Last year, the number of cases of infectious diseases such as whooping cough, Lyme disease, scarlet fever and measles increased – according to the Central Statistical Office data presented in the report “Health and health care in 2024”.
Data from the Central Statistical Office show that in 2024, compared to the previous year:
- over thirty times more cases of whooping cough – 32.8 thousand. cases, by 31.8 thousand cases more than a year ago. The incidence rate was 87.2 cases per 100,000. population (in 2023 it was 2.4).
- the number of cases of Lyme borreliosis, a bacterial disease transmitted to humans by ticks, was higher for the third year in a row – it amounted to 29.9 thousand. cases. That's 18.1 percent. more cases than in the previous year (i.e. 4.6 thousand cases).
- increase in scarlet fever cases – 48.5 thousand cases, by 8.3 percent more (i.e. 3.7 thousand cases) than a year ago. This means 129.1 cases per 100,000. the country's population and an increase in the incidence rate by 10.3 compared to the previous year.
In 2024, nearly eight times more measles cases were recorded – 272 cases, which means an incidence of 0.72 per 100,000. country's population (in 2023 – 0.09). In previous years, the last high level of disease was recorded in 2019 (1,502 cases).
The number of registered new cases of viral hepatitis (hepatitis) of all types A, B and C increased compared to 2023.
Similarly to last year, among the newly registered cases, the most cases of hepatitis C were recorded – 3,565 cases, 298 cases more than in 2023.
Hepatitis B was registered in 3,545 people, 403 cases more than in the previous year, and hepatitis A (the so-called dirty hands disease) was diagnosed in 318 people, 112 more cases.
2.6 thousand registered cases of encephalitis and meningitis, of which nearly three quarters of cases were viral diseases – 1.9 thousand. cases, 362 cases more than in the previous year. Slightly more than a quarter were inflammations caused by bacteria – 678 cases, 2 cases less than a year ago.
There was also a significant increase compared to the previous year in the incidence of infectious diseases of the digestive system, such as: enteritis caused by rotaviruses – 13.9 thousand cases (more than two-fold increase), or diarrhea in children under two years of infectious or undetermined etiology – 25.0 thousand illnesses, by 20.2 percent more than in 2023
In the case of invasive infections, subject to epidemiological supervision due to their frequent occurrence in young children and the high risk of severe disease, the most cases of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium were recorded – 3.5 thousand. illnesses, by 18.5 percent more than a year ago, then Haemophilus influenzae – 379 cases, 43%. more, and in the case of Neisseira meningitidis, causing invasive meningococcal disease – 153 cases in the country, one case more than in 2023.
A lower number of cases than a year ago was recorded in the case of rubella, mumps and tetanus, diseases subject to compulsory vaccination, as well as in the case of salmonellosis, bacillary dysentery, intestinal infections caused by Clostridioides difficile, tuberculosis and venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea.
In 2024, eight cases of tetanus were recorded in the country, five cases less than a year ago (incidence rate per 100,000 population – 0.02). In the case of mumps, 931 cases were recorded, 35 cases less; rubella – 193 cases, 50 cases less.
In 2024, a much lower level of salmonellosis cases was recorded – 9.4 thousand. infections, nearly 1 thousand cases less than a year ago. The incidence was 24.9 cases per 100,000. country's population, 2.5 less than a year earlier.
Fewer cases of enteritis caused by Clostridioides difficile were also recorded – 20.7 thousand. cases, by 0.6 thousand cases less than a year ago.
Among rare gastrointestinal diseases, recorded in small numbers in the country, 36 cases of bacillary dysentery were registered, which is 14 cases less than a year ago.
In 2024, 4,236 cases of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis were registered200 cases less than a year ago, of which 96.6 percent (4,093) cases were pulmonary tuberculosis. Due to syphilis and gonorrhea, 3,023 people were treated in dermatology and venereology clinics4, 9.5%, or 319 people less than in 2023.
kno/ agz/
