Coronaviruses (Coronaviridae) of bats in the northern Caucasus and south of western Siberia.

INTRODUCTION: Bats are natural reservoirs of coronaviruses (Coronaviridae), which have caused three outbreaks of human disease SARS, MERS and COVID-19 or SARS-2 over the past decade. The purpose of the work is to study the diversity of coronaviruses among bats inhabiting the foothills and mountainous areas of the Republics of Dagestan, Altai and the Kemerovo region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of bat oral swabs and feces were tested for the presence of coronavirus RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: It has been shown that the greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), inhabiting the Republic of Dagestan, are carriers of two different coronaviruses. One of the two coronaviruses is a member of the Sarbecovius subgenus of the Betacoronavirus genus, which includes the causative agents of SARS and COVID-19. The second coronavirus is assigned to the Decacovirus subgenus of the Alphacoronavirus genus and is most similar to viruses identified among Rhinolophus spp. from European and Middle Eastern countries. In the Altai Republic and Kemerovo region, coronaviruses belonging to the genus Alphacoronavirus, subgenus Pedacovirus, were found in the smooth-nosed bats: Ikonnikov`s bat (Myotis ikonnikovi) and the eastern bat (Myotis petax). The virus from the Altai Republic from M. ikonnikovi is close to viruses from Japan and Korea, as well as viruses from Myotis spp. from European countries. The virus from the Kemerovo region from M. petax groups with coronaviruses from Myotis spp. from Asian countries and is significantly different from coronaviruses previously discovered in the same natural host.

[The analysis of demand in pathoanatomists applying staff standards].

The objective analysis of state of medical personnel, along with assessment of real need for specialists, is the basis of improving activities of any health care service. In relation to pathologists, there is unique opportunity to perform similar analysis, based on application of current corresponding staff standards that consider volume of workload of physicians in order to determine required number of positions. The implementation of corresponding original methodology permitted to establish that the actual number of staff positions of pathologists in 2022 amounted up to average 40.6% of the number required according to staffing standards in the Irkutsk Oblast. The physician staffing ratio, calculated on the basis of required number of positions found according to proposed methodology, decreases to 29.1% and staffing with physicians excluding combined jobs to 17.1%. At that, implemented workload per one pathologist reaches 5.9 of standard positions. The deficiency of representatives of this specialty in the region, even if current combined jobs ratio is maintained, is 154 specialists.

[Prevalence and genetic diversity of the Alongshan virus (Flaviviridae) circulating in ticks in the south of Eastern Siberia].

INTRODUCTION: Tick-borne infections are of great importance for many regions of Russia, including Eastern Siberia. This unfavorable epidemiological situation can be characterized not only by the circulation of well-known tick-borne infections, but also by the identification of new pathogens, the role of which remains little or generally unexplored. Multicomponent flavi-like viruses can cause infectious diseases in humans and pose a threat to public health. The purpose of the study was the identification and molecular genetic characterization of the Alongshan virus (Flaviviridae, ALSV) isolates, transmitted by ticks in the south of Eastern Siberia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 1060 ticks were collected and analyzed from the territory of the Republics of Khakassia, Tuva, Buryatia, Irkutsk Region and Transbaikal Territory (Zabaykalsky Krai) in the spring-summer period 2023. ALSV RNA was detected by RT-PCR followed by nucleotide sequence determination and phylogenetic analysis for each segment of the genome. RESULTS: The ALSV infection rate in Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in the Republic of Khakassia was 3.3% (95% CI: 1.4-7.5); in Irkutsk Oblast - 1.0% (95% CI: 0.3-3.7); in the Republic of Tuva - 0.9% (95% CI: 0.3-3.4) and in Transbaikal Krai - 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2-3.6). Sequences of all four segments of ALSV genetic variants circulating in I. persulcatus ticks in the south of Eastern Siberia are grouped with sequences found in China and clustered into the Asian subgroup transmitted by taiga ticks. The level of difference in the nucleotide sequences of genome fragments among the identified genetic variants of ALSV ranged from 2 to 3%. CONCLUSION: The article shows the widespread distribution of ALSV in I. persulcatus ticks in the Republics of Khakassia and Tyva, Irkutsk Oblast and Transbaikal Territory. The obtained data actualize monitoring of changes in the area of distribution of potentially dangerous for humans flavi-like viruses and their vectors.

