The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on people’s quality of life (QoL), which is affected by social and economic changes as well as by mental and physical health. The aim of this study was to determine QoL in post-COVID-19 patients who had required hospitalization, and to identify relevant sociodemographic data. We used questionnaires which considered demographic and socioeconomic data, health and vaccination status, the pandemic situation, and EQ-5D scoring. The interactions of all data and the scores of EQ-5D were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to the five dimensions of EQ-5D. In this single-hospital-cohort study, the average times elapsed since initial diagnosis and hospital admission were 2.5 (76.3 ± 18.1 days) and 5 months (155.4 ± 33.9 days), respectively. Post-COVID-19 females were 3–5 times more likely to be affected in terms of anxiety/depression, and in negative impact upon their usual activities, at 5 months after diagnosis. At the same time, reductions in mobility were 3–4 times more likely in elderly post-COVID-19 patients, whose levels of pain and discomfort increased. Single patients, those with low incomes, and those with severe clinical outcomes were 2–4 times more likely to experience a reduction in their usual activities, while the presence of co-morbidities and lower levels of education were associated with increased pain and discomfort. Aging-induced pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression were significantly exacerbated in elderly patients with widespread vaccination. Our study revealed effects of demographic and socioeconomic factors upon lower QoL in post-COVID-19 patients in four dimensions of EQ-5D: mobility, usual activity, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, 5 months after first diagnosis and hospitalization.

Human West Nile virus (WNV) infection is usually asymptomatic. Less than 1% of patients develop neuroinvasive disease (WNND) which may result in permanent neurological impairment. The aim of this study was to assess the functional and cognitive status of patients with WNND approximately one year after the onset of symptoms. This prospective observational cohort study involved patients with WNND. Patients’ functional and cognitive abilities one year post-infection were assessed by telephone interviews using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Barthel Index, and Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Sixty-two participants were analyzed. All patients had encephalitis, and 7 (11.3%) also had acute flaccid paresis/paralysis (AFP). At discharge, 40 (64.5%) patients had no or minimal neurological deficit (mRS 0–1), and 14 (22.6%) were functionally dependent (mRS 3–5). One year later, 52 (83.9%) patients were functionally independent (mRS 0–2), none was severely dependent (Barthel index 0–60), and 50 (90.9%) had a Barthel index score of 91–100. Among 14 functionally dependent patients at discharge, 3 (21.4%) remained functionally dependent one year later. During the follow-up, 7 (11.3%) patients died. No significant difference was observed in the fatality rate between patients with and without AFP, mRS 3–5 at discharge, or age over 65. The most common persistent symptoms were muscle weakness, walking instability, and issues with focus and memory. Using TICS, it was found that 33/55 patients (60%) had unimpaired and 2 (3.6%) had moderately or severely impaired cognitive status. The long-term prognosis after WNV encephalitis is satisfying. The majority of patients reached functional independence and 60% had unimpaired cognitive status.

Introduction/Aim: The impact of chronic viral hepatitis on COVID-19 has not been fully clarified yet. The aim of this paper was to analyze the clinical features, course and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and to determine the risk factors for unfavorable outcome. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in which the case group included patients with chronic viral hepatitis suffering from COVID-19, while the control group included patients with chronic liver diseases of other etiologies; the patients were matched according to the stage of the liver disease. All subjects were treated at the Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade from 1st March 2020 to 1st March 1 2022. Results: Seventy-five patients with chronic liver diseases suffering from COVID-19 were analyzed - 25 with chronic viral hepatitis (13 HBV, 12 HCV) - case group, and 50 in the control group. In the case group, there were more males (76% vs. 72%) and younger patients (53.5±15.1 vs. 57.9±13.4 years), whereas in the control group there were more overweight patients (36% vs. 20%). In relation to comorbidities, there were more subjects with endocrinological diseases in the control group. The groups did not differ in terms of the severity of clinical features and the outcome of COVID-19. Risk factors for severe form of COVID-19 and lethal outcome were: cirrhosis, active liver disease, high fever, dyspnea, whereas vaccination was a protective factor against COVID-19. Conclusion: The course and outcome of COVID-19 is similar in people with chronic liver diseases. Risk factors for poor outcome include advanced liver disease and dyspnea, while vaccination is a protective factor.

Mosquitoes are ubiquitous arthropods from the order Diptera and are related to flies. They can be found worldwide except at high latitudes and elevations, as well as during the colder seasons in moderate climates. They can be ectoparasites of practically all vertebrates including humans. Culex pipiens (most common), Culex modestus, Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicum, Aedes vexans, Aedes cinnereus, Anopheles plumbeus and Anopheles maculipennis complex have all been detected in Serbia. These mosquitoes are vectors for numerous infections including West Nile fever, dirofilariasis, Eastern equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, zika and usutuviral, Bataviral, Tahynaviral and Sindbis viral infections. The most common mosquito-borne infection in our country is West Nile fever. This infection can be complicated by the development of encephalitis with a lethality as high as 14% and relatively common neurologic deficits. All patients with an infection of the central nervous system, a rash and arthralgia/arthritis (especially during the summer months) should be evaluated for mosquitoborne pathogens. Patients with chronic conditions and the elderly should take precautions to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Remaining vigilant for the establishment of autochthonous transmission of deadly mosquito-borne pathogens (e.g. malaria) is of vital importance.

Ticks are arthropods from the class Arachnida, related to spiders and mites. They can be found in a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems and are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of all vertebrates except fish. They cannot reproduce at high altitudes and latitudes, and they are inactive during the winter. Ticks often live in symbiosis with bacteria such as Francisella spp. and Coxiella spp. They go through four developmental stages, with nymphs and adults being the most significant in the context of vectors for human pathogens. In Serbia, several species of ticks have been detected, including Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis concinna, and Hyalomma marginatum. The most medically significant species is the common tick (I. ricinus), which can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, relapsing fever, babesiosis, tick-borne encephalitis, and orbivirus infections. Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere, affects hundreds of thousands of people annually. Other significant diseases transmitted by ticks include tularemia, TIBOLA (Tick-borne Lymphadenopathy), Mediterranean spotted fever and Mediterranean spotted fever-like illnesses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Neoehrlichia mikurensis infection. The highest risk of complications is seen in patients who are hypoor asplenic, as well as immunosuppressed individuals. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for tick-borne diseases in all patients presenting with a rash, hepatosplenomegaly, neurological deficits, headache, and/or a reduced peripheral blood cell count.