DISEASES IN SLOVAKIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R013700010001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 29, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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INFORMATION REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE REAM IND OF TITLE 18, SECTIONE 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROM 181 TED-
Mala,ria
to in 1943;, Slovakia reported 20,000 cases of malaria9 at the present time., however,
it is impossible to give-accurate figures for the incidence of malaria or other
,diseases, becaus.statistics, though collected, are no longer available to the
occurs southeastern
general the 77a.ile of public. the Tisa MalariaRiver,, widespread in
tertian, of Slovakia in
y
disease occ the tertian, quartan, and also
tropical forms, Dr MartinDziuban.established the .existence of the tropical form
of malaria in Slovakia-.,in.....19270
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2. Efforts to zontrol malaria have been hindered by difficulties of obtaining atebrin,
plasnio: hin and quinine; however areal, shortage exists or these
items are lender rigid control at the- present time. ; An additional difficulty is
than,farmlands of southeastern Slovakia contain much clay used to build houses,
and the removal of the clay leaves holes which fill with water; these stagnant
pools naturally breed mosquitoes. Some efforts have been_ made, however, to control 1
malaria. There are two laboratories located at Presov L4900N-2115 and Michalovice,
which assist in the-identification and control of malaria,, Physicians from these
two laboratories tour the countryside and send back materials and blood slides-to
the laboratories for study and assistance in diagnosis.
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Because of the-,serious problem .created
bya alaria during the. last ., var
.
a sped l pr, agaiac?s rganizati was set . that time .by the
go,=
.
rnste adiinisit . ` ...t? wade 1 ant ma1a is carepai .
er
,. t e
T, organ zati
~tae
he v n was . tnade Sl " ram
.. r b
v : ted a a ki ;;, :.. t
do' t?1"y 2~e a 4h on 7 u~tg 't6
x?ia exe f
Z off' the ` dermah''; .. ltzhe a It h ...a .
rt on e be i f m r thbr ti
es
_
4
he worked 'ith the WeMrma uhdie meagbert, rrer? expsed `t...' the 5
aht
diseas e'`
?antrol ia r....rece, rom .the Soviets, '
_ eeted~e o offer ved f .:~~...
~r`4everal.... ;. _
although Ny t Piave bees e t aid
tt y igh
reasons, Fins ; the = incid. ' d;4 4f Malaria 5.Is': an international' probl
~'c~land ;mod ly"tbe, :.
affecting Hungmry~ aarrticu].a r IISSA n Second, a rail-
road line from the USSR extended _ to "cier na, a small: town in,,whieh
n$o:
to Soviet traio
goods -"from tire- CSR -osouth re were 1`aatsferd reV . ~84~DT=From Czech
CS A uk
Third, in the harea .o..f ffeai 2l 1 ,,. 5B." ", Mere the"H
nduatrial Works Hutny : 1~ 1 t) were stil'i under consstru Lion,
- malaria - ,ffected the factory workers and probably" decreased the
number of man hours.
4. At the present time malaria is not a problem in Bohemia, Moravia,.or
.in the City of Bratislava; it is known, however, that the anophole's
mosquito' is found in Bratislava.
When Soviet soldiers were in Slovakia during 1944-45, apparently 50X1-HUM
they were not affected by Maria to the same extent as the Germans.
T hus
6. Before and, during World War II, typhus epidemics broke out in 810.. ia.
These epidemics allegedly occurred because of :the free movement .:of
gypsies across the Polish,, Ukrainian and Hungarian borders into
Slovakia, in 1945, Russian.. troops carried typhus inta Slovakia;
approximately 3000 cases were reported. At that time special barrack,,
were built in Presov to house typhus victims. Dr Bardpo,was
especially active in the campaign against typhus.
.At the present time, typhus is not a problem, especially as border-
crossing is almost impossible. Between'the borders of the satellite
countries, secondary iron curtains exist which prevent intersatellite
communication. In this respect, sealing of the borders has assisted
in the control of disease. 'It has, however, prevented scientific
cooperation, and has made written communication very difficult.
