Background:Central nervous system involvement is a serious complication of brucellosis with various incidence and various clinical presentations.Patients and Methods:Hospitalized patients in University Clinical Centre, Clinic for Infectious diseases in Prishtina, with laboratory-confirmed brucellosis, were analyzed, a brucellosis-endemic region. Among the 648 confirmed cases with brucellosis during the period 1991- 2013, 82 patients (12.65%) were diagnosed with neurobrucellosis. The clinical manifestations in patients with neurobrucellosis were evaluated and compared with brucellosis patients.Results:The major presentations among the brucellosis patients were headache, fever, sweating, nausea, weight loss and arthralgia, while from CNS predominant complains were: headache, vomiting, tremor, low back pain, hearing loss and visual disturbance. The mean age of 82 neurobrucellosis patients was 31.46 years with age distribution 12-71 years, from them 5 (6.1%), younger than 16 years, with a non-significant predominance of women (53.65%). The most common neurological findings were radiculopathies of legs (41.46%) neck rigidity (46.34%), agitation (25,6%), behavioral disorders (18.3%), disorientation (19.5%) and stroke (1.22%). Cranial nerves were involved in 20 of 82 patients (24.4%). Neurological consequences were evidenced in 5 (6.1%) patients. Three patients leave hospital with consequences of peripheral facial paresis, two with sensorineural hearing loss and one with left hemiparesis. Headache, nausea and vomiting and weight loss are significantly (p<0.001) more frequent complains in neurobrucellosis patients compare to patients with brucellosis. On the other hand, as regard to the physical findings and complications, meningeal signs and splenomegaly are significantly more frequent in neurobrucellosis (p<0.01) whereas the hepatomegaly and lymphadenopathy were more frequent (p<0.01) in brucellosis patients. Different significant correlations were observed among specific complains too.Conclusions:Our findings in regard to the specific associations of physical and clinical features in brucellosis patients in Kosovo, may serve as an indication for neurobrucellosis. In endemic areas for brucellosis patients complaining in radiculopathies, persistent headache, facial palsy, hearing loss or presenting stroke without risk factors, should be considered for screening for neurobrucellosis.

Among hantaviruses (HTNV), 22 are known as pathogenic for humans. HTNV can cause two clinical entities: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). In most countries of Eastern Europe as well as in Kosovo, HTNV infection is presented mainly as HFRS. Here, we report a 20-year-old man with HFRS and HCPS caused by Dobrava hantavirus strain, successfully treated in Intensive Care Unit of Infectious Diseases Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo. In HFRS endemic areas, patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome need to be evaluated for Dobrava hantavirus strain as a possible causative agent.

Background: Disability is a relatively common problem in children. The pattern of admission in these children and their common infections may differ from other children because of their special disabilities. So we aimed at determination of the common infectious diseases result in admission of these children in our hospital.Methods: During September 2006 to September 2007, 60 disabled children aged between 4 months to 15 years were admitted to infectious ward, Mofid Children Hospital. A questionnaire was filled at admission time; particularly details of their recent complaint, Also children were completely examined. Finally the diagnoses were evaluated. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 Chi-square was used for Qualitative variables.Results: In this study 25 (42%) boys and 35 (58%) girls aged from 4 to168 months were included. Twenty one patients (35%) had developmental, 8 (13%) mental, and 31 (52%) mental and developmental disabilities. The common diseases among these children were lower respiratory tract infection in 24 (40%), urinary tract infections in 8 (13.3%), and nonspecific viral infections in 8 (13.3%). Dental caries and periodontal problems were significantly higher in children with both mental and developmental disabilities, (P = 0.006) this relation was similar in deformity of extremities. Children with both mental and developmental disabilities were admitted more than children with each of them (P = 0.08). Children with both mental and developmental disabilities, and children with developmental disability had more respiratory signs than mentally disabled children (P = 0.02). Conclusion:Although lower respiratory tract infection in 24 (40%) was the most common reason for admission in these children in our study, we found no significant relation between type of disability and infectious disease. We conclude that more prospective studies and trails necessary to complete our findings.

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Introduction: Purulent meningitis is a severe infection of the central nervous system caused by different bacteria and very often causes severe complications and high lethality. Since the disease still has unclear pathogenesis and high mortality, researchers and clinicians are focused on the influence of damage of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its subsequent impact on the outcome of purulent meningitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the albumin concentration and the albumin coefficient as the best parameters of BBB damage, and their influence on the outcome of patients with purulent meningitis. Material and methods: The study was carried out by examining the hospitalized patients in the Clinic of Infective Diseases in Prishtina, Kosovo. Blood-brain barrier damage is evaluated by analyzing the dynamics of values of proteins, glucose and albumins, as well as by determining the BBB coefficient of damage. Results: The data consistent with BBB damage in patients with purulent meningitis corresponded with disease outcome. Consequently, 56.97% of the patients who developed complications or died had very severe BBB damage. Patients with the mean value of albumin coefficient X = 46.5 ±27.23 g/l were at higher risk of developing complications (relative risk (RR) = 2.63; p < 0.0001) or having a lethal outcome (RR = 5.20; p < 0.0001). Patients with longer duration of pathological mean values of albumin coefficient were at higher risk of developing complications (RR = 3.11; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our data suggest that BBB damage in patients with purulent meningitis correspond with disease outcome. The best predictors for outcome were albumin coefficient and albumin concentration in cerebrospinal fluid.