[Dysentery in 1997]

Notifications of dysentery fell to their lowest yearly total since 1918. The 1997 total figure of 439 was 18% lower than in 1996 (534 cases) and of 1353 cases (75%) lower than the median yearly figure in 1991-95 (1894 cases). Incidence rate in 1997 was 1.1/100,000 inhabitance, the lowest ever notified. In 1996 incidence rate was 1.4 for 100,000 inhabitants and median incidence rate in 1991-1995 was 4.9. Dysentery was not diagnosed in 24% administrative regions of Poland. No case of dysentery has been notified in 5/49 regions, only one single patients in 7/49 regions. 80% of patients were children 0-19 years old. The highest incidence rate (15.0 per 100,000) was found in children 3 years old and in children 4 years old (8.9/100,000)-residents of towns. Only bacteriological confirmed Shigella infection was notified as dysentery. In 1997 bacteriological examination for such purpose stopped to be done free of charge. Except one outbreak dispensed in Wrocław all other outbreaks were limited to the children institution: schools, kindergartens or social care institutions. There were 12 outbreaks, 11 due to S. sonnei infection, and one to S. flexneri 1b. The quality control test performed by bacteriological laboratories of Sanitary Epidemiological Service revealed that not all of them used bacteriological media efficient for all types of Shigella.