Increase In Respiratory Diseases Research Articles

Features of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of certain respiratory diseases of infections etiology

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of respiratory infections of the population of Penza region in different age groups. Material and methods. The analysis of statistical reporting data (Form 12) on the number of diseases in the service area of the medical organization in Penza region was carried out. Information was sampled on respiratory diseases of infectious etiology for the period from 2015 to 2022 and on COVID-19 morbidity in the period from 2020 to 2022 among patients of different age periods. The data is presented as a calculation per 100 thousand population. Results. In 2020, compared to 2019, there was a pronounced increase in the number of respiratory diseases (p = 0.000) in adults; in 2021, the incidence decreased slightly, being higher until 2022 than in the period before the pandemic (p = 0.000). Among children and adults, there was an increase in the incidence of acute respiratory infections in 2022 compared to 2015 (p < 0.001). Peak incidence of croup and epiglottitis among children and adolescents was observed in 2020. The incidence of COVID-19 among adolescents (8339.6) and adults (7678.5) was significantly higher than the incidence among children (5949.9) (p = 0.000). Discussion. Respiratory diseases of infectious etiology have an acute course, so primary morbidity predominates. In adults, the proportion of primary morbidity is decreasing, which may be related to an increase in chronic diseases of the respiratory system. The weak impact of the pandemic on pediatric respiratory diseases incidence is supported by the low pediatric incidence of COVID-19. The increased incidence of COVID-19 among adolescents is alarming; it supports the assumption that child and young adult populations have proven to be major gateways for the spread of COVID-19 to adults. The high incidence of croup and epiglottitis in 2020 among children (p = 0.024) and adolescents could be one of the symptoms of COVID-19 characteristic of younger age. Conclusions. COVID-19 had no effect on the increase in respiratory disease among children, but children contributed to the spread of infection among adults. There is a trend towards an increase in chronic respiratory disease in adults. RBD of infectious etiology is almost impossible to predict, except for acute laryngitis and tracheitis among adults. In adolescents and children against the background of COVID-19 infection, a large number of more severe symptoms may appear.

Assessing the impact of air pollution on short-term hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Lampang, a city heavily affected by biomass burning in Mainland Southeast Asia: Sex and age considerations

Mainland Southeast Asia has long been confronted with severe air pollution issues caused by open biomass burning. The analysis is conducted from January 2014 to December 2017 in Lampang located in central of Mainland Southeast Asia. The analysis of air pollution revealed significant exceedances of the PM10 (32%) and O3 (29%) air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization. The major source of PM10 in Lampang is biomass burning, accounting for 97%, and it also experiences a high respiratory disease incidence of 7,276.61 per 100,000 population. A time-series analysis was conducted using generalized linear models based on Poisson regression, considering various lag times, to assess the relative risk (RR) among all age groups (0–14 years, 15–64 years, ≥65 years) and genders. A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 and O3 was associated with statistically significant percentage increases at lag 0. Specifically, there was a 0.65% (95% CI: 0.38–0.92) increase in respiratory diseases for PM10 and a 0.72% (95% CI: 0.43–1.01) increase for O3. The impact of PM10 and O3 significantly affects respiratory diseases in children, adults, and the elderly. Elderly males and females both experience the highest impact of PM10, whereas the greatest impact of O3 is observed in elderly males and adult females. Biomass burning is a major source that should be controlled to reduce the health risk of people. Protecting vulnerable groups like adult females, elderly males, and elderly females from high air pollution concentrations is crucial, especially with many countries experiencing an aging demographic shift.

