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The authors evaluated surveillance of acute respiratory infections (ARI), influenza and influenza-like illnesses (ILI) in the Slovak Republic (SR). They analyze morbidity, age-specific morbidity, complications, mortality, number of influenza viruses isolations and vaccination coverage rates in the SR in the years 1993-2008. They focus mainly on the analysis during the epidemic. Most epidemics have been caused by influenza virus A subtype H3N2. The age group mostly affected by morbidity during the year were children at the age of 0-5, while during the epidemic, the highest morbidity was recorded among school children at the age of 6-14. A complicated clinical course of the disease was reported in 1,422,836 patients (5.1%). Since the 2002/2003 influenza season, the sentinel physicians have participated in taking biological material, which ensures monitoring of influenza viruses circulating in the SR. As of the 2006/2007 season, the ARI/ILI have been reported separately in the SR in accordance with the monitoring requirements set by the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme (EISS) project, and the calculation of morbidity is done from the number of persons, who are in care of the reporting physicians: Vaccination coverage in SR is still very low in comparison with other European Union (EU) countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case report the authors describe histomorphological findings of acute lung injury with laboratory-confirmed influenza type A(H1N1) pneumonia leading to the death of a 30 year-old unvaccinated man after 27 days of hospitalisation. Histologically all three types of acute lung injuries were unusually present (diffuse alveolar damage, acute interstitial pneumonia, organizing pneumonia) in different phases of resorption and reparation with transition to extensive fibrosis.

The trend during the past years is to prefer natural drugs to synthetically prepared medicines. Due to its important antiphlogistic, antiseptic and antihidrotic effects, Salvia officinalis L. has a wide use in medicine, pharmacy and cosmetics in various dosage forms. The aim of this research was the formulation of Salvia officinalis L. in the form of a tincture to hydrogels. Gels were parallelly prepared on the basis of the natural polymer chitosan and the synthetic polymer Carbopol 940. The evaluation was focused on the influence of the anionic polymer and the cationic polymer in different concentrations on hydrogel flow properties. Glycerol functioning as a humectant was used in various percentage ratios. On the basis of the determination of rheological parameters and flow curves lapses the most suitable hydrogel from the application point of view was selected.