologic-virusologic techniques enable the safe etiologic diagnosis, the immunologic patients status, the prognosis of the disease and the rate of the contamination.

AIMS In recent year's percutaneous drainage has been used successfully to treat the hydatid cysts. We performed a controlled trial to present the successful appliance of this method in the treatment of abdominal and retroperitoneal hydatid diseases. METHODS In a prospective study, we have assigned 84 patients (51 women and 33 men, average age 45.7 +/- 16.7 with hydatidosis to treatment with percutaneous drainage. Of these, 72 patients had hepatic cysts, seven had renal hydatid cysts and five patients had hydatid cyst in the spleen. Albendasole (10 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for eight weeks) was administered to the patients. Serial assessments included clinical and biochemical examinations, ultrasonography and serologic tests of echinococcal-antibody titers. RESULTS The mean hospital stay was 5.8 (+/- 3.1) days. Over a mean follow-up period of 24 months, the mean cyst diameter decreased from 81.4 (+/- 32.6) mm to 11.8 (+/- 14.5) mm. After 24 months follow-up period 62 cysts (74 percent) disappeared. After an initial rise, the echinococcal-antibody titers fell progressively and at the last follow-up were negative (< 1:160) in 73 patients (87 percent). There were procedure related complications in 29 patients (four patients had abscessus, six hypotension, seven urticaria, ten fever and two strong abdominal pain in the first hour after intervention). CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous drainage, combined with albendasole therapy, is an effective and safe method for the treatment of the abdominal and retroperitoneal hydatid cysts and requires a shorter hospital stay then surgery treatment.

Q-fever is widely spread antropoozosis caused by Coxiellae burnetti, an intracellular compulsory microbe parasite. Two characteristics of Coxiellae burnetti are of crucial importance for appearance of Q-fever, especially in the circumstances when the cause of infection remains unclear. The first one is a high resistance of Coxiellae burnetti to environment changes and the second one is a small size of the infectious dose. The clinical manifestations of Q-fever can vary, so the making of diagnosis is still based on serology, with Phase I and Phase II antibodies and the difference between the acute and the chronic form of the disease. Serologic diagnostics presents the method of choice with Q-fever (IFT) in serums of patients with clinical suspicion to Coxiellae burnetti infection. We have tested the serums of patients from Canton of Sarajevo which were coming to our laboratory from January 2001-December 2001. Out of 58 processed serums the specific IgM antibodies were found in 10 serums and specific IgG antibodies in 27 serums.