8. Slovakia utilized Weigl's vaccine during the war to control the
typhus epidemics.
Tuberculosis
9. Tuberculosis is a very serious disease problem, particularly in
Slovakia. According to statements of veterinarians, 50 per cent.of
the milk'cows'are affected with tbs. Milk is pasteurized in
Bratislava only. Advanced cases of lung and bone tuberculosis are
commonly encountered. The rationing of food and poor housing
contribute to the spread of the disease.
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10.. The program to fight tuberculosis is badly organized by the Slovak
health authorities and does not have the'aup ort of the'people
BCG vaccine administered by,a hhealth team,was
introduced in 19 9.. The Czech pharmaceutical plants apparently
do not, or cannot, manufacture BC, a1 d it must be imported
Streptomycin Is also lmported, but in .inadequate amounts Para--
aninosalicylic acid is imported in. adequate quantities. Sulfa-
pyridine is scarce; sulfathiazole and sulfaguanidine are aVM1able.
Hepatitis ERide ca ..
ll. There is no hepatitis epidemica in Slovakia. Many cases, however,
occur in Bohemia and Moravia; it was'eseeiall prevalent in~the fili
of 1951u
Hepatitis a idemica broke out- among "the German soldiers in. the
Soviet Union in 19M3,and these meb were returned through Slova ta.
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Venereal Disease
12. At the present time, the governs It through the OUNZ (Okreeny i1stav
fi,rodneho 'vdravia - District Public Health Administration) in aarryimg
on an intensive fight against venereal-disease. Blood tests are
being performed on citizens from the ages of 15 to 45, to determine
the incidence of syphilis and gonorrhea..- Those?iersons who orb found
to be infected are immediate) sent to a hospital for penicillin
treatments F- 1. Dersong who Arm fmin infected are not un s 50X1-HUM
Le ton iral Jaundice
13. Weil's disease, or ieptospiral'iaundioe,occurs occasionally in
Slovakia.
Aysentery
14. There is very little dysentery in Slovakia today,
Trachoma
150 'Trachoma constitutes a serious problem for Slovakia. In 1944,, there.
were five thousand cases of the disease. Incidence. is greatest in
the central part of Slovakia. The organized fight against the disease
was started after the first World War. Slovakia had 124 stations
set up to combat trachoma; these units are headed by nurses under
the guidance of physicians. Trachoma was alledgedly introduced into
Slovakia and Hungary by returning laborers who had, worked on the
Suez Canal and who had contracted the disease there.
=ho-id
16. Before World War II typhoid was widespread; during the war, however,
there were intense efforts to control the disease. and eventually
there were only a few cases. After the war, outbreaks increased;
1.500 cases were reported in Trnava ff822N-1736) in 1945. Incidence
has gradually decreased and at the'present time there are no
epidemics. Mild outbreaks do occur yearly because of the lack of
water and sewage systems in small towns. Small amounts of aureo-
mycin and choloromycetin have been imported and distributed to
Slovakia from Prague. Cases of typhoid complicated by bowel perfora-
tion were reported in Trnava in 1952.
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Paratyphoid
17. Paratyphoid. is rare in Slovakia.
D stro-
18.
. -has - beef-
reported in Slovakia, nor incidence of avita
minoses, other than occasional. case* of I- avitaminoeie. :Although
food is inadequate, it is not, scare... Yitalline cave be obtained
from the Spofa Distributing Agency.
Dyspepsia
19. Infants suffer from dyspepsia and. frequent deaths occur because _ ". .
the incidence of the disease,aannot be checked, at, the present,tine.
Scabies.
20., Scabies is rare.
DiRhtherIa
21. This disease is rare. In 1942, a lax.Vt passed requirina'4yOky
child to be vaccinated; in 1943 thisL .law was ehtnged so that it~
affected children up to the age of 10.
