Neisseria meningitidis is an etiological factor of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). This Gram-negative diplococcus is transmitted from person to person via droplets or through a direct physical contact with secretions of infected patients or asymptomatic carriers. The latter account for 5–10% of the general population. The aim of the study was to estimate the actual N. meningitidis carriage rate in the military environment with identification of serogroups, genogroups, sequence types and clonal complexes of the isolates detected among Polish soldiers. The study was conducted during winter seasons of 2015 and 2016 and involved 883 professional soldiers from the Armoured Brigade in Świętoszów, Poland. The material for testing were nasopharyngeal swabs obtained from study participants. The samples were tested using standard microbiological methods (culture, incubation, microscopy, biochemical and automated identification). N.meningitidis isolates were subjected to slide agglutination test (identification of serogroups), the bacterial DNA was extracted and allowed to determine genogroups, clonal complexes and sequence types. 76 soldiers were found to be carriers of N. meningitidis, they accounted for 8.6% of the study group. The meningococcal isolates mostly belonged to serogroup B. Sequence types ST-11439, ST-136, ST-1136 and the clonal complex 41/44CC were found to be predominant. Clonal complexes responsible for IMD were detected in 15.8% of carriers and 1.4% of the whole study participants. Carriage rates of N. meningitidis among Polish soldiers were found to be similar to those reported in the general population.
The aim of the study was to describe physical activity of Polish soldiers in the field of skiing, mountaineering and mountain tourism during their internment in Switzerland between 1940–1945. Method of research. The following source materials were analysed: archival sources, the papers of the “Goniec Obozowy” [“The Camp Messenger”] published by the interned soldiers, relations of the interned soldiers and literature. Results. The Polish 2nd Rifle Division was formed in France from November 1939 until May 1940. In June 1940, the division, as a part of the 45th Corps of the 8th French Army, was sent into battle against the German Army near the Belfort district. After running out of ammunition in the exhausting battle, most of the soldiers of the division managed to break through to Switzerland, where they were interned. During the internment the soldiers were engaged to do many different kinds of work. In designated internment camps, they were allowed to continue their education which they began before the outbreak of the Second World War. In their free time, soldier took up different kinds of physical activity. The most popular were skiing and table tennis. Mountain tourism and mountaineering were common as well and Polish soldiers were quite successful in that field. Polish soldiers gained significant support from the Young Men's Christian Association, which provided them with sports equipment. Conclusion. Despite difficult living condition, Polish soldiers interned in Switzerland in the years 1940–1945, they went in for skiing, mountaineering and mountain touring.
PL
Celem pracy było opisanie aktywności fizycznej żołnierzy 2 Dywizji Strzelców Pieszych w zakresie uprawiania narciarstwa, alpinizmu i turystyki górskiej podczas ich internowania w Szwajcarii w latach 1940–1945. Dokonano analizy następujących materiałów źródłowych: źródeł archiwalnych, wydawanego przez internowanych żołnierzy pisma „Goniec Obozowy”, wspomnień internowanych żołnierzy oraz literatury. Druga Dywizja Strzelców Pieszych była formowana we Francji od listopada 1939 r. W czerwcu 1940 r. została skierowana, w składzie 45 Korpusu 8 Armii Francuskiej, do walki z armią niemiecką. Po ciężkich walkach w okolicach miasta Belfort i po wyczerpaniu amunicji, większość żołnierzy dywizji przekroczyła granicę szwajcarską i została internowana. W czasie internowania żołnierze polscy byli zatrudniani do wielu rodzajów prac. Mieli również możliwość kontynuowania nauki, rozpoczętej przed wybuchem II wojny światowej, w wyznaczonych obozach internowana. W czasie wolnym żołnierze podejmowali różne rodzaje aktywności fizycznej. Popularne było uprawianie narciarstwa oraz tenisa stołowego. Uprawiano również turystykę górską oraz alpinizm, osiągając w tym zakresie znaczne sukcesy. Polscy żołnierze-sportowcy uzyskali znaczącą pomoc od Young Mens Christian Association, dzięki której pozyskiwano sprzęt sportowy. Pomimo trudnych warunków, w jakich przebywali internowani polscy żołnierze w Szwajcarii w latach 1940–1945, w czasie wolnym czynnie uprawiali oni narciarstwo, alpinizm i turystykę górską.
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