Epidemiological dynamics of nephropathia epidemica in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, during the period of 1997-2013.

This report summarizes epidemiological data on nephropathia epidemica (NE) in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. NE cases identified in the period 1997-2013 were investigated in parallel with the hantavirus antigen prevalence in small rodents in the study area. A total of 13 930 NE cases were documented in all but one district of Tatarstan, with most cases located in the central and southeastern districts. The NE annual incidence rate exhibited a cyclical pattern, with the highest numbers of cases being registered once in every 3-5 years. The numbers of NE cases rose gradually from July to November, with the highest morbidity in adult males. The highest annual disease incidence rate, 64·4 cases/100 000 population, was observed in 1997, with a total of 2431 NE cases registered. NE cases were mostly associated with visiting forests and agricultural activities. The analysis revealed that the bank vole Myodes glareolus not only comprises the majority of the small rodent communities in the region, but also consistently displays the highest hantavirus prevalence compared to other small rodent species.

[Two cases of hydrophobia in the Republic of Tatarstan: in vivo and postmortem laboratory diagnosis].

The results of rabies in vivo and postmortem laboratory detection in two cases registered in the Republic of Tatarstan are reported: a victim bitten by a wolf in 2002 and another one bitten by a stray dog on Goa Island, India, in 2013. In the patient bitten by a wolf cornea imprints studies using the method of fluorescent antibodies (MFA) showed rabies-positive result 6 days before the patient's death. The results were confirmed by postmortem examination of different parts of the brain and salivary glands using the MFA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), optical microscopy, and bioassay methods. In the patient bitten by a stray dog the rabies virus specific antigen was detected by eye cornea studies using the MFA method and saliva studies using the ELISA. The rabies virus genome was also isolated from saliva and tear fluid using nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 9 days before the patient's death. The in viva studies results were consistent with the postmortem study of different parts of the brain using the MFA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), optical microscopy, and bioassay methods. All the infection-positive results of both in viva and postmortem studies were consistent with the clinical studies, i.e. rabies diagnosis was confirmed. The analysis of the rabies virus gene G fragment nucleotide sequence of 238 nd length showed a slight difference between the studied isolates (2 rabies) and the RABV AY9563I9 (1.68%), difference by 10.5% from the Vnukovo-32 vaccine strains and by 10.9% from the SAD B19 rabies strain, respectively (rabies viruses of 1st genotype). It was also significantly different from the lissaviruses of 2,4,5, and 6 genotypes (21 .0-32.7%). The obtained results indicate phylogenetic closeness of the studied isolates (2 rabies) with the RABV AY956319 rabies virus strain belonging to the 1st genotype.

[Epizootic situation and measures for control of wild animals' rabies in Republic of Bashkortostan].

Epizootologic characteristics of rabies incidence in the Republic of Bashkortostan for the period 1998 - 2006 are presented. Districts of Bashkortostan are divided on 3 zones according to severity of epizootic situation. Three years-cyclicity of rabies incidence with peak during winter was determined. Foxes, raccoons, wolves, lynxes, badgers, minks and, during recent years, corsacs are involved into the epizootic chain. Main source of rabies in the Republic is foxes with share of 91.9% among sick wild animals. During 1999-2006 8 cases of hydrophobia were registered. Results of analysis of effectiveness of oral immunization and regulation of wild fauna population are presented.

Epizootic situation and fox rabies prophylaxis in the territory of Tatarstan.

Data on the epizootic situation of rabies in the Republic of Tatarstan from 1970-2003 were obtained from epizootological and immunological monitoring. The districts in Tatarstan were divided into four groups according to the intensity of indices and a map of epizootics was developed. A three- to five-year cyclic recurrence of rabies, with peaks in the spring-winter-autumn seasons of the year was established. Foxes are the basic source and spreader of rabid infection in the Republic amounting to 96.5 % of rabies cases among wild animals. The present study gives the results of epizootological analysis of the efficacy of oral immunization of foxes in the republic since 1996.

[Development of a rapid method of immunologic monitoring during pregnancy]. / Razrabotka ékspress-metodov immunologicheskogo monitoringa pri beshenstve.

The authors validate the efficiency of enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for rapid diagnosis of rabies and titration of specific antibodies and of the method of isolation of field rabies strains in the rat Gasser's node neurinoma cells. Highly active specific diagnostic agents for ELISA and immunofluorescent test based on sheep immunoglobulins have been created for detection of the rabies agent in pathological material from different animals and humans.

[The antigenic characteristics of field strains of the rabies virus from different districts of the USSR studied using antinucleocapsid monoclonal antibodies]. / Antigennaia kharakteristika polevykh shtammov virusa beshenstva iz razlichnykh raionov SSSR s pomoshch'iu antinukleokapsidnykh monoklonal'nykh antitel.

98 rabies virus strains isolated from different species of wild and domestic animals have been studied by means of 36 monoclonal antibodies obtained from the Wistar Institute (USA) and 3--of the Federal Research Center on Viral Diseases of Animals (FRG). The antigenic variants determined in this study have been analyzed in comparison with the data obtained in other regions of the world, thus establishing the spread of these variants and their relationship with different species of animals.

Rabies-related Yuli virus; identification with a panel of monoclonal antibodies.

Yuli virus was isolated by intracerebral (i.c.) inoculation of suckling mice with a 10% brain suspension from 11-year-old patient who died under signs of atypical hydrophobia after a bat bite into lower lip. Identification with a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to nucleocapsid protein (NP) confirmed that Yuli virus belongs to Lyssavirus genus, as an antigenic variant of the European Duvenhage virus.