Seroprevalence of lyssaviruses in certain bat species has been proven in the Republic of Croatia, but there have been no confirmed positive bat brain isolates or human fatalities associated with bat ...injuries/bites. The study included a retrospective analysis of bat injuries/bites, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and geographic distribution of bat injuries in persons examined at the Zagreb Antirabies Clinic, the Croatian Reference Centre for Rabies. In the period 1995–2020, we examined a total of 21,910 patients due to animal injuries, of which 71 cases were bat-related (0.32%). Of the above number of patients, 4574 received rabies PEP (20.87%). However, for bat injuries, the proportion of patients receiving PEP was significantly higher: 66 out of 71 patients (92.95%). Of these, 33 received only the rabies vaccine, while the other 33 patients received the vaccine with human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG). In five cases, PEP was not administered, as there was no indication for treatment. Thirty-five of the injured patients were biologists or biology students (49.29%). The bat species was confirmed in only one of the exposure cases. This was a serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus), a known carrier of Lyssavirus hamburg . The results showed that the bat bites were rather sporadic compared to other human injuries caused by animal bites. All bat injuries should be treated as if they were caused by a rabid animal, and according to WHO recommendations. People who come into contact with bats should be strongly advised to be vaccinated against rabies. Entering bat habitats should be done with caution and in accordance with current recommendations, and nationwide surveillance should be carried out by competent institutions and in close collaboration between bat experts, epidemiologists and rabies experts.
Cilj: U antirabičnoj ambulanti Referentnog centra za bjesnoću pri Nastavnom zavodu za javno zdravstvo „Dr. Andrija Štampar “ u Zagrebu u razdoblju od 1995. do 2006. godine ukupno je zbog ugriza ...životinja pregledano 12.380 bolesnika, od kojih je 147 (1,18%) hospitalizirano u bolnicama i klinikama grada Zagreba. Metode: Rezultati su prikupljeni retrospektivno iz službenog registra antirabične ambulante u Zagrebu. Rezultati: Hospitalizirani bolesnici bili su u dobnom rasponu od 1 do 81 godine, 63 (4,86%) odrasle osobe i 84 (57,14%) djece u dobi od 1 do 16 godina; od odraslih bilo je 28 (44,44%) muškaraca i 35 (55,56%) žena, a od djece 45 (53,57%) dječaka i 39 (46,43%) djevojčica. Rasprava: Od životinja koje su sudjelovale u incidentima koji su doveli do hospitalizacije psi su bili daleko najviše zastupljena vrsta (74,82% slučajeva), dok su ostale životinje po redu učestalosti bile mačke, štakori, svinja i magarac. Psi poznatih vlasnika bili su zastupljeni pet puta češće od pasa lutalica. Zaključak: Nema statistički značajne razlike u učestalosti hospitalizacije između djece i odraslih, dok su psi statistički značajno češće nanosili ozljede koje su završile hospitalizacijom u odnosu na druge životinje, a bolesnici su bili češće hospitalizirani nakon ozljeda glave i vrata ili višestrukih ozljeda nego zbog ozljeda udova ili šake i prstiju.
Background: We analyzed the correlation between several factors (donor age and gender, and handling time) and trace DNA concentration that participants left on different surfaces (paper, plastic, ...plastic coated metal) while holding items in their hands or rubbing them with their fingers, their palms, and the side of the palm of the dominant hand. Material and Methods: Sixty participants took part in the study. Items were swabbed with a moistened cotton swab. DNA was isolated using the Chelex procedure and quantified by real-time PCR. Results: We found that DNA concentration transferred to an item was independent of the handling time. On the contrary, it was dependent on the item’s texture; the greatest concentration was left on plastic coated metal (PCM) and the least on paper. The greatest concentration of trace DNA was left by participants from 35 to 44 years of age. Results of the study showed that men deposit a higher DNA concentration than do women. Conclusion: Item texture, donor age, and gender influence trace DNA concentration. Further investigations are necessary to fully understand the process of DNA transfer from donors to handled items.
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