Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929) was a physician and epidemiologist conducting research in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. His greatest achievements include proving that the cause of pellagra are nutritional deficiencies. Pellagra is a serious disorder manifesting through diverse skin lesions and damage to internal organs - without proper treatment leading to death. The results of Joseph Goldberger's research enabled effective treatment of this disease and contained its epidemic in the United States. The aim of the work is to present the most crucial aspects of the life and activities of Joseph Goldberger.

Introduction and Aim Air pollution is a major public health concern, adversely affecting both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The main pollutants include particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen oxides (NO2), tropospheric ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and other toxic compounds. Numerous studies confirm an association between exposure to these pollutants and increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias, and heart failure. This paper aims to summarise current knowledge on the effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system and to discuss underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. State of Knowledge Air pollution is one of the leading environmental risk factors for premature mortality worldwide. The most harmful components include fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revised its air quality guidelines, lowering the recommended annual PM2.5 limit to 5 µg/m3. Pollutants induce oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and autonomic imbalance, contributing to cardiovascular disease development and progression. Short-term exposure increases the risk of acute events such as myocardial infarction and arrhythmias, while long-term exposure promotes atherosclerosis and chronic heart failure. The elderly, children, and individuals with chronic diseases are particularly vulnerable. This issue remains a major public health challenge globally. Summary Air pollution is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Reducing exposure through continuous air quality monitoring and effective preventive measures is essential for protecting public health.

Vitamin D (VD) deficiency represents a global health problem affecting populations across all age groups, regardless of place of residence, sex, race, or body mass. Unlike other vitamins, it functions in the human body as a prohormone. Its active form, calcitriol, regulates calcium-phosphate homeostasis and exerts pleiotropic immunological, cardiometabolic, neuroprotective, and anticancer effects. The primary source of VD is cutaneous synthesis induced by UVB radiation, which under favorable conditions can fully meet the body's requirements. Fatty fish constitute the main exogenous source of vitamin D, whereas other dietary components, supplementation, and fortified foods play only a supplementary role. VD status is influenced by numerous environmental factors, including latitude, season, altitude, cloud cover, air pollution, and surface albedo. Although latitude was formerly considered the main predictor of VD levels, other determinants are now recognized as equally important. Among biological factors, age, sex, BMI, body fat content, skin melanin level, and genetic profile play a significant role. Melanin reduces endogenous VD synthesis, and this process further declines with age. Obesity predisposes to deficiency, most likely due to sequestration of cholecalciferol in adipose tissue. Behavioral factors such as diet, supplementation, wearing body-covering clothing, use of sunscreens, and sun-exposure habits significantly affect serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Interactions between these factors further complicate the assessment of deficiency risk. In Scandinavian countries, deficiencies related to low sunlight exposure are effectively compensated by diets rich in fatty fish and mandatory food fortification. The most effective preventive strategy is cholecalciferol supplementation in individually adjusted doses. Modern lifestyle, characterized by limited sun exposure, is one of the main contributors to VD deficiency. Since measurement of VD metabolites is not performed as a screening test in the general population, identification of risk factors and appropriate adjustment of supplementation remain crucial in deficiency prevention.

Hypertension, often described as a "silent killer," remains one of the leading modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and premature mortality worldwide. Its burden is rising most rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems are least equipped to respond. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, faces a particularly severe challenge. Current estimates indicate that approximately 36% of Nigerian adults are living with hypertension, yet awareness, treatment, and control rates remain critically low. As Nigeria undergoes rapid demographic growth, urbanization, and epidemiologic transition, the absolute number of individuals affected is projected to increase substantially, amplifying pressure on the health system and national workforce. This narrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature, national surveys, and global health reports published between 2010 and 2025 to examine the burden of undiagnosed and poorly controlled hypertension in Nigeria. We reviewed the trends, sociocultural and structural drivers, health system barriers, and public health responses within the Nigerian context. Evidence highlights the role of dietary transitions, physical inactivity, low health literacy, cultural misconceptions, and limited access to affordable primary care in sustaining the epidemic. The review suggests that effective responses must extend beyond individual behavior change to include community-based screening, workplace health programs, culturally tailored education, sodium reduction strategies, and strengthened primary healthcare delivery, hence framing hypertension as a shared public health and development challenge, rather than solely an individual clinical condition, is essential for reducing preventable morbidity and mortality, protecting workforce productivity, and supporting Nigeria's long-term health and socioeconomic development.