Global Warming Towards Human Health: A Literature Review

Global warming is a phenomenon of an increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface due to an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which not only affects the global ecosystem and climate, but also has a significant impact on human health. These impacts include an increase in heat-related diseases, the spread of infectious diseases, a decrease in air quality, and changes in disease patterns due to climate change. This study aims to identify and analyze the impact of global warming on human health through literature review from various sources such as journal articles, research reports, and health organization documents. The results showed that global warming increases the risk of heat stroke and dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, as well as affecting the geographical distribution of disease vectors such as mosquitoes that can spread malaria and dengue fever. Rising temperatures also worsen air quality by increasing the concentration of surface ozone and airborne particles, which has an impact on the increase in respiratory diseases, as well as changing the seasonal and geographical patterns of diseases, including impacts on people's food security and nutrition. The conclusions of this study underscore the importance of coordinated mitigation and adaptation actions to reduce the health impacts of global warming, including policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health systems, and educate the public on preventive measures, with the need for further research for effective and specific adaptation strategies for different affected regions and populations.

Spatio-temporal evolution of mortality in Cape Verde: 1995-2018.

Located in West Africa, Cabo Verde is a low income country, with significant gains in health indicators. Mortality is an important demographic factor. Its analysis provides essential statistical data for the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. The propose of this work is to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of mortality in Cabo Verde between 1995 to 2018. This is an observational, quantitative study that performs demographic analysis of mortality data from the Ministry of Health of Cabo Verde. Specific mortality rates from standardized causes were calculated considering the population of the country as a reference in the year 2010 and also the standardized rate for all causes on each island, aiming at comparing the islands. During the period under analysis, the number of deaths in men was always higher than that of women. The main causes of death were diseases of the circulatory system and with a higher incidence in women. São Nicolau, Brava, and Santo Antão islands have mortality rates, higher than the national level (2010-2018). The main cause of premature death in women as identified as diseases of the circulatory system, while in men it is injuries, trauma, poisoning and external causes. There was a 72% decrease in the mortality rate due to unclassified symptoms and clinical signs, and an increase in respiratory diseases and tumours. With the exception of diseases of the circulatory system, mortality rates in men are higher than in women for all the considered causes. A decrease in specific mortality rates by age group is expected for both sexes, with a greater gain in men in the younger age groups. With these data, it is intended to alert health decision-makers about the best strategies to be defined in the reduction of mortality in the country.

МИКОПЛАЗМЕННАЯ ПНЕВМОНИЯ: ОСОБЕННОСТИ ТЕЧЕНИЯ

As SARS-CoV-2 moves from pandemic to endemic spread, significant increases in respiratory diseases such as influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia are challenging healthcare systems. There is currently a global resurgence of respiratory pathogens, exacerbated by post-pandemic “immune debt.” The results show a significant increase in respiratory diseases, especially among children. This highlights the need to improve physician preparedness, optimize clinical interventions, and improve public health strategies to effectively address the impending peak of «old-new» respiratory infections.

The Labin Region, an ecologically vulnerable geographical area in Croatia: Mortality characteristics in an area polluted by industrial over a 40-year period.

The history of the Labin region in Croatia includes intensive industrial development with repercussions of pollution on environment and health. Assuming that prolonged exposure to polluted environments causes qualitative changes in mortality, the aim was to analyse the mortality characteristics of the population of the Labin Region for the 1968-2008 period based on data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Public health and social opportunities in this geographical area carry a long-term burden of exposure to an industrial polluted environment with outcomes expressed by mortality or/and morbidity in the population. This study includes data on 11,903 deaths, most of which due to diseases of the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems as well as neoplasms. In the third and fourth decade of the study period, a group of neoplasms showed significant increases, while the increase in respiratory diseases were more gradual. The female population died mostly from diseases of the circulatory and endocrine system as well as neoplasms, while the male population mainly died from diseases of the digestive system and external causes. This research provides guidelines that could create better public health, raising the quality of life and contribute to a future environmental protection in local communities by targeted policies.

