Characteristic of the epidemiology of leptospirosis at the present stage

• Main Author: O. L. Pavlenko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Zaporozhye State Medical University 2013-12-01
• Series: Zaporožskij Medicinskij Žurnal
• Subjects: epidemiology; leptospirosis
• Online Access: http://zmj.zsmu.edu.ua/article/view/20828/18386

Introduction. Studying changes in the epidemic process of leptospirosis in modern condition become topical. Prevention efforts must be developed with consideration with the global trends and regional peculiarities, as well as the stability of epizootic processes in nature. Objective: study the epidemiological features of leptospirosis in the modern conditions on the global (continental, inter-state) and regional (national, sub-national) levels on the example of Europe, Ukraine and the Crimea. Materials and methods. In this study meta-analysis of the specialized scientific literature on leptospirosis was carried out. Results. Epidemic manifestations of leptospirosis have differences in various territories (Europe, Ukraine, Crimea), because the populations of the pathogen and the host-animals are heterogeneous and a lot of factors influence on them. There are capable conditions for modification the epidemic process (intensive transformation of nature, urban extension, increasing density of the population, changes of economic activity, etc.) in Crimea. Conclusion Dynamic changes are present in the epidemiology of leptospirosis at the modern stage on all levels. Some features of the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Europe and Ukraine have the same tendency (the change of the dominant serogroups of Leptospira in the ethiological structure of human disease, increased incidence among the urban population and among people older than 60 years old, severe clinical current, etc.). The most significant influence on the quantitative and qualitative changes in the epidemic process have social and environmental factors, that act in different directions and intensities. Unequal social conditions in the developed European countries and Ukraine affected by the differences in the formation of risk groups, ways of infection implementation and the potential for expansion of the areal of pathogen circulation. Regional features of the leptospirosis epidemiology needs further investigation in the Crimea at the modern period, because the spatial and functional structure of the some foci and nosoareal are not understood well, the criteria of zoning of the territory are not created, the level of epidemic manifestations in different landscape zones is not taken into account, the importance of social characteristics of the territory are not determined. Perspective further scientific research is study of leptospirosis regional features in the Crimea for identification of the morbidity causes and development of substantial control actions.