Background: Shigellosis according to European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) Report is registered in all countries of the European Union (EU) and of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) with exception of Italy and Luxemburg. The incidence rate in Poland below 0.1/100 000 of population is the lowest among the EU/EFTA countries.
Aim: To assess epidemiological situation of shigellosis in Poland in 2012 in comparison to preceding years.
Materials and methods: An assessment of the epidemiological situation of shigellosis was based on the results from an analysis of the yearly annual bulletins: "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2012", reports from bacteriological laboratories and reports from individual cases and epidemiological investigations of outbreaks linked to shigellosis, sent by Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations to the Department of Epidemiology at NIZP-PZH.
Results: In 2012 the tendency that the number of registered cases of shigellosis was lower than in the former years continued - only 13 confirmed cases of shigellosis were registered (incidence rate 0.03 per 100 000 inhabitantsbut in the previous year the 18 cases ( incidence rate 0.05). Cases were registered only by 6 provinces, most of the cases by the Lodz province - 4. All together 5 persons nearly 40% were infected in travel to the foreign countries. According to data from laboratories of Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations, Shigella was detected only 4 convalescents and 2 carriers. All cases of shigellosis registered in 2012, were confirmed by a hospital laboratory or a private laboratory.
Conclusions: In our opinion the above mentioned data concerning the cases of shigellosis in Poland in 2012 are not reflecting the true epidemiological situation of shigellosis in Poland. The sanitary situation was changing nearly every year for better than in former years but the surveillance of dysentery require more active epidemiological measures.
Keywords: 2012; Poland; etiology; incidence; infectious intestinal disease; shigellosis.