The First Record of Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus of Baltic Lineage from the Kemerovo Region of Russia.

Objectives: Tick-borne encephalitis virus Siberian subtype (TBEV-Sib) and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV) are causative agents of natural focal infections in Western Siberia, Russia. The distribution of TBEV phylogenetic lineages and OHFV in the Kemerovo Region of Western Siberia remains poorly investigated. Methods: The phylogenetic analyses of fragment genome sequences 26 flaviviruses identified in 2019 were performed, and the amino acid variation was determined to reveal to which clusteron they belong. The age of Baltic and Asian lineages of the TBEV-Sib was calculated for Kemerovo District and Region, respectively. Results: Twenty-five isolates were members of three TBEV-Sib phylogenetic lineages: Baltic (48%), Asian (36%), and East Siberian (16%). The Baltic lineage's eastern boundary is commonly thought to be in the Novosibirsk Region, but our data suggest that it may reach further east. Analysis of the Baltic lineage clusteron structure showed that the isolates found are unique (6) or belong to clusteron-founder 3D (1) and derived clusteron 3O (5). Based on the age of 3O clusteron, Baltic lineage could have appeared in the Kemerovo Region by the late 1970s. One of the isolated viruses turned out to be the OHFV of the first subtype and not to belong to any known clusteron. This finding is the first known detection of the virus outside the endemic area of Russia. Given the recent discovery of OHFV in Kazakhstan, it can be assumed that the area of this virus distribution is much wider than previously thought. Conclusions: This report provides insights into the population structure of TBEV and OHFV, which may be helpful for epidemiological investigation and surveillance of the viruses.

The structure and behavioral patterns of the human population affected by ixodid tick bites in Irkutsk Region, Eastern Siberia, Russia.

The bites of hard ticks are the major route of transmission of tick-borne infections to humans, causing thousands of cases of diseases worldwide. However, the characteristics of the human population that is exposed to tick bites are still understudied. This work is aimed at characterizing both the structure of the population directly contacting ticks and the human behavioral features associated with tick bites. We studied 25,970 individuals who sought medical help after a tick bite at the Centre for Diagnostics and Prevention of Tick-borne Infections (CDPTBI) in Irkutsk City (Russian Federation). The demographic and behavioral characteristics of the human population were analyzed using z-tests for proportions, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The majority of bitten people were urban residents (70 %), and most of them were either of active ages between 30 and 74 years old (62 %), or children between 0 and 9 years old (approximately 20%). Tick bites occurred mostly in the range of 150 km around the location of the diagnostic facility (83 %). In comparison to the general population, significant differences were revealed in the representation of different age groups among bitten people. The population affected by tick bites included fewer men and women in the ages of 10-29 and over 75 years old than would be predicted based on the demographics of the general population. Vice versa, the proportions of people in the ages of 5-9 and 60-74 increased among bitten people. Among men, such activities (in order of occurrence) as "leisure and recreation", "visiting allotments", "foraging for forest food", and "fulfilling work duties" tend to be more associated with tick bites. Among women, tick bites occurred mainly during "visiting allotments", "leisure and recreation", "visiting cemeteries" and "contact with pets and plants at home". The overall vaccination rate was 12 %; however, significantly more men than women were vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis (up to 20 % vs. approximately 7 % respectively). The structure of the tick bite - affected population suggests that it is age-specific human behavior that mainly determines the frequency of contact between people and ticks. However, in several age groups, especially among children from 5 to 9 and people aged 30-39 years old, gender-related factors could significantly change the exposure of people to tick bites.

