[Genotyping of West Nile fever virus strains circulating in southern Russia as an epidemiological investigation method: principles and results].

AIM: Characteristic of West Nile fever (WNF) virus strains circulating in southern Russia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WNF RNA was amplified directly from clinical samples, mosquitoes and bird tissues by PCR, nucleotides were sequenced directly and analyzed comparatively. RESULTS: Related but different genovariants of WNF lineage 1a--"Volgograd" and "Astrakhan"--circulated during WNF outbreaks of 1999 and 2000-2003 in Volgograd and Astrakhan regions. In 2005 "Volgograd" WNF variant emerged in Astrakhan region and along with "Astrakhan" variant caused a new morbidity increase. In 2004 in sera of 2 WNF patients from Rostov region WNF lineage 2 RNA was detected, this was the first WNF clinical case caused by WNF lineage 2 outside of Africa. WNF outbreak in Volgograd region in 2007 was caused by this unique WNF lineage that may preliminary be called Russian. Finally, during a major WNF outbreak in 2010 in Volgograd and Rostov regions in clinical samples only russian genovariant WNF lineage 2 RNA was detected again. CONCLUSION: After emergence of a certain WNF genovariant the virus is capable of persisting in natural foci in southern Russia. A near disappearance of one of the WNF clones by substitution or displacement with another maybe possible. Determination of genetic characteristics of WNF strains circulating in Russia is an important element of WNF epidemiological surveillance and control of this disease.

Genetic diversity and geographic distribution of hantaviruses in Russia.

Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is the most prevalent zoonotic disease in Russia. It is caused by several hantavirus species hosted by small rodents. We describe spatial and temporal patterns of HFRS incidence in the Russian Federation, and the geographic distribution of prevalent hantavirus species: Puumala (PUUV) and Dobrava (DOBV). Partial sequencing of nucleocapsid and glycoprotein genes of 117 PUUV strains and 78 DOBV strains revealed several distinct genetic subgroups. The RNA of Volga PUUV subgroup was detected in patients with HFRS and bank voles Myodes glareolus in the Volga Federal District, where the highest HFRS incidence rate has been registered yearly. The RNA of Siberian PUUV subgroup was found in M. glareolus in the trans-Ural Tyumen and Omsk Provinces, where human HFRS cases have been rare. During an HFRS outbreak in 2007 in the Central Federal District, when more than 1000 patients were affected, specific subgroups of DOBV were discovered in patients and rodents, mainly in the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius. DOBV strains might have 8­9% of nucleotide difference although they were collected at places separated by 30­100 km. The RNA of a unique DOBV subgroup was discovered in the southern semi-desert Astrakhan Province, mainly in A. agrarius and tamarisk jird Meriones tamariscinus. No human HFRS cases were diagnosed in this province. Russian PUUV and DOBV strains have no close homologues among European strains. Our DOBV strains might be genetically grouped together with Central European DOBV strains isolated from A. agrarius, but not from Apodemus flavicollis. The Volga PUUV subgroup is to some extent similar to Baltic PUUV strain, and Finnish PUUV strains resemble the strains from the Siberian PUUV subgroup. Thus, PCRbased monitoring and typing provided the opportunity to delineate and expand the area of hantaviruses in Russia and to identify their new genetic variants.

[Results of examination of healthy residents in the southern region of Russia and patients feverish to pappataci fever virus antibodies].

Sera from patients with acute seasonal fevers and apparently healthy individuals living in the Astrakhan Region, Krasnodar Territory, or Rostov Region were examined in two modifications of enzyme immunoassay for detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to Neapolitan and Sicilian pappataci fever viruses. IgM antibodies to Sicilian pappataci fever virus were detected in a patient from the Volodarsky District, Astrakhan Region, who had been admitted for the unverified diagnosis of Q fever. A donor residing in the Novorossiysk District, Krasnodar Territory, was found to have IgA antibodies to Neapolitan pappataci fever virus. The findings show it expedient to conduct further investigations of the serodiagnosis and seroepidemiology of pappataci fevers in the southern Russian region where mosquitoes of the genus Phlebotomus inhabit.

[Detection of a new natural virus focus Dobrava in the Astrakhan Region].

A natural focus of Dobrava hantavirus was first revealed in an arid zone of the Astrakhan Region, by using molecular genetic methods. A polymerase chain reaction was employed to examine 389 lung tissue suspension samples taken from 9 species. Hantavirus RNA was found in 35 samples from 22 field mice (Apodemus agrarius), 8 tamarisk gerbils (Meriones temariscinus), 4 common voles (Microtus arvalis), and 1 house mouse (Mus musculus). Sequencing determined the taxonomic affiliation of 18 new isolates to the Dobrava species and 1 isolate to the Puumala species although the new Dobrava isolated greatly differed from all known strains of this virus in the nucleotide sequence of the genomic M and S segments. Hantavirus-infected rodents were found in 3 of 4 districts of the Astrakhan Region, located in the steppe and semidesert zones and at the intrazonal stations of the Volga-Akhtuba flood-lands. The high (up to 12%) hantavirus infection rates were ascertained in a tamarisk gerbil, the typical inhabitant of desert and semidesert ecosystems.

[The evaluation of viral load in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) by real-time polymerase chain reaction].

The system for real-time polymerase chain reaction was developed for detection of Puumala virus RNAand quantitative analysis of viral RNAload in clinical samples. Dynamics of viral load in blood samples from 12 patients with HFRS (from day 4 to day 17 of the disease) was studied. At day 4 viral RNA load varied from 4 x 10(4) to 1 x 10(6) copies/ml. During the period of observation viral load decreased by 10 - 200 times and was not detected in majority of patients to day 11 - 15 of the disease. The hantavirus persisted in blood of four patients to day 17 of the disease with viral load varied from 2.7 x 10(3) to 2 x 10(4) copies/ml. Developed method was characterized by highest sensitivity (100%) for HFRS detection from day 4 to day 8 of the disease.

[The study of immune structure of Astrakhan region population to West Nile virus in 1998 and 1999]. / Izuchenie immunostruktury naseleniia Astrakhanskoi oblasti k virusu Zapadnogo Nila v 1998 i 1999 gg.

Immunostructure of the Astrakhan Region population to West Nile fever (WNF) was studied in the preepidemic period (1998) and after the outbreak (1999). Among the sera obtained in 1998, 63 (26.3%) were positive in neutralization reaction, 84 (27.1%) in enzyme immunoassay IgG and 20 (7.8%) in HAIR. IgM-antibodies were found in none of 142 samples. Overall number of donors having antibodies to WNF virus by three reactions reached 97 (31.6%). In the sera obtained in 1999, virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in 72(44.4%) cases, specific IgM antibodies detected by EIA_in 5(3.1%), IgG_in 44(27