Design of an early alert system for PM2.5 through a stochastic method and machine learning models

In Latin America, the levels of pollution have risen considerably in the last few years. 2019, for example, had one of the largest numbers of air quality alerts. These alerts signal an increase in respiratory diseases among the population. For this reason, this paper designs a preventive early alert system for air quality. This system compares three machine learning models and validates, through statistical and categorical parameters (9), that a stochastic model, combined with a convolution bidirectional recurrent neural network (1D-BDLM), has an accuracy of ≈93±4% when forecasting the risk for each population group in all the monitoring stations. Likewise, it is also able to capture high pollution events without producing false alarms (≈10 ± 5%). This model is utilized to design an alert protocol (24 h in advance) before a pollution event occurs. The protocol distinguishes the level of alert and the type of population at risk, focusing on two objectives: pollution mitigation and risk reduction for the population. To reduce pollutant concentrations, this paper proposes limiting vehicle traffic in the most polluted city zones or, if necessary, throughout the entire area. In relation to stationary sources, this article proposes the implementation of monitoring measures in order to identify the most polluting factories and restrict their operation during a specific period of time. In regards to population risk, the protocol aims to reduce exposure time by recommending the avoidance of outdoor activities (in specific zones) and the use of protective gear, taking into consideration relevant differences between population groups.

ТЕМПЫ ПРИРОСТА И ПРОГНОЗИРОВАНИЕ ОБЩЕЙ ЗАБОЛЕВАЕМОСТИ ЖИТЕЛЕЙ СЕЛЬСКИХ РАЙОНОВ

Introduction. It is necessary to forecast the development of population morbidity, based on the processing and analysis of accumulated reliable information to provide timely high-quality medical service, and to develop a set of targeted therapeutic and preventive measures. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the features of the growth rate and to forecast general morbidity of the adult population in rural areas focused on different branches of agriculture. Material and methods. The processing and analysis of data from annual statistical reports of the Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Service of Tashkent region on morbidity of adult population (18 years and older) living in Bostanlyk (fruit and vegetable) and Chinaz (cotton growing) districts were performed. Indicators of general morbidity of rural population in dynamics were studied for the period 2007–2018 by classes of diseases according to ICD-10. Comparative analysis of general morbidity was performed for two 5-year periods (2007–2011 and 2014–2018). Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and Statistica 10.0 software packages. Student’s t-test was used to determine the significance of differences in mean values. Differences of arithmetic mean values were considered reliable at p < 0,05. Results and discussion. In the period from 2007 to 2018, the dynamic changes in the general morbidity of ВЕСТНИК СОВРЕМЕННОЙ КЛИНИЧЕСКОЙ МЕДИЦИНЫ 2021 Том 14, вып. 6 39ОРИГИНАЛЬНЫЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ the adult population in the cotton-growing and, to a greater extent, in the fruit-and-vegetable districts of Tashkent province were characterized by a negative average growth rate (-6,8 vs. -66,5%). As a result of analysis of statistical data for 2014–2018, in comparison with 2007–2011, decrease of general morbidity of population in fruit and vegetable growing district by 39,5%, and on the contrary, in cotton-growing district there was increase by 9,6%. Forecasting indicates a further decrease in the general morbidity of population in rural areas of Tashkent region in the coming years. At the same time, the tendency to further increase of respiratory diseases - in the fruit and vegetable growing district and respiratory, digestive and circulatory diseases – in the cotton-growing district is outlined. Conclusion. The observed decrease in the general morbidity of the rural population, apparently, is associated with the implementation in Uzbekistan of crop diversification policy since 2010, based on reducing the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers. Significant prevalence of general morbidity of six leading classes of diseases, characteristics of growth rate and medium-term forecast create the need for monitoring and contribute to establishment of a set of measures for prevention, early detection of diseases and pathological conditions, taking into account the contributing risk factors.

The Potential Effects of Burn Pit Exposure on the Respiratory Tract: A Systematic Review.

Burn pits (BPs) have been widely used by the U.S. military for waste disposal while in conflicts abroad. Significant adverse health effects are thought to be linked to BPs, but limited data exist examining the impact on the respiratory tract. The purpose of this systematic review is to characterize these effects on both the upper respiratory tract (URT) and lower respiratory tract (LRT). A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines on articles published from January 1, 2001, through November 2020. PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid MEDLINE databases were queried for studies examining the effect of BPs on the URT and LRT of service members. A total of 288 articles were identified, with nine meeting inclusion criteria. Eight of the nine articles assessed the LRT, one examined the URT alone, and two examined both the URT and LRT. Outcome measures were heterogeneous across all studies, precluding meta-analysis. Patient-reported LRT diagnoses appeared to increase as exposure to BPs increased. There are very limited data assessing the impact of BP exposure on the URT. No association between BP exposure and objective measures of LRT or URT disease was identified. Service members deployed to combat zones seem to report a significant increase in respiratory diseases following exposure to BPs, although definitive conclusions are limited by multiple airborne exposures and varied reporting methods. Self-reported LRT diagnoses appear to be more prevalent. There is a paucity of data on the effects of BPs on the URT. Objective measures of disease do not appear to correlate with patient reports. Prospective, long-term, and outcome-based studies are necessary to examine the effects of BPs, and other airborne hazards related to deployment, on the URT and LRT of service members.

Exploring potential risk factors of antimicrobial use in beef cattle

Livestock species are major contributors to the increase of antimicrobial (AM) resistance which is a worldwide concern for both human and animal health. The over-use of AM is widely acknowledged, however, unlike pigs, poultry and dairy cattle, knowledge on potential risk factors affecting AM usage (AMU) in beef industry is limited. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the impact of farm, breed, sex and season of arrival of purchased beef cattle on AMU in Italian beef cattle. Data on 1063 batches were collected from January 2016 to April 2019 from specialised beef fattening farms located in the north of Italy. Information on breed, sex, date of arrival, performance traits and AM agents used on farm was collected, and the treatment incidence 100 (TI100) indexes per batch were calculated using the defined daily dose animal estimated according to Italian summaries of product characteristics. Factors affecting TI100 indexes were investigated using a cross-classified multilevel model. Farms largely differed in terms of AMU. Males had greater AMU than females (P < 0.001), likely due to their higher susceptibility to disease. Statistically significant differences were observed between seasons of arrival with summer and spring having lower TI100 indexes than winter and autumn (P < 0.001). Indeed, winter is commonly linked to an increase in respiratory diseases in beef cattle. Finally, the TI100it indexes tended to be different among breeds with Blonde d'Aquitaine and Limousine having greater AMU compared to the other breeds. Results of this study provided valuable information on potential risk factors of AMU in beef production which may be useful to address its reduction. For instance, the development of tailored management strategies for specific breeds, targeted approaches to improve the health of males as well as greater care towards batches purchased in winter are possible advice to implement on-farm for a more responsible AM stewardship.

PM2.5 triggered apoptosis in lung epithelial cells through the mitochondrial apoptotic way mediated by a ROS-DRP1-mitochondrial fission axis

Epidemiological studies revealed a sharp increase in respiratory diseases attributed to PM2.5. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Evidence suggested mitochondrion as a sensitive target upon the stimulus of PM2.5, and the centrality in the pathological processes and clinical characterization of lung diseases. To investigate cell fate and related mechanisms caused by PM2.5, we exposed human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to PM2.5 (0-100 μg/mL). Consequently, PM2.5 components were found in cytoplasm, and morphological and functional alterations in mitochondria occurred, as evidenced by loss of cristae, vacuolization and even the outer mitochondrial membrane rupture, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mtROS level, calcium overload, suppressed cellular respiration and ATP production in PM2.5-treated cells. Further, disturbed dynamics toward fission was clearly observed in PM2.5-treated mitochondria, associated with DRP1 mitochondrial translocation and phosphorylation. Besides, PM2.5 induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. More importantly, mechanistic results revealed ROS- and DRP1-mediated mitochondrial fission in a reciprocal way, and DRP1 inhibitor (Mdivi-1) significantly alleviated the pro-apoptotic effect of PM2.5 through reversing the activated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. In summary, our results firstly revealed PM2.5 induced apoptosis in lung epithelial cells through a ROS-DRP1-mitochodrial fission axis-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, ultimately contributing to the onset and development of pulmonary diseases.

Does the Hospital Admission of Patients with Respiratory Disease Increase in Izmir When the PM10 Level is High?

Air pollution is caused by exhaust emissions from motor vehicles, fuel consumption for heating of residences, and especially emissions from industrial facilities around the world. The exposure to outdoor air pollution has been associated with acute and chronic health problems, from irritation to death. In this study, we aimed to determine whether air pollution increases the frequency of hospital admission and whether there is a difference between disease subgroups, age, and gender, in the 2-year period in Izmir province where - air pollution is increasing. Collection of health data for the project compiled by the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Izmir Provincial Health Directory Information Processing Department, and information obtained on the age groups, gender, admission time, and diagnosis of illness [International Classification of Diseases (ICD)10 code] on the residents of Izmir in 2016/2017. The daily numbers of patients with respiratory complaints and air pollution were found to be related. Both air pollution and the admission rate increase in the January-March period. In male patients, the risk of hospitalization increases for 1.14%. Males had a higher increase in the rate of diagnosis of chronic rhinitis (increase of 6.22%) than females who had an increase of 0.97%. It was observed that there was a 2.62% increase in the incidence of bronchiectasis, 2.53% in that of asthma, and 2.49% in that of dyspnea. There was a significant increase in respiratory diseases during the days when the air pollution was high, and this was observed as the upper respiratory tract infection and acute bronchitis in the young group and chronic respiratory diseases in the elderly group upon hospital admissions. The reduction of air pollutants and inhalation of clean air are the most important aspects in providing a healthier and longer life.

Modifiers of the effect of short-term variation in PM2.5 on mortality in Beijing, China

IntroductionEpidemiologic studies have reported associations between short-term exposure to particulate matter <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and mortality, but the role of modifiers remains unclear with studies reporting inconsistent results. We evaluated the impact of individual (age, gender and education) and township (geographic area, socioeconomic status, background air pollution and road density) level factors on the relationship between short-term variation in PM2.5 with cause-specific mortality in Beijing (population: 21.7 million in 2016), China. MethodsDaily PM2.5 concentrations in each township (n = 327; township population: 2000–359,400; township area: 1–392 km2) within Beijing were estimated by kriging with external drift using measurements from 35 air quality monitoring stations and geographic variables. Time-stratified case-crossover analysis with township-level mortality data from Oct. 1st, 2012 to Dec. 31st, 2013 was then used to examine associations between PM2.5 exposure estimates and cause-specific mortality, stratified by the potential effect modifiers. ResultsA 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with a 0.17% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05%–0.29%] and 0.27% (95%CI:0.01%–0.52%) increase in non-accidental and stroke mortality with no lag, a 0.81% (95%CI:0.39%–1.23%) and 0.96% (95%CI:0.35%–1.57%) increase in respiratory disease (RD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality at a lag of two-day moving average. For individual-level effect modifiers, the elderly showed higher effects for all the specific causes of mortality; those with lower education level showed higher effects for non-accidental, cardiovascular disease and stroke mortality; females showed higher effects for non-accidental and cause-specific cardiovascular diseases. For township-level effect modifiers, effect estimates tended to be larger for suburban areas, areas of lower road density, lower PM2.5 and lower socioeconomic status. ConclusionsShort-term exposure to township-level ambient PM2.5 was associated with increased mortality in Beijing, with indications of effect modification by both individual and township-level factors.

ANALYSIS OF THE OCCUPATIONAL MORBIDITY AMONG WORKING-AGE WOMEN

Introduction. Female employees composing of 49% of the total engaged population, work in conditions that do not meet sanitary and hygienic standards, which lead to impaired health and reducing working longevity. The purpose of the study is to analyze the occupational morbidity (OM) of the female population employed in the main industries of the Irkutsk Region. Material and methods. The analysis of the OM for 2006-2018, working conditions of female workers of the Irkutsk Region was carried out. The alignment of the dynamic range was used for OM analyzing. The results are presented by intensive and extensive variables, average, and minimum and maximum values. Results. Three time periods of the OM level formation were established: growth (2006-2010), stagnation (2011-2014) and decrease (2015-2018). During the growth period, infectious diseases (27.6%), respiratory diseases (19.5%), and organs of hearing (18.9%) prevailed in the OM structure in women. On the background of the OM indices decrease, a statistically significant increase in respiratory diseases, vibration disease, and infectious diseases, and also an increase of the occupational diseases’ share among women employed in the processing of woods, production of aircraft, and metallurgical industry is observed. The largest number of OM cases is registered at the privately-owned enterprises - 46.4 [32.3-73.3] %. Conclusion. OM dynamics are characterized by a significant decrease, however, an increase in the proportion of occupational diseases registered in women among all newly detected cases. Women employed in health care, wood processing, ship and aircraft manufacturing, metallurgy, power generation, transmission, and distribution are most at risk of developing occupational diseases. The current situation is a consequence of the long accumulation and unresolved problems of ensuring safe working conditions and requires the adoption of systemic measures aimed at the preservation of women’s health.

Impact of Environmental Conditions on the Health of the Far Eastern Region Population

The population of the Far Eastern region is under stress due to daily exposure to harmful and carcinogenic substances in the air, with average annual levels exceeding health standards. The purpose of this study is to assess the medical and environmental situation in the Far Eastern region and to identify relationships between environmental factors and the incidence in the population. For four years, studies have been conducted to assess the impact of environmental pollution on public health using basic demographic and morbidity indicators for the emissions of harmful substances, according to the data from State reports “On the sanitary-epidemiological situation in the Russian Federation” and statistical data from the Federal Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. In the course of this research, it was found that the increase in the incidence of malignant neoplasms was promoted by an increase in the amount of air-polluting emissions and an increase in the proportion of people employed in heavy work under conditions that do not meet health requirements. Using the regression equation, the impact of the amount of wastewater discharges and the amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere demonstrated an increase in respiratory diseases. As a preventive measure against negative environmental factors, the mandatory use of local adaptogens in everyday food products has been proposed.

Oral exposure to cadmium and mercury alone and in combination causes damage to the lung tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats

Environmental presence and human exposure to heavy metals in air and cigarette smoke has led to a worldwide increase in respiratory disease. The effects of oral exposure to heavy metals in liver and kidney structure and function have been widely investigated and the respiratory system as a target is often overlooked. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible structural changes in the lung tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats after oral exposure for 28 days to cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), alone and in combination at 1000 times the World Health Organization’s limit for each metal in drinking water. Following exposure, the general morphology of the bronchiole and lungs as well as collagen and elastin distribution was evaluated using histological techniques and transmission electron microscopy. In the lungs, structural changes to the alveoli included collapsed alveolar spaces, presence of inflammatory cells and thickening of the alveolar walls. In addition, exposure to Cd and Hg caused degeneration of the alveolar structures resulting in confluent alveoli. Changes in bronchiole morphology included an increase in smooth muscle mass with luminal epithelium degeneration, detachment and aggregation. Prominent bronchiole-associated lymphoid tissue was present in the group exposed to Cd and Hg. Ultrastructural examination confirmed the presence of fibrosis where in the Cd exposed group, collagen fibrils arrangement was dense, while in the Hg exposed group, additional prominent elastin was present. This study identified the lungs as target of heavy metals toxicity following oral exposure resulting in cellular damage, inflammation and fibrosis and increased risk of respiratory disease where Hg showed the greatest fibrotic effect, which was further, aggravated in combination with Cd.

High-Level PM2.5/PM10 Exposure Is Associated With Alterations in the Human Pharyngeal Microbiota Composition.