[Government, university medicine and epidemics in Siberia (late XIX - early XX century)].

The relationship between government and university medicine in the context of the development of the Asian "colonial" periphery of Russia in the late imperial period are studied. It is concluded that these relationship, the manifestations of which were most pronounced in the period of the fight against epidemics, are not quite standard from the point of view of model of the classical relationship between power and knowledge in the colonial context of European maritime empires. This is connected mainly with the social portrait of the university intelligentsia, with the peculiarities of their professional socialization, which led to the fact that in Siberia they broadcast the experience of the European metropolises, rather than the colonies.

The Development of the SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic in Different Regions of Siberia in the 2020-2022 Period.

The comparison of the development of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in several neighboring regions can help researchers to assess the risks and develop more effective strategies and approaches in the field of preventive medicine. We analyzed the infection and mortality statistics for the 2020-2022 period in ten individual regions of the Siberian Federal District of Russia. We also sequenced complete genomes, which allowed us to analyze the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 circulated in each of the ten regions and to build a phylogenetic dendrogram for the virus variants. The ParSeq v.1.0 software was developed to automate and speed up the processing and analysis of viral genomes. At the beginning of the pandemic, in the first two waves, the B.1.1 variant (20B) dominated in all regions of the Siberian Federal District. The third and fourth waves were caused by the Delta variant. Mortality during this period was at a maximum; the incidence was quite high, but the number of deposited genomes with GISAID during this period was extremely low. The maximum incidence was at the beginning of 2022, which corresponds to the arrival of the Omicron variant in the region. The BA.5.2 variant became the dominant one. In addition, by using NextClade, we identified three recombinants in the most densely populated areas.

[Ethnic features of multipathology in elderly and senile patients of the Republic of Sakha suffering from chronic brain ischemia]. / Etnicheskie osobennosti mul'tipatologii u patsientov pozhilogo i starcheskogo vozrasta Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya), stradayushchikh khronicheskoi ishemiei mozga.

OBJECTIVE: To study ethnic characteristics of multipathology in elderly and senile patients with chronic cerebral ischemia living in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 522 inpatients, aged 60 to 89 years, who were divided into subgroups depending on the stage of chronic cerebral ischemia, ethnicity (Evens, Yakuts and Russians) and age (elderly and senile). RESULTS: In addition to vascular cerebral pathology, comorbidities were identified in patients of older age groups. At the same time, polymorbidity was less pronounced in the Evens, the indigenous inhabitants of the northern regions of Yakutia, than in the Yakuts and representatives of the non-indigenous population - Russians. CONCLUSION: The relatively rare occurrence of comorbid pathologies in Evens is presumably associated with greater adaptation to the extreme climatic conditions of the North.

[Prevalence of trehalase enzymopathy genetic determinants in Siberian and Russian Far East populations].

