The first cluster of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Poland was identified in 2007 in the Subcarpathian region. The natural environment of this area is a key habitat for hantavirus vectors. The animal reservoir of existing human HFRS clusters was studied to assess the occurrence of viruses (including Tula virus, Puumala virus, and Dobrava-Belgrade virus) among rodents. We examined 70 suspected human cases with symptoms corresponding to the clinical picture of HFRS. Serological analysis (indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunoblot) confirmed the presence of anti-hantavirus antibodies in 18 patients, which were surveyed with regard to developed symptoms and presumed rodent contact. Seroepidemiological analysis of newly confirmed human cases was performed, putative areas of human exposure were studied, and 194 rodents were subsequently captured from identified areas. Internal organs (lungs, heart, spleen, bladder, and kidneys) were collected from 64 Apodemus flavicollis, 55 Apodemus agrarius, 40 Myodes glareolus, 21 Mus musculus, and 14 Microtus arvalis and tested for the presence of hantavirus RNA by reverse transcription and subsequent real-time PCR. Positive samples were also tested by indirect immunofluorescence. Animal reservoir surveillance enabled the first detection of Puumala virus and Dobrava-Belgrade virus among animals in Poland. Furthermore, some places where rodents were captured correlated with areas of residence of laboratory-confirmed human cases and likely detected virus species. Moreover, three species of hantaviruses coexisting in a relatively small area were identified.

Diet variation of the long-eared owl (Asio otus Linnaeus, 1758) was investigated on the basis of pellets collected in winter season 2007/2008 from a communal roosting site in a municipal cemetery in Rzeszów (a city in south-eastern Poland). We assumed that the proximity of human settlements would affect the diet composition of this predator, resulting in a higher proportion of species associated with urban habitats. Although voles, especially the common vole Microtus arvalis, were still the most important prey, mice constituted approximately 17% of all prey items, with the field mouse Apodemus agrarius being most frequent. Food niche breadth was wider in December than in March. Our results suggest that owls from Rzeszów hunt mostly in open habitats surrounding the city, where they can still capture their basic prey species. Yet, they can broaden their diet with species of murids associated with the mosaic urban and suburban habitats.

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The aim of this study was to check whether following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning physical activity protects children and adolescents against the occurrence of overweight and obesity. A total of 1002 children were included in the analysis. The average age of the studied children was 9.36 years ± 3.52 years. Measurement of height and body mass was performed for every child, followed by physical activity assessment over seven days. In each group analyzed, the overweight and obese children had a shorter time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than the children with normal body mass. Among the children spending < 60 min per day in MVPA, the risk of occurrence of overweight and obesity was greater than among children with physical activity > 60 min per day. It was also shown that the greatest risk of occurrence of body mass disorder was a situation in which the mother’s gestational weight gain (GWG) is over 18 kg and the child does not spend a minimum of 60 min/day in MVPA. Not meeting the recommendation is connected with an increased chance of the occurrence of overweight and obesity. The level of physical activity influences the incidence of overweight and obesity. The children with overweight and obesity spent less time per day in MVPA. An increased body mass in mothers during pregnancy associated with a child’s low level of physical activity increases the risk of the occurrence of overweight and obesity.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a child’s diet in the first year of life (breastfeeding duration, introduction of solid meals to the diet, the time of starting nutrition consistent with an adult diet) on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool age. Three-hundred children aged 4–6 were included in the analysis. The children’s height and body weight were assessed and their body mass category was determined based on the BMI (Body Mass Index) percentile. Parents provided a photocopy of the child’s health book (with information concerning breastfeeding period, start of eating the same meals as the rest of the family, etc.). Obese children were breastfed for the shortest time, cow’s milk was introduced to their diets the earliest, they started eating the same food as the rest of the family the earliest, and they received vegetables, fruits, cereals, and meat products in their diet the latest. The results of this study suggest that extending the breastfeeding period beyond 6 months, starting to feed the child the same meals as the rest of the family after 12 months of age, and later introduction of cow’s milk to the diet would reduce the risk of the occurrence of excessive body weight in preschool children.