Previous studies showed that high concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 carried a large number of bacterial and archaeal species, including pathogens and opportunistic pathogens. In this study, pharyngeal swabs from 83 subjects working in an open air farmer’s market were sampled before and after exposure to smog with PM2.5 and PM10 levels up to 200 and 300 μg/m3, respectively. Their microbiota were investigated using high-throughput sequencing targeting the V3–V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The genus level phylotypes was increased from 649 to 767 in the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota, of which 142 were new and detected only in the post-smog microbiota. The 142 new genera were traced to sources such as soil, marine, feces, sewage sludge, freshwater, hot springs, and saline lakes. The abundance of the genera Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Moraxella, and Staphylococcus increased in the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota. All six alpha diversity indices and principal component analysis showed that the taxonomic composition of the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota was significantly different to that of the pre-smog pharyngeal microbiota. Redundancy analysis showed that the influences of PM2.5/PM10 exposure and smoking on the taxonomic composition of the pharyngeal microbiota were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Two days of exposure to high concentrations of PM2.5/PM10 changed the pharyngeal microbiota profiles, which may lead to an increase in respiratory diseases. Wearing masks could reduce the effect of high-level PM2.5/PM10 exposure on the pharyngeal microbiota.

Contaminación en agua y sedimentos por hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos: Revisión de la dinámica y los métodos analíticos

El aumento en el uso de combustibles fósiles y el desarrollo industrial, ha llevado al aumento de la concentración de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP) en los recursos naturales incluyendo el aire, el agua y el suelo, esto ha derivado en el incremento de enfermedades respiratorias, dérmicas, cancerígenas, mutagénicas y teratogénicas en la población. Esta revisión, tiene como objetivo presentar las fuentes de emisión, transporte, destino, los principales congéneres de HAP, sus propiedades fisicoquímicas, el muestreo pasivo, las técnicas de extracción y la aplicación de metodologías analíticas en agua y sedimentos como la cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas, que permiten la evaluación de estas sustancias y garantizar la calidad de los recursos hídricos. En Colombia se han presentado dificultades en la implementación de estas técnicas de extracción e identificación de HAP debido a su elevado costo y al desconocimiento de los riesgos ambientales y a la salud humana por parte de las autoridades.

Mortality Characteristics of Two Populations in the Northern Mediterranean (Croatia) in the Period 1960⁻2012: An Ecological Study.

In the second half of the 20th century, the town of Bakar (Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia), where a coking plant was operational 1978–1994, experienced intensive industrialisation. The town of Mali Lošinj (Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia) in this period based its economy on non-industrial sectors. The study goal was comparing mortality characteristics of these populations in the northern Mediterranean for 1960–2012. An ecological study design was used. Data were analysed for 1960–2012 for the deceased with recorded place of residence in the study area. Data on the deceased for 1960–1993 were taken from death reports, for 1994–2012 from digital archives of the Teaching Institute of Public Health, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. Data on causes of death for 1960–1994 were recoded to the three-digit code of underlying cause of death according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10). Among studied populations significant difference was found among the causes of deaths coded within ICD–10 chapters: neoplasms (particularly stomach carcinoma), mental and behavioural disorders and diseases of the respiratory system (particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (COPD)). Increase in mortality from neoplasms, increase in respiratory diseases for the area exposed to industrial pollution, also stomach carcinoma and COPD particularly in the town Bakar require further research.

Impact of Climate Change on Pollen and Respiratory Disease.

A warming world will impact everyone and everything. The practice of allergic and respiratory disease will not be excepted. All the impacts will be impossible to anticipate. This review is intended to discuss significant factors related to individuals with allergic and respiratory disease. Recent findings include the increased growth of allergenic plants in response to higher carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures. This also contributes to the increased production of pollen as well as the appearance of allergenic species in new climactic areas. Stinging insects will extend their ranges into northern areas where they have not previously been a problem. The shift and extension of pollen seasons with warmer springs and later frosts have already been observed. Recent severe hurricanes and flooding events may be just the harbinger of increasing damp housing exposure related to sea level rise. Evidence is accumulating that indicates the expected higher number of ozone alert days and increased pollution in populated areas is bringing increases in pollen potency. Finally, increased exposure to smoke and particles from wild fires, resulting from heat waves, will contribute to the general increase in respiratory disease. The practice of allergy being closely aligned with environmental conditions will be especially impacted. Allergists should consider increasing educational activities aimed at making patients more aware of air quality conditions.