Influenza .
22. Influenza is no special, problem, in.glovakia, as, there has beei." no
serious epidemic since 1918. At that tire, the.. disease was kaow*.
as the "Spanish Disease", lbeeanee.it allegedly B read fr9t Spain.
At the present tine, 'Dr D3oonysus Dlazkovie, Professor of Bacteriology
at the University of Bratislava, is,e ed. is research on the
influenza virus.
23. There was no tularemia in Slovakia dur1*' or after World War I.I.
It did occur in Moravia, near the Austrian border in 1 36 or 1937;
there were about 130 cases at that time. it 50X1-HUM
broke out in Kiev and Smolensk, tTS3R,in 1943.
Brucellosis
24. Before world war II this disease occurred. to frequently in cove.
The infected animals had been imported'; and during 50X1-HUM
their treatment the disease w a appareAtly contracted by the
attending veterinarians. It 'is not?a'serious problem today.
Plague and Cholera
25. These diseases do not occur.
Recurrent Fever
26. Recurrent Fever is very rare.
S$OPT
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-5-
Poliomyelitis
27. Polio occurs at intervals of four vr.five years,., producing about
300 to 500 light cases...
Ascariasis .
28 .Ascariasis, is very common.
Taenia
29. Taenia, infestation has resulted from eating beef but rarely from
eating swine'.
30 o There are frequent cases of cancer in Slovakia''and it ddnatituteie.'~s
serious health problemm.. Research and.therapy are conducted at the 50X1-HUM
Oncological Institute of the."Bratislava University
In 1939, the.aermans removed the.
Czech supply of radium, and after the war the Soviet acquired 41.1 the
Slovak radium, except or an,- insignificant ,amount in Bratislava.
31. Cretinism occurs frequently in.southera Slovakia, especially among
Hungarian residents of that Area (a non-mountainous, prairie-like
land). The region. ie apparently very poor in iodine sources,... Befdre
World War I,: Wagner-Jauregg attempted some research with iodine salt
by adding it to the diet-of individual's but his work was never
completed.
Encephalitis
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32. any cases of encephalitis which are of any importance.
Ps chiatric Illness
33. In 19k3, there were about 60?0 cases . of. various psychiatric illnesses
in.Slovakia. Slovakia has.seven or eight psychiatric hospitals.
Foot and Mouth Disease'
3 .. This is.always a.dangerous disease. in Slovakia...Epizootics occurred
before the last war, and in.the.T ,U of 1951. there was a new outbreak-
in. southwestern Slovakia. vaccine ' to combat the disease ,was obtained
from a central institute for vaccine production located in Ivanovice
na Hane L4745N-814L7, near Brno in Moravia. adv ce was 50X1-HUM
also obtained from officials of the veterinary 'school at Hrrio.
(Students at the veterinary school also 'engaged in work at 'the
vaccine production laboratories in Ivanovioe on a`- large farm,- in that
t
own)
. Egging Encephalitis and Infectious An n&&
.
35: These-diseases were serious problems ,World War II.
equine encepaa1zv2,a has assumed epizootic propor- 50X1 -HUM
h
bons in t
e south of Slovakia.
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Psittacosis
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36+ .*Ter beard a eca ruse m~: ba
fait
?!:?d erxcePt for omo
case which o6durred so. ae+ais, .;
t
soa imb be ?re., t
ha :war h` P. ragae . .
A ble
37. , ero mabrsax of rabi.s has: occurred gjA4S50X1 -HUM
telephone fro=. the ,S Q ~Seite. Health LAwitnte;., Mail Laboratoria ip.
Prague)
hm ` ast .liar'. If:.;nemaies a,,. ors hewt..vaaoiae.b~.
ardr, Ainsioiau' ord
1e
Oomment, The report contains no further identification of which town
named Michalovice or possibly Michalovce) is meant.
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