[Monitoring of antibodies to influenza A virus in populations of different regions of West Siberia].

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study levels of antibodies to influenza virus in sera of subjects residing in different regions of West Siberia in order to assess the risk of infection with avian influenza virus H5N1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-five serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to influenza virus A/New Caledonia/99 (H1N1), A/New York/55/2005 (H3N2), A/Whooper swan/ Mongolia/244/2005 (H5N1) by hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI) and reaction of microneutralization. RESULTS: All tested sera were negative for antibodies to H5N1. 14.2% and 44.1% of sera were positive for antibodies to H1N1 in HAI and reaction of microneutralization respectively. In respect of antibodies to H3N2 virus, the proportion of positive sera was higher--40.3% and 76.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results of such studies are very actual, especially during pandemic threat. Furthermore, such information allows to better predict consequences of seasonal influenza epidemics caused by serotypes circulating at the present time.