Acta Medica Medianae (Oct 2006)
SEROINCIDENCE OF TRICHINELLA INFECTION IN THE NISAVA DISTRICT
Abstract
Our country, unfortunately, belongs to the group of countries with high prevalence of human and animal trichinellosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of seropositive patients during the seventeen-year period of diagnosing trichinellosis in the Nisava District, which, so far, has been known as a region with high prevalence of this parasitic disease.For this study, epidemiological data were collected and analyzed using standard protocols in to the Department of Parasitology of the Public Health Institute Nis.Between 1988 and 2004, 238 serum samples which came from the patients with symptoms of trichinelosis were examined for the presence of specific antibodies for Trichinella spiralis.Anti-Trichinella antibodies in the patients' sera were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIF), (INEP - Zemun) and only 20 serum samples were tested with both indirect imunnofluorescent assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, DIALAB, Austria). The incidence rates of seropositive patients for trichinellosis were calculated as a number of seropositive patients per 100.000 inhabitants, and the number of 382.461 inhabitants in the Nisava District according to the latest census from 2001 was used. Statistical data processing was performed by using statistical program NCSS 2004 and PASS 2005 (Hintze J. 2004. NCSS and PASS. Number Cruncher Statistical Systems. Kaysville, Utah. www.NCSS.COM.).From 1988 to 2004, it was determined that 65 patients showed the presence of specific antibodies for Trichinella spiralis. In the observed period the determined incidence by year ranged from 0.00 in 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, and 2004 to 7.06 in 1990. The incidence of Trichinella seropositive patients defined by month was the highest in February (6.24) and January (5.2). In this retrospective study there were no significant differences determined between the number of Trichinella seropositive patients in relation to sex and the way of treatment (hospitalization, out-patient treatment).Considering the obtained data, it can be concluded that the incidence of Trichinella seropositive patients has declined for the last 17 years and that the Nisava District still presents the region with sporadic incidence of this parasitic infection in humans.