To date, it has been established that the patient's genotype plays a significant role in the formation of trehalase enzymopathy: the level of enzyme activity decreases when the G→A allele replacement occurs in the rs2276064 locus of the TREH gene. To assess the prevalence of trehalase deficiency, extensive population-based studies are needed. Clinical observations show that the reduced activity of bowel trehalase is more common in the Arctic than in European populations. The aim of this research was to analyze the frequency of the alleles and variants of trehalase gene (rs2276064 TREH) in the indigenous small-numbered populations of Siberia and the Russian Far East. Material and methods. Using the Infinium iSelect HD Custom BeadChip biochip on the iScan platform and real-time polymerase chain reaction on a Bio-Rad CFX96 Touch amplifier, genotyping of 1068 DNA samples was carried out, of which 711 represent 10 ethnic groups of the indigenous people of the North of Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation. Two reference groups of Russians (n=311) and Yakuts (n=46) represented the "Caucasoid" and "Mongoloid" poles of the Russian population. Results. The reduced trehalase activity that the heterozygous GA*TREH genotype determines can manifest itself in 19.8-53.7% of indigenous northerners. An additional 1.0 to 19.7% of the population are carriers of the AA*TREH genotype, which is associated with apparent trehalose malabsorption. The carriers may experience nausea, abdominal pain, and other dyspeptic symptoms after eating trehalose containing foods. The total risk of trehalase enzymopathy among the indigenous northerners in the Asian part of the Russian Federation is very high and can reach 60-70%. There is a gradient in the A*TREH allele frequencies in the small-numbered indigenous northern groups of Russia from the west (Khanty, Mansi, Nenets) to the east (peoples of the Far East). Conclusion. The results are consistent with previously reported data on the higher carriage of the A*TREH mutant allele in Mongoloid populations compared to Caucasoid groups. It was hypothesized that, while the initial A*TREH allele prevalence in Mongoloid groups was moderately high, an adaptation to a low-sugar protein-lipid "high-latitude" diet led to a weaker control over the maintenance of the carriage of the ancestral G allele. Trehalose malabsorption requires special attention of specialists in the field of nutrition, gastroenterology, public health, and medical genetics working in high-latitude regions.

Reflections on Siberia's "Gloomy River".

In the 1980s the Soviet Academy of Sciences proposed to build a massive dam and hydroelectric station on the Lower Tunguska river in the Evenki Autonomous Okrug (now a municipal district of Krasnoyarsk Territory). This would have been the largest and most northerly hydroelectric station in the world. Plans for the project were abandoned with the collapse of the USSR. The plan was resuscitated twenty years later, only to be abandoned again. This essay explores themes of protest, anticipation, and deferral in the context of a highly marginalized Indigenous population. Moving between literary and media critique to social theory, we suggest that the effects of the dam proposals produce conditions for enduring feelings of indeterminacy.

Does Avian Coronavirus Co-Circulate with Avian Paramyxovirus and Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Ducks in Siberia?

Avian coronaviruses (ACoV) have been shown to be highly prevalent in wild bird populations. More work on avian coronavirus detection and diversity estimation is needed for the breeding territories of migrating birds, where the high diversity and high prevalence of Orthomyxoviridae and Paramyxoviridae have already been shown in wild birds. In order to detect ACoV RNA, we conducted PCR diagnostics of cloacal swab samples from birds, which we monitored during avian influenza A virus surveillance activities. Samples from two distant Asian regions of Russia (Sakhalin region and Novosibirsk region) were tested. Amplified fragments of the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) of positive samples were partially sequenced to determine the species of Coronaviridae represented. The study revealed a high presence of ACoV among wild birds in Russia. Moreover, there was a high presence of birds co-infected with avian coronavirus, avian influenza virus, and avian paramyxovirus. We found one case of triple co-infection in a Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the circulation of a Gammacoronavirus species. A Deltacoronavirus species was not detected, which supports the data regarding the low prevalence of deltacoronaviruses among surveyed bird species.

Insight into the Natural History of Pathogenic Variant c.919-2A>G in the SLC26A4 Gene Involved in Hearing Loss: The Evidence for Its Common Origin in Southern Siberia (Russia).

Pathogenic variants in the SLC26A4 gene leading to nonsyndromic recessive deafness (DFNB4), or Pendred syndrome, are some of the most common causes of hearing loss worldwide. Earlier, we found a high proportion of SLC26A4-related hearing loss with prevailing pathogenic variant c.919-2A>G (69.3% among all mutated SLC26A4 alleles that have been identified) in Tuvinian patients belonging to the indigenous Turkic-speaking Siberian people living in the Tyva Republic (Southern Siberia, Russia), which implies a founder effect in the accumulation of c.919-2A>G in Tuvinians. To evaluate a possible common origin of c.919-2A>G, we genotyped polymorphic STR and SNP markers, intragenic and flanking SLC26A4, in patients homozygous for c.919-2A>G and in healthy controls. The common STR and SNP haplotypes carrying c.919-2A>G were revealed, which convincingly indicates the origin of c.919-2A>G from a single ancestor, supporting a crucial role of the founder effect in the c.919-2A>G prevalence in Tuvinians. Comparison analysis with previously published data revealed the identity of the small SNP haplotype (~4.5 kb) in Tuvinian and Han Chinese carriers of c.919-2A>G, which suggests their common origin from founder chromosomes. We assume that c.919-2A>G could have originated in the geographically close territories of China or Tuva and subsequently spread to other regions of Asia. In addition, the time intervals of the c.919-2A>G occurrence in Tuvinians were roughly estimated.

