[The ecology and prevalence of arboviruses on the territory of the Saratov Region].

The territorial spread of Tahyna, Batai, Sindbis, West Nile fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses throughout the Saratov region in 1998 - 2000 was analyzed. The characteristics of the epizootic activity of the natural foci of these arboviruses in different landscape zones (temperate forest-steppes, steppes and semi-deserts) were calculated. The species composition of small mammals, the natural reservoirs of the causative agents of arbovirus infections, was determined.

[Anti-arbovirus antibodies positive serum screening in population of Saratov]. / Rezul'taty ussledovaniia syvorotok krovi naseleniia Saratova na antitela k arbovirusam.

Seroepidemiological studies revealed the existence of a population stratum immune to West Nile and Sindbis viruses in the Saratov region. Screening of 218 sera showed that the stratum immune to arboviruses increased from 1998 to 2000. The incidence of antibodies to Batai and Sindbis viruses was the highest. Activation of natural foci of these arboviruses can lead to exacerbation of the epidemic situation in the region.

[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.

[Treatment with inactivated cultured antirabies vaccine and antirabies gamma-globulin of persons biten by rabid wolves or those suspected of being rabid]. / Lechenie inaktivirovannoi kul'tural'noi antirabicheskoi vaktsinoi i antirabichesmim gamma-globulinom liudei, ukushennykh beshenymi ili podozritel'nymi na beshenstvo volkami.

The authors present the results of using inactivated cultural rabies vaccine from the Vnukovo-32 strain in combination with rabies gamma-globulin for the treatment of 39 persons; of this number 28 were bitten by rabid wolves (the diagnosis was confirmed by laboratory methods), 25 had wounds of dangerous localization, and 3 were children from 7 to 15 years of age. In examining the sera of all the 39 bitten persons it was found that the scheme of combined vaccinations with inactivated cultural ribies vaccine and rabies gamma-globulin, officially acting in the USSR, in case of bites of dangerous localization led to formation of early continuous and lengthy passive and active immunity of adequate intensity.

[Antigenic activity of a concentrated and purified cultured antirabies vaccine from the Vnukovo-32-107 strain]. / Antigennaia aktivnost' kontsentrirovanno i ochishchennoi kul'tural'noi antirabicheskoi vaktsiny iz shtamma Vnukovo-32-107.

Humoral response (virus-neutralizing antibody production) to immunization with inactivated 30-fold concentrated and purified tissue culture rabies vaccine was studied in monkeys and human volunteers. Two doses of the preparation spaced 20 days apart and given intramuscularly or intradermally to monkeys induced in them much more intensive antibody production (4--213-fold by titer) than 6 daily injections of unconcentrated vaccine. In 10 human volunteers immunized with 1.5 ml doses of the concentrated vaccine intramuscularly twice 20 days apart antibody titers 40 days after immunization varied from 1:79 to 1:6250 (average 1:1067). In another group of 10 human volunteers immunized intramuscularly with the concentrated vaccine 3 times at 0, 1st and 20th day, antibody titers 40 days after immunization were 1:112--1:3273 (average 1:508). These values are significantly higher than the average titers in humans vaccinated with unconcentrated tissue culture of brain vaccine of Fermi type. The concentrated vaccine proved to be a preparation of low reactogenicity: no systemic reactions were observed among vaccinated volunteers; 4 out of 20 volunteers had a mild, transient (1 day) local reaction (hyperemia of less than 1.5 cm in diameter).