engleski

Epidemiologic and Ecologic Characteristics of some Natural Foci Diseases in the Coastal Area of the Republic of Croatia

Natural foci diseases represent an important problem for public health in the Republic of Croatia. The objective of this retrospective review was to determinate the existence of natural foci diseases in the coastal area of the Republic of Croatia. Data about infectious diseases, published in monthly and annual publications of Croatian Institute for Public Health were analyzed. The incidence of reported cases of Lyme borreliosis, Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), Mediterranean spotted fever, Murine typhus, and cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis was observed in the period from 1989 to 1998. Data obtained for the coastal area of the country were compared with total number of cases of these diseases reported for the entire country. TBE and HFRS appear exclusively in the continental part of Croatia. Lyme borreliosis could be found in the continental part of the county, northern part of Croatian coast, and on the islands, as well. Mediterranean spotted fever, Murine typhus, cutaneous and visceral Leishmaniasis were noticed in Dalmatia only, but never north from Zadar (Middle Adriatic), and have never represented an important public health problem so far. Vectors of these natural foci diseases could be found in the entire territory of Croatia, but their natural persisting areals do not match areas in which these diseases were reported. Since areals of natural foci disease in the Republic of Croatia have not been so far entirely defined, it would be wise to assume that there still might some unrecognized factors influencing complex ecology of natural foci diseases.

Natural foci diseases; epidemiology; Croatia

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