Search

Epidemiological and statistical methods were used to analyze the epidemiological situation regarding Lyme borreliosis in humans and domestic dogs in Ukraine. The data of the Central Health Service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on the incidence of Lyme borreliosis in humans over the last 20 years of passive epidemiological observation (2003–2022) were analyzed, and time trends and seasonal dynamics of incidence were studied. The prevalence of Lyme borreliosis among domestic dogs over the last decade (2013–2022) was analyzed based on data from a survey of veterinarians. Cross-regional geographic trends in the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis in humans and domestic dog populations are compared. The obtained data indicate an increasing trend in the incidence of Lyme borreliosis in Ukraine over the past two decades. The peak of incidence was recorded in 2018 – 12.77 cases per 100,000 population. Over the 5 years, from 2018 to 2022, Ukraine experienced the highest level of Lyme disease incidence, which was 45.16 cases per 100,000 population and statistically higher than the incidence rates in 2003–2007 (2.86 cases per 100,000 population) and 2008–2012 (13.33 cases per 100,000 population), confirming a trend of increasing disease prevalence over the years. Seasonal dynamics are observed, with the highest incidence rates occurring during the summer months, especially in June, July, August, and the early autumn month of September, as indicated by a seasonal disease index exceeding one. The study revealed geographical variations in the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis among both humans and domestic dogs. Over the past 10 years, from 2013 to 2022, regions of Northern and Central Ukraine, including Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Poltava oblasts, have shown relatively higher rates of Lyme borreliosis in both humans and domestic dogs. Conversely, the southern regions of Ukraine consistently report lower incidence rates of Lyme borreliosis in both populations, especially in Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts. The similarity of the geographical distribution of Lyme borreliosis among humans and domestic dogs is confirmed statistically. The study findings highlight the growing public health burden of Lyme borreliosis and the importance of ongoing disease surveillance. In addition, they highlight the valuable contribution of veterinary data on the incidence of Lyme borreliosis in domestic dogs, providing a passive but important source of additional information. In addition, the study results provide valuable information on the geographic distribution of Lyme borreliosis in both humans and domestic dogs, which will aid in the development of targeted intervention strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of the disease in selected high-risk regions. A deeper understanding of the epidemiological aspects of the disease will contribute to the development of science-based strategies for the prevention and control of Lyme borreliosis, in accordance with the concept of One Health.

Zoonotic leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira bacteria that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Animals, especially wild and domestic mammals, are reservoir hosts that carry and excrete the bacteria in their urine. A retrospective analysis of the incidence of leptospirosis in animals and humans in Ukraine from 2003 to 2022 was conducted based on reports from regional state laboratories of veterinary medicine and the Center for Public Health. GIS mapping was used to analyze and visualize the data. The incidence and prevalence of leptospirosis among different animal species, including farm, domestic and wild animals, were analyzed. These studies included a retrospective analysis of blood serum samples from different animal species for leptospirosis and analysis of the results to determine the level of seropositivity. The study analyzed a total of 6,543,934 samples, with an overall seropositivity rate of 3.3%. Among cattle, 4.1% of the samples were positive. For pigs, 2.1% were positive. Horses had a seropositivity rate of 7.9%, while dogs and cats had seropositivity rates of 17.5% and 13.1% respectively. Wild boars showed a positivity rate of 2.2%. The number of seropositive animals of different species in Ukraine showed different dynamics from 2003 to 2022. The highest number of positive cases was found among cattle, pigs and horses. However, the number of positive cases decreased significantly after 2015, which coincides with a significant reduction in the number of farm animals. Trends of increasing seropositivity among dogs and cats in the period 2007–2015 indicate that these species are also active carriers of Leptospira, as are the leading agricultural species. Wildlife species with stable seropositivity serve as both sources and reservoirs of Leptospira. Wild pigs are becoming the main bacterial carriers in all regions of Ukraine. There is a marked disproportion between the number of positive cases among farm animals and wildlife, indicating that seropositivity in these populations exists largely autonomously. A total of 7,937 people were infected in Ukraine between 2003 and 2022. Certain regions, such as Lviv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Vinnytsia, account for a larger share of the total number of cases, ranging from 4.8% to 7.3%. The incidence of human leptospirosis has fluctuated over the years, peaking at 473 cases in 2014, followed by a decline: 301 cases in 2015, 323 cases in 2016 and 330 cases in 2017, and in subsequent years the number of cases remained relatively stable, ranging from 142 to 295 cases per year. The study emphasizes the need to improve preventive measures and raise public awareness of the disease, especially in rural areas. It is important to adopt a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach involving collaboration between veterinary medicine, public health and environmental authorities to better understand and address the complexities of leptospirosis transmission and reduce its impact on animal and human health.

At the present stage, one of the most important issues of pediatric pulmonology is to find ways of preventing the progression of chronic lung diseases. The concept of the natural course of disease has emerged among some pathological conditions, that is, the course of disease from the onset to symptoms resolution or control, which is understood as programs designed to reduce the incidence or prevalence or eliminate these diseases. In this regard, bronchopulmonary dysplasia is no exception and represents a chronic polyetiological disease associated with arrested lung development. The aim of the work is to improve the prediction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia course in children by analyzing the relationships between clinical and biochemical indicators and determine the risk factors for an unfavorable course of the disease. Materials and methods. A total of 63 patients were examined, among them 30 patients were diagnosed with the classical form of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 18 – with the new form and 15 – with bronchopulmonary dysplasia of full-term children. The characteristics of clinical course of the disease were studied. The serum activity of proteinase – proteinase inhibitor system was investigated, namely vasoconstrictive proteinases (non-trypsin-like proteinases, chymase, tonin), apathogenic proteinases (calpaines) and tissue-destructive proteinases (metalloproteinase, endothelial elastase). The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß) was determined in induced sputum. Informed consent from parents of the children was signed prior to the study. The work was carried out considering the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects stated in the Declaration of Helsinki. Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed using the program Statistica 7.0 software package. Results. It has been found that partial pressure of CO2, blood pH, oxygen saturation, mean pulmonary artery pressure, hemoglobin level, heart rate and respiratory rate influence the components of proteinase - proteinase inhibitor system and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels which are directly involved in the pathological process, thus causing the development of pneumofibrosis, and altered activity of vasoconstrictive, apathogenic and tissue-destructive proteinases may increase the destructive capacity and enhance fibrotic processes with subsequent loss of organs and systems functions. Conclusions. The main indicators of the disease outcome prediction may be considered to be the blood acid-base state (partial pressure of CO2, blood pH), oxygen saturation, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, hemoglobin level, heart rate and respiratory rate, which depend to some extent on the components of proteinase - proteinase inhibitor system and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels.