Objectives: Contrary to popular opinion on the preventive properties of vitamin D, results of previous studies have been inconclusive. The aim of this research was to evaluate the associations between the intake of vitamin D and metabolic abnormalities in a representative sample of Polish adults. Material and Methods: Within the framework of the Multi-Center National Population Health Examination Survey (referred to as WOBASZ), a random sample of 2381 adult residents of Poland (53.8% of whom were women) was examined. All the study subjects were extensively reviewed, including 24-h dietary recall. The intake of vitamin D was assessed on the basis of dietary and supplements reviews. Metabolic abnormalities were evaluated using measurements of waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), serum triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and fasting glycemia. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation. Results: Of all the study participants, about 4.4 % of women and 2.6% of men declared a regular supplementation of vitamin D. Among women, a significant inverse correlation between vitamin D supplementation and the mean systolic BP was found (p < 0.01). A more substantial relationship was noted after dividing the study subjects according to their body mass. Among obese men, there was a significant inverse relationship between vitamin D intake and the mean systolic BP (p < 0.01) and diastolic BP (p < 0.05), as well as a positive correlation with HDL-C (p < 0.05). Among obese women, a negative correlation was found between vitamin D supplementation and the mean systolic BP (p < 0.01) and diastolic BP (p < 0.05), and a positive correlation with TG (p < 0.05). Among non-obese male subjects, a negative correlation between vitamin D intake and WC was observed. Conclusions: The obtained findings suggest that the correlation between vitamin D intake and metabolic abnormalities may depend on the obesity status. A higher vitamin D intake may reduce BP and increase HDL-C in obese subjects. The positive relationship between vitamin D intake and TG concentration in women needs further investigation. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(1):107 -18

Efficient foodborne outbreak investigations are important for identification of gaps in food safety and public health practice. This article reports on an investigation of a gastroenteritis outbreak linked to catering food following a Christmas reception at the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene (NIPH-NIH) in Warsaw in December 2012. Of 192 employees eating food at the catering event, 97 (50.5 %) developed symptoms. Persons eating dishes with recipes containing frozen carrots were five times more likely to develop gastrointestinal symptoms compared to those who did not eat carrots. Laboratory analysis identified norovirus in stool samples taken from symptomatic persons. Leftover food was not available for testing. The investigators did not collect stool specimens from food handlers and did not conduct trace backs for the suspected food ingredients. This investigation underlines the need for a revision of an existing procedures and importance of their complementation with detailed instructions for the local public health authorities for effective completion of foodborne outbreaks investigations in Poland.