Prevalence of genetically determined trehalase deficiency in populations of Siberia and Russian Far East.

In order to be digested, the disaccharide trehalose needs to be cleaved by the trehalase enzyme. There were reports suggesting that trehalase deficiency was more common in high-latitude than in the temperate climate populations. New horizons were opened for the epidemiologic research of trehalase enzymopathy when it became clear that reduced trehalase activity is determined by the A allele of tTREH gene (rs2276064). The aim of this study was to analyze the frequencies of the trehalase gene alleles and genotypes among the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Russian Far East. We genotyped 567 samples representing the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Russian Far East and 146 samples representing Eastern Slavs as the reference dataset. We found that the frequencies of the A*TREH alleles increased to the east. The A*TREH allele frequency was 0.03 in the reference group, 0.13-0.26 in the North-West Siberian indigenous populations, 0.29-0.30 in the South Siberia, 0.43 in West Siberia, and 0.46 in the low Amur populations. The highest frequency of the A allele (0.63) was observed in the Chukchi and Koryak populations. From 1 to 5% of European origin individuals are at risk of trehalase enzymopathy. In the indigenous populations, the frequency of the A*TREH allele varies 13% to 63%, whereas the frequency of the AA*TREH genotype from 3% to 39%. Thus, the total risk of trehalase enzymopathy among the homo- and heterozygous carriers of the A*TREH allele in the studied indigenous populations may be as high as 24% to 86%.

Metagenomic Approach Reveals the Second Subtype of PRRSV-1 in a Pathogen Spectrum during a Clinical Outbreak with High Mortality in Western Siberia, Russia.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a significant economic impact on pig farming worldwide by causing reproductive problems and affecting the respiratory systems of swine. In Eastern Europe, PRRSV-1 strains are characterized by high genetic variability, and pathogenicity differs among all known subtypes. This case study describes the detection of a wide pathogen spectrum, including the second subtype PRRSV-1, with a high mortality rate among nursery piglets (23.8%). This study was conducted at a farrow-to-finish farm in the Western Siberia region of Russia. Clinical symptoms included apathy, sneezing, and an elevation in body temperature, and during the autopsy, degenerative lesions in different tissues were observed. Moreover, 1.5 percent of the affected animals displayed clinical signs of the central nervous system and were characterized by polyserositis. Nasal swabs from diseased piglets and various tissue swabs from deceased animals were studied. For diagnostics, the nanopore sequencing method was applied. All the samples tested positive for PRRSV, and a more detailed analysis defined it as a second subtype of PRRSV-1. The results, along with the clinical picture, showed a complex disease etiology with the dominant role of PRRSV-1 and were informative about the high pathogenicity of the subtype in question under field conditions.

