[Genomic S segment of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus circulating in Russia and Bulgaria].

S-segment nucleotide sequences for two Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus strains isolated in the Rostov Region of Russia and in Bulgaria have been determined. Analysis of complete S-segment nucleotide sequences in the viral strains from different regions of the world has established that the CCHF virus strains isolated from ticks and human beings in different southern Russian regions in 1967 and 2000 are very closely genetically and they form an individual subgroup in the basic European genetic group. By the S-segment structure, the CCHF virus strain isolated in Bulgaria in 1978 belongs to the same genetic group as a representative of its second subgroup. Analysis of the S-segment 3'-noncoding region suggests that the CCHF virus circulating in Europe, Central Asia, and China may have originated from one global focus of infection, including several CCHF virus genovariants. During evolution, fragmental exchange apparently occurred in the S-segment 3'-noncoding region as a result of homological recombination.

[A new genetic variant of the PUUV virus from the Maritime Territory and its natural carrier red-grey vole Clethrionomys rufocanus]. / Novyi geneticheskii variant virusa Puumala v Primor'e i ego prirodnyi nositel' krasno-seraia polevka Clethrionomys rufocanus.

Pulmonary tissues of red-grey voles, Clethrionomys rufocanus from Shkotovo District and Maritime Territory were investigated. rt-PCR was used to detect the hantavirus nt-222 M-segment genome and nt-403 mitochondrial DNA fragment. A new genetic variant of the PUUV virus named as "Shkotovo", that is different from other PUUV strains by 18-23%, was shown to be circulating in red-grey voles. A phylogenetic analysis denoted 2 PUUV subgroups with their rodent-host branching into C. graleolus and C. rufocanus.

[Amplification test-systems in the diagnosis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and in studies of viral pathogens]. / Primenenie amplifikatsionnoi test-sistemy dlia diagnostiki gemorragicheskoi likhoradki s pochechnym sindromom i izucheniia genotipov virusov-vozbuditelei.

The "VectoHantivirus-ampli" test system based on rtPCR was shown as fitting the detection of virus RNA in blood samples of patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) made at early stages and no later than 7 days from the disease onset. A sequence analysis of viral nucleotide sequences of PCR products produced by the test-system ensured the identification of Hantaviruses (pathogens of HFRS). Two genetic variants of Puumula virus were shown to circulate in the territory of the Bashkortostan Republic; they differ by 10.0-13.8%, one of them is absolutely new. The Hantan virus FE genetic variant was detected in the studied samples from the Khabarovsk Territory.

[Genetic characteristics of the S-segment of RNA from two strains of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus isolated in the south of Russia and in Uzbekistan]. / Geneticheskaia kharakteristika S-segmenta RNK dvukh shtammov virusa Krymskoi-Kongo gemorragicheskoi likhoradki, izolirovannykh na ioge Rossii i v Uzbekistane.

Complete S-segment nucleotide sequences of genomic RNA were determined for two Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus strains, i.e. LEIV 10145 Uz isolated from ticks in Uzbekistan, 1985, and LEIV 29223 Stv isolated from a patient in Stavropol region, 2000. It was established that the S-segment length is 1672 and 1674 nucleotides. Therefore, the initiating codon (for methionine) is located at positions 56-58; the length of translation frames for the nucleocapsid protein is 482 amino acid residues. Distinctions in the length of S-segment, as compared to other strains, are related only with the 5' and 3' non-coding regions. A comparison of the nucleotide and amino-acid sequences of S-segments of genome of the mentioned strains with the early published data showed that the CCHF virus strain isolated in Uzbekistan is mostly close to strains isolated in China, and that the strain isolated in Stavropol region forms, jointly with Drozdov strain isolated in the Astrakhan region, a separate branch in the phylogenetic tree.

[Characteristics of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus circulating in Russia and Central Asia]. / Kharakteristika virusa Krymskoi-Kongo gemorragicheskoi likhoradki, tsirkuliruiushchego v Rossii i respublikakh Srednei Azii.

Five antigen-positive samples isolated from patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and from Hyalomma marginatum ticks collected in the European part of Russia and three laboratory strains of CCHF isolated in Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tadjikistan were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing. Comparison of nucleotide sequences of fragments of CCHF virus genome S segment and phylogenetic analysis of Russian strains showed that all CCHF strains isolated from humans and H. marginatum circulating in Russia were closely related and differed essentially from CCHF variants from other regions. Strains isolated in Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan were most closely related to CCHF strains from China.

[Genetic identification of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus during epidemic outbreak in Kazakhstan in 2000]. / Geneticheskaia identifikatsiia virusa Krymskoi-Kongo gemorragicheskoi likhoradki vo vremia épidemicheskoi vspyshki v Kazakhstane v 2000 g.

Sera samples from patients suspected of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) taken during epidemic outbreak at the territory of Sarysusky and Moiynkumsky districts of the Zhambyl region in Kazakhstan, in 2000, were analysed by means of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing of virus genome fragments. Genome RNA of CCHF virus was found in 2 assays. Analysis of nucleotide sequences of fragments of S-segment of viral genome revealed in the Sarysusky districts circulation of CCHF virus, genetically resembled to close phylogenetically to CCHF virus strains from China.

Genetic diversity of hantaviruses associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the far east of Russia.

To identify the hantaviruses causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the Far East of Russia, blood samples collected from HFRS patients in 1994-1998, were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, 36 sera were tested by an immunofluorescence assay for antibodies against Hantaan, Seoul, Puumala, and Khabarovsk viruses, and 54 samples were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test. With both serological assays, the highest antibody titers were to Hantaan and/or Seoul viruses. Of 110 blood samples 36 were found RT-PCR positive. Phylogenetic analysis the sequences of a 256-nucleotide (nt) fragment of the hantavirus M genome segment revealed at least 3 genetically distinct hantavirus lineages. Nucleotide sequence comparison showed that two of the lineages, designated as FE and Amur (AMR), differed from one another by 15.9-21.2% and from Hantaan virus by 9.8-17.5%. The third lineage, VDV, differed from Seoul virus by 2.6-5.1%. All S segment sequences were from FE lineage, and differed from Hantaan virus by 10.7-12.6%. Thirty of the 36 (83%) analyzed sequences were found to be the FE genotype, which is very similar to that of Hantaan virus, strain 76-118. Of the remaining hantaviruses, 11% were the AMR genotype, and 6% the VDV genotype, which are genetically novel genotypes of Hantaan or Seoul viruses, respectively.