[Genetic typing of tick-borne encephalitis virus based on an analysis of the levels of homology of a membrane protein gene fragment]. / Genticheskoe tipirovanie shtammov virusa kleshchevogo éntsefalita na osnove analiza urovnei gomologii fragmenta gena belka obolochki.

All heretofore known genomic structures of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus are analyzed. The authors prove the adequacy of using short fragment of E protein gene for characterization of philogenetic relationships between TBE strains. Three main genotypes of the virus are distinguished, one corresponding to Far Eastern variant, one to West, and the third includes strains belonging to Ural Siberian and Central Siberian and Transbaikal variants. Results of genetic typing by nucleotide sequences are confirmed by analysis of amino acid sequences of E protein fragments, specific marker amino acids in definite positions being determined for each genotype.

[Mosquito-borne arboviruses in the Baikal region]. / Peredavaemye komarami arbovirusy v pribaikal'e i zabaikal'e.

A total of 20 virus strains were isolated from arthropods and rodents in the Baikal region in 1992. Thirteen of these were California serogroup viruses, 4 Batai virus strains (Bunyaviridae, Bunyavirus), and 3 Gheta virus strains (Togaviridae, Alphavirus, Semliki complex). The rates of mosquito infection with California, Batai, and Gheta viruses were 1:6500, 1:24000, and 1:24000, respectively. The results of the neutralization test indicate the similarity of the isolated California complex strains to the mountain hare virus, the most pathogenic virus in this group.

[Further study of hantavirus circulation in the Russian Federation]. / Dal'neishee izuchenie tsirkuliatsii khantavirusov v Rossiiskoi Federatsii.

Lung specimens of 1514 small mammals of 35 species captured in 1991-1995 at 9 territories of Russia were tested in ELISA for virus antigens of hemorrhagic fever with the renal syndrome (HFRS). The antigens were detected in lung specimens of Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus gregalis, Microtus fortis, Arvicola terrestris, Apodemus agrarius, Micromys minutus, and Sorex sp., well known as Hantavirus reservoirs, captured in the Vologda, Yaroslavl, Saratov, Astrakhan, and Chita regions. Infection of Microtus maximoviczii revealed in the Chita region was first found in China. Previously there were no reports about the circulation of hantaviruses in this region. Our study added one more host to the list of HFRS virus hosts: Meliones tamariscinus.

[Analysis of genetic variability of strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus by primary structure of a fragment of the membrane protein E gene]. / Analiz geneticheskoi éntsefalita po pervichnoi strukture fragmenta gena belka obolochki E.

Primary structures of gene fragments of E protein (160 n.b.) have been determined for 29 tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) strains isolated from different parts of a territory. Analysis of homology of nucleotide sequences of these strains and data on 6 TBE strains published by other authors showed that they can be divided into 6 groups (genotypes) by the following gene typing criteria: strain structure within the genotypes differing by no more than 9%, differences between strains of different genotypes are at least 12%. Based on these criteria, the prototype strains of the Far Eastern antigenic variant (Sofyin), Central European antigenic variant (Neudoerfle), and Vergina strain form different genotypes 1, 2, and 6, respectively. East Siberian strain Aina and Ural Siberian strain Lesopark-II belong to the same TBE virus genotype 3; two-thirds of analyzed strains belong to this genotype. Genotype 4 is represented by one strain 178-79, and genotype 5 by strain 886-84, both isolated in East Siberia.