Opisthorchis Felineus Infection is a Risk Factor for Cholangiocarcinoma in Western Siberia: A Hospital-based Case-control Study.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a fatal bile duct cancer, has a high incidence in Western Siberia, Russian Federation. In addition, Opisthorchis felineus, a bile duct-dwelling trematode liver fluke is highly endemic. Closely related species have been shown to be cancerogenic agents in Asia. We therefore examined the association between O felineus infection and CCA in Western Siberia. METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based, individually matched case-control study between January 2017 and August 2020 in Tomsk Oblast and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Yugra, Russian Federation. Histologically confirmed CCA patients (cases) were compared with matched age, sex, and place of residence hospital controls. The examination of study participants included the diagnosis of current and past O felineus infection, abdominal ultrasonographical assessment, physical examination, and interview on exposures to potential risk factors. RESULTS: We identified 40 patients with CCA and 160 controls. Exposures to O felineus infection was strongly associated with CCA (odds ratio [OR], 3.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-10.8; P = .008). Also, cases reported more often that they were currently or in the past were infected by O felineus compared with controls (OR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.7-9.5; P = .001). Furthermore, cases reported river fish consumption and fishing habits significantly more often than controls (OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 1.5-19.8; P = .009 and OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.7; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: The study results revealed a strong significantly increased risk for CCA development in O felineus-infected individuals. Elaboration of the guidelines on screening programs for early CCA diagnosis, prevention, and treatment is socially important in endemic regions.

Trends in the incidence rates of lower limb amputation due to nondiabetic peripheral artery disease in a large industrial city in Western Siberia, Russia: A review from 1996 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: lower limb amputation (LLA) is a growing problem in the population with and without diabetes mellitus. Monitoring the incidence rates of LLA is important for health care planning and has implications for the future problems of medical and social care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the trends in incidence rates of LLA due to nondiabetic peripheral artery disease in Novokuznetsk, Western Siberia, Russia. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study. METHODS: Data on all transtibial and transfemoral amputations performed in inpatient facilities in Novokuznetsk from 1996 to 2019 were derived from the regional Register of patients with limb amputations. The rates were calculated per 100,000 population. RESULTS: A total of 2448 persons with amputations due to nondiabetic peripheral artery disease were included in this study (3191 amputations). The overall incidence rate of LLA in Novokuznetsk increased from 14.6 in 1996 to 30.4 in 2019. The proportion of persons older than 60 years increased from 15.5% in 1996 to 20.3% in 2019. CONCLUSION: The expected aging of the population and increasing incidence of LLA are relevant issues in Russia. These findings can contribute to improving healthcare services and the development of prevention programs to reverse the alarming trend.

The history of becoming of syphilitic hospitals at the North-Eastern outlying districts of Eastern Siberia in XIX century.

In the XIX century, process of joining of the North-East lands to the Russian empire was completed. The syphilis that spread in XVIII-XIX centuries stroke indigenous population of the Eastern Siberia and out-migrants from other territories. The article attempts to highlight little-studied aspects of organization of syphilitic hospitals and medical care of newly come population and non-Russian communities in northern Okrugs of Yakutsk, Kamchatka and Primorye areas of Eastern Siberia. On the basis of archive materials, the investigation was applied to the most important components of organization of medical care of patients with syphilis: the organization of syphilitic hospitals, history of correspondence and decision-making on funding sources, building of yurts, choice of buildings for hospitals, delivery of medications, invitation and appointment of physicians, medical assistants and healers to assist population with medical care. The role of the Irkutsk Prikaz of Public Charity and the Irkutsk Medical Board in this process is noted. The establishment of syphilitic hospitals in outlying territories of Yakutia, Kamchatka and Primorye was the most important onset of struggle with syphilis epidemic in population.

Population structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from referral clinics in Western Siberia, Russia: Before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The dramatic change in global health imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic has also impacted TB control. The TB incidence decreased dramatically not because of the improved situation but due to undertesting, reduced resources, and ultimately, substantially reduced detection rate. We hypothesized that multiple and partly counteracting factors could influence changes in the local Mycobacterium tuberculosis population. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed M. tuberculosis isolates collected in Western Siberia, Russia, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 269 M. tuberculosis isolates from patients admitted at referral clinics were studied. The pre-pandemic and pandemic collections included 179 and 90 isolates, respectively. Based on genotyping, both pre-pandemic and pandemic samples are heavily dominated by the Beijing genotype isolates (95% and 88%) that were mostly MDR (80 and 68%). The high proportion of MDR isolates is due to the specific features of the studied collections biased towards patients with severe TB admitted at the National referral center in Novosibirsk. While no dramatic change was observed in the M. tuberculosis population structure in the survey area in Western Siberia during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 compared to the pre-pandemic collection, still we note a certain decrease of the Beijing genotype and an increase in the proportion and diversity of the non-Beijing isolates. However, the transmissible and MDR Beijing B0/W148 did not increase its prevalence rate during the pandemic. More generally, the high prevalence rate of the Beijing genotype and its strong association with MDR both before and during the pandemic are alarming features of this region in Western Siberia, Russia.

