The purpose of the article is to demonstrate a clinical case of Crohn’s disease in an 8-year-old child. Materials and methods: The given clinical example is a case of a non-classical variant of the course of Crohn’s disease in an 8-year-old child who debuted with an upper respiratory tract lesion in combination with abdominal pain against the background of long courses of antibacterial therapy. Conclusion: This clinical case demonstrates the complexity of the diagnostic search, the need for careful history collection and differential diagnosis.

Objective: To evaluate parental attitudes towards vaccination in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), assess the level of adherence to immunization schedules, and identify key barriers hindering vaccination. Materials and Methods: A comparative survey was conducted involving 215 respondents, divided into an IBD group (109 parents of children with IBD) and a control group (106 parents of healthy children). The majority of respondents were mothers (96%) with higher education (81% and 79%, respectively) residing in a major metropolitan area. We assessed demographic data, vaccination history of both children and parents, sources of medical information, and reasons for vaccine refusal. Results: Routine vaccination coverage in children under 6 years of age was high and comparable in both groups (>93%). The majority of parents in the IBD group (n = 68; 62%) expressed a positive attitude towards vaccination. However, following the onset of IBD, only 24 (22%) continued vaccination, while 85 (78%) reported a categorical refusal to continue immunization. It was found that parents tend to misinterpret normal post-vaccination reactions as vaccine complications. A significant factor contributing to refusal is the lack of information from attending physicians and reliance on the Internet as a primary information source. Additionally, low rates of adult revaccination were noted, with over 30% of parents in both groups not being vaccinated in adulthood. Conclusions: The low vaccination rate in children with IBD after disease onset is driven not by initial anti-vaccination sentiment, but by acquired fears and a lack of professional communication from primary care providers and specialists. Improving immunization coverage requires the active implementation of educational programs for parents regarding vaccine safety during immunosuppressive therapy, as well as the development of specific guidelines for attending physicians.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases with an early-onset form (EO-IBDs) make up a special disease group with certain clinical and phenotypic characteristics. This article discusses the features of such early onset in a group of children, based on five years of monitoring a registry of children with IBD from a specialized center. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study included pediatric patients diagnosed with EO-IBD between 2019 and 2024. Clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic data were collected from medical records, including fecal calprotectin, inflammatory markers, disease activity indices, and endoscopic severity scores. Localization was classified according to the Paris system, and histological activity was assessed using the IBD-DCA score. Results: There were 20 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 17 with Crohn’s disease (CD). Clinical activity was moderate or high (p = 0.179). UC was more characterized by diarrhea and rectal bleeding. CD was more often accompanied by abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. In total, 82.4% of patients with CD had an inflammatory form. UC-like intestinal lesion was typical of both nosologies—L3 64.7% and E4 60% forms in CD and UC, respectively. Morphological activity was moderate for both nosologies (p = 0.54). IBD-U was present in 43.2% of patients. The median time after which it was possible to diagnose UC was 24 weeks (IQR 20–48) and 40 weeks (IQR 30–45.5) for CD (p = 0.56). Conclusions: Our study confirms the presence of characteristic signs of EO-IBD development, such as a frequent family history of IBD, high or moderate clinical activity during diagnosis verification, colon damage, and a high frequency of extraintestinal manifestations.

Background: Measles, mumps, and rubella outbreaks continue to occur despite high vaccination coverage, raising concerns about long-term vaccine-induced immunity. This study assessed serological protection against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella in fully vaccinated Russian adolescents to identify immunity gaps and inform revaccination strategies. Methods: Serum IgG was quantified by commercial ELISA. Analytical cut-offs were: measles ≥ 0.18 IU/mL, rubella ≥ 30 IU/mL, mumps index ≥ 1.0 (index = OD/0.467), and varicella ≥ 1.0 IU/mL; equivocal results were classified as negative in the primary analysis and as positive in a sensitivity analysis. Geometric mean concentrations (GMC) were computed on the natural-logarithm scale. Results: Seropositivity differed markedly between infections (χ² 55.1; p < 0.001): rubella 81.4% (95% CI 74.6–86.7), varicella 57.7% (95% CI 49.8–65.2), mumps 53.2% (95% CI 45.4–60.9) and measles 41.0% (95% CI 33.6–48.9). GMC was lowest for measles (0.132; 95% CI 0.111–0.158) and highest for rubella (61.9; 95% CI 55.3–69.2). The measles estimate was sensitive to the treatment of equivocal results, rising to 53.2% (95% CI 45.4–60.9) at the manufacturer’s cut-off of ≥0.12 IU/mL; rubella rose to 94.9% at ≥16 IU/mL. Conclusions: Lower seropositivity rates for measles and mumps were identified among fully vaccinated adolescents, which fall below standard epidemiological benchmarks. In contrast, rubella seropositivity was robust at 81.4%. Because the measles estimate depended strongly on the assay cut-off applied, and because enzyme immunoassays are known to underestimate seroprevalence relative to neutralization testing, these findings describe the distribution of circulating antibody rather than the prevalence of susceptibility and warrant confirmation in larger representative samples with neutralization testing.

Background: Bloodborne viral hepatitis B and C remain critical occupational hazards for healthcare workers (HCWs). Current mandatory screening in some countries, including Russia, relies solely on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) detection, which may overlook occult infections. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, predictors, and occupational risks of HBV (including occult HBV infection) and HCV among HCWs in multidisciplinary facilities. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study of 1,643 HCWs and auxiliary staff was conducted. Blood serum samples were tested for anti-HBc, anti-HBs, and anti-HCV antibodies using ELISA. Seropositive individuals underwent real-time PCR testing to detect HBV DNA and HCV RNA. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of seropositivity. Results: Anti-HBc IgG was detected in 36.6% of HCWs, demonstrating a strong age gradient (aOR = 1.55 per 10 years of age; p < 0.001), rising from 12.4% in those under 30 to 50% in those over 60. Anti-HBs levels ≥10 mIU/mL were observed in only 54.8% of HCWs, dropping to 29.7% at a stricter threshold (>100 mIU/mL). High anti-HBs titers (100–1,000 mIU/mL) were strongly associated with anti-HBc positivity (aOR = 4.65; p < 0.001). Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) was detected in 3.1% (95% CI 0.85–7.73%) of tested anti-HBc-positive HCWs, who exhibited lower median anti-HBs concentrations compared to PCR-negative counterparts (7 vs. 165 mIU/mL; p = 0.003). HBV DNA was detected in 4 of 129 HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive participants (3.1%), a finding consistent with possible occult HBV infection. Notably, 75% of OBI cases were classified as low occupational risk. Anti-HCV prevalence was 5%, but HCV RNA was detected in only 3.6% of seropositives (overall prevalence 0.18%). Logistic regression for anti-HCV showed poor predictive value (AUC 0.546, p = 0.68). Conclusion: Despite vaccination efforts, a high rate of HBV exposure and waning seroprotection persist among HCWs. The detection of OBI and active HCV in “low-risk” personnel highlights the limitations of current HBsAg-only screening. Epidemiological surveillance should transition to active monitoring of anti-HBc / anti-HBs status and targeted PCR screening, alongside strict adherence to standard precautions by all staff.