Hospital and laboratory data were analysed in three hospitals to estimate rotavirus disease burden in 1994‐96. Community acquired gastroenteritis was diagnosed in 757 children of whom 41% tested positive for rotavirus. A total of 196 children had rotavirus nosocomial infections (39% of all rotavirus community‐acquired and nosocomial cases) Infants less than 24 months old and children less than 3 months old comprised 74% and 11.9% of admissions for rotavirus, respectively. Almost 94% of children with rotavirus infection had severe gastroenteritis (score 11). The annual rate of rotavirus associated hospitalization in Poland in 1996 was 3.1/1000 children under the age of 60 months and 5.2/1000 infants under 24 months of age. The mean hospital stay was 9.5 d (±9.8 d). We estimated that 8918 children under 60 months of age were hospitalized for rotavirus gastroenteritis in 1996; they accounted for 84899 inpatient days. We conclude that rotavirus is a leading aetiological agent of severe gastroenteritis in young children in Poland and that the Burden of this infection is significant. Rotavirus vaccine could significantly decrease the hospitalization rate and the financial impact of rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Poland. □Acute diarrhoea, disease burden, epidemiology, gastroenteritis, rotavirus
Anatomical museums preserve specimens of great historical value and undiscovered scientific potential. However, frequently these collections lack documentation of the techniques of preparation and the composition of preservative substances (conservation principles). This poses a huge problem for the care and preservation of these materials, more so because understanding this issue requires knowledge of fundamentals from different scientific disciplines. The aim of the research was to obtain information about the composition of substances used to preserve historic specimens, as well as to conduct a microbiological assessment of the specimens to detect possible factors causing their deterioration. Furthermore, we wanted to fill an existing gap in the literature, as there is a lack of reports on analytical methods that could be successfully applied by anatomists involved in the daily care of museum collections in human anatomy departments. The starting point was the analysis of the sources and history of the collections, on which basis the choice of research methods was made. Methods based on simple chemical reactions and specialised methods (such as gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) were used in the analyses of the composition of fluids. Microbiological analyses were based on culture and isolation methods, analysis of microscopy slides and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. As a result of these analyses, some components of the preservative mixtures and their concentrations were determined. The presence of methanol, ethanol, formaldehyde and glycerol was detected, among other chemicals.The concentrations of these substances were different between the samples and their determination required the use of a variety of methods suitable for the individual components of the preservative mixture. In microbiological tests, both bacteria and fungi were isolated from swabs taken from anatomical specimens. The bacterial flora was less numerous than the fungal flora. Among the bacteria, environmental Gram-positive Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis and a rare bacterium of the Cupriavidus genus were | 149 DOMAŃSKI et al.
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