Generalized and Specific Problematic Internet Use in Central Siberia Adolescents: A School-Based Study of Prevalence, Age-Sex Depending Content Structure, and Comorbidity with Psychosocial Problems.

We aimed to assess the prevalence, content structure and, psychological comorbidity of PIU in Russian adolescents. In addition, the design of our research provided an opportunity to compare demographic and psychological patterns of different forms of PIU: generalized (PIUgen) and specific problematic video game use (PUgame), as well as problematic social media use (PUsocial). METHODS: This is a one-stage cross-sectional observational study of school sampling in three major Siberian cities. A total of 4514 schoolchildren aged 12-18 (mean age 14.52 ± 1.52 years) were surveyed. The Chen Internet Addiction Scale, the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and the Social Media Disorder Scale were used to identify PIU and its types. RESULTS: The prevalence of PIUgen among adolescents in Central Siberia was 7.2%; the prevalence of PUgame was 10.4%; the prevalence of PUsocial was 8.0%. The results of structural equation modelling, as well as the correlation analysis data, suggest two possible patterns of psychosocial problems with PIU-the first one is characteristic of both PIUgen and PUsocial. The second one-which is significantly different-is characteristic of PUgame. CONCLUSIONS: Urban adolescents in Central Siberia do not differ significantly from their Asian and European peers. Our findings support the concept of rejecting the term "generalized PIU" as a single psychological construct.

Bithyniid snails as hosts of Opisthorchiidae and Notocotylidae in the south of Western Siberia, Russia.

Opisthorchiasis and related infections are persistent and substantial public health burdens from eastern Europe to southeastern and northern Asia. Snails of the family Bithyniidae act as first intermediate hosts not only for the trematodes of the family Opisthorchiidae but also for those of the family Notocotylidae. There are certain morphological similarities between the aforementioned trematode cercariae. In order to find natural local foci of opisthorchiasis, which are established primarily according to the presence of infected bithyniid snails at the area under examination, it is crucial to correctly identify the rediae and cercariae of the trematodes. The aim of our investigation was to evaluate the role of bithyniid snails in the transmission of Opisthorchiidae and Notocotylidae in ecosystems in the south of Western Siberia. We have been studying the process of bithyniid snail dissemination in Western Siberia and examining their infection by trematodes from 1994 until now. A total of 16,213 bithyniid snails in 23 water bodies (in 28 localities) of four major basins situated in the Novosibirsk region were inspected for trematode infestation. Long-term research has been conducted in the Kargat river estuary and the Ob river floodplain for 15 and 25 years, respectively. In both water bodies, the prevalence of notocotylid and opisthorchiid trematodes was positively correlated with the global land-ocean temperature index. Trematode parthenitae were identified if there were mature cercariae capable of leaving the shell of the host snail on their own. Identification to the species of opisthorchiid cercariae was verified using molecular genetic analysis methods targeting ITS2 locus. Opisthorchis felineus and Metorchis bilis, two opisthorchiid species that are potentially perilous to human health, were found in bithyniids in the Novosibirsk region. The mean prevalence of infection with notocotylid trematodes in bithyniid snails was higher than the corresponding prevalence of infection with opisthorchiid trematodes. The results of this study can be used to identify and predict natural foci of epidemiologically and/or epizootically dangerous diseases.