Trypanosomiasis remains a major neglected tropical disease, largely uncontrolled due to rising drug resistance and the absence of an effective vaccine. Decades of vaccine failure are primarily linked to the parasite's immune-evasion strategy of Antigenic Variation (AV), driven by continual switching of the Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) coat. This review proposes an integrated immuno-epidemiologic framework that moves beyond VSG-focused strategies by targeting conserved functional vulnerabilities and incorporating population-level transmission dynamics. The approach redirects vaccine development toward invariant, indispensable antigens such as the Transferrin Receptor (TfR), Invariant Surface Glycoproteins (ISGs), and Paraflagellar Rod (PFR) components. Antibodies against these molecules can induce conserved killing mechanisms, including iron starvation or disruption of essential membrane functions - regardless of VSG switching. Advances in reverse vaccinology enable multi-epitope and mRNA platforms to encode these structurally constrained targets, while complementary transmission-blocking and vector-focused strategies aim to interrupt parasite development within tsetse flies. A central argument is that partially protective vaccines (PPVs) can produce substantial epidemiologic benefits by lowering parasitemia, shortening infectious duration, and reducing the probability of vector infection. Such effects can meaningfully suppress transmission without requiring sterilizing immunity. A One Health approach, coupled with realistic population-based efficacy metrics, is essential for future vaccine development. By exploiting conserved molecular constraints and integrating immunologic, ecological, and epidemiologic insights, this framework outlines a practical pathway toward effective trypanosomiasis vaccination.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 4.5-5.4 million snakebites each year, and 1.8-2.7 million people develop symptomatic poisoning. Complications lead to the death of 81,000-138,000 patients annually and result in limb amputations or permanent disability in approximately 400,000 patients. This study aims to underscore the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for patients bitten by Vipera berus, as well as the need for education regarding the management of such cases. The paper presents the case of a 64-year-old female patient without comorbidities who was admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections due to a Vipera berus bite. A physical examination revealed severe bruising and swelling of the right upper limb, as well as numerous hemorrhages covering the right half of the chest. In the following days, increasing swelling and spreading of the bruises were observed. Laboratory results showed anemia resulting from hemolysis of blood components. Over time, the bruising was gradually absorbed, and the swelling of the limb decreased. This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and monitoring of local symptoms and coagulation parameters, rapid antitoxin administration, close observation of patients due to the risk of later deterioration, and education on management and differential diagnosis. .

The use of antibiotics by health care professionals has benefitted mankind to a great extent in achieving adequate control of infections. However, there has been a tremendous rise in the use of antibiotics among medical and dental professionals during the last 10-15years which has given rise to a serious global problem of antibiotic resistance (AMR). There is a significant problem of antibiotic misuse by dental professionals in India, with antibiotics being prescribed inappropriately for clinical and non-clinical reasons. There are no dedicated antibiotic prescribing guidelines for dental practitioners in key Indian policy documents. Despite, many studies reporting inappropriate use of antibiotics by dentists, the full extent of this problem is still unknown and reasons for such prescription patterns are unclear and need further investigation. The present paper attempts to provide the most recent information regarding antibiotic misuse by dentists in India and recommends appropriate measures to combat this public health threat.

The article analyzes the status of parasitic infections in Poland, with a focus on pinworm, roundworm, and giardiasis. It highlights gaps in disease monitoring following legal changes in 2008 that eliminated reporting requirements for many parasitic diseases. The last reliable epidemiological data (from 2008) show an 18% increase in roundworm cases and a 21% rise in pinworm infections, alongside a decline in trichinellosis and toxoplasmosis. The authors emphasize the nonspecific symptoms of these infections, such as sleep disturbances, abdominal pain, asthma-like signs, and allergic reactions, which complicate diagnosis. The mechanisms of antiparasitic drugs (benzimidazoles, pyrantel, nitroimidazoles), their adverse effects (including autoimmune risks in children), and the growing problem of parasite resistance are discussed in detail. The article compares the effectiveness of mass deworming programs in developing countries with the situation in Poland, where better sanitation and the lack of up-to-date epidemiological data make such interventions potentially harmful. Instead of blanket prophylaxis, the authors recommend individualized therapy, strengthened epidemiological surveillance, and health education, particularly targeting children and their caregivers.

Central nervous system (CNS) toxoplasmosis represents one of the most common opportunistic complications in patients with advanced HIV/AIDS infection. A wide range of neurological symptoms may contribute to the clinical presentation of the disease. This paper reports the case of a 29-year-old man with untreated HIV infection, in whom neurotoxoplasmosis led to rapidly progressive, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and severe disability. Appropriate neuroimaging diagnostics enabled the initiation of effective treatment; however, neurological sequelae, including hearing impairment, persisted. To the best of our knowledge, this type of complication has not been previously described in patients living with HIV and CNS toxoplasmosis.

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to summarize the epidemiological situation of infectious diseases in Poland in 2023. The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the influx of refugees to Ukraine were taken into account. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We performed a narrative review of studies published in Epidemiological Chronicle, along with data from the national infectious disease registry, Epibaza, which collects data from epidemiological investigations conducted by the State Sanitary Inspectorate. Mortality data were obtained from reports of the Statistics Poland Office. RESULTS. In 2023, 381,244 cases of COVID-19 and 4,329 deaths due to this disease were recorded. The COVID-19 mortality rate in 2023 was several times lower than in 2022, although COVID-19 still accounted for more deaths than other infectious diseases. An "immunity gap" effect was observed following the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a significant increase in the incidence of pertussis (2.5 times compared to 2022), influenza and influenza-like illnesses, and intestinal infections (enteric salmonellosis +57.9%, campylobacteriosis +64.1%, yersiniosis +74.5%, norovirus +27.8%). A reduction in the incidence was observed for rotavirus infections, for which routine infant vaccinations were introduced in 2021. The increase in pneumococcal disease incidence occurred mainly in the adult and senior population. While the number of new HIV diagnoses among Polish nationals is increasing, the number of cases among migrants has declined, although they still account for 25% of all new diagnoses. The incidence of other sexually transmitted infections also continues to increase (compared to 2022, gonorrhoea +110.6%, syphilis +89.6%). CONCLUSIONS. For many diseases, incidence increased compared to previous years, for a variety of reasons, including the persistent "immunity gap" following the pandemic and the specific nature of the vaccination program. The impact of the influx of refugees from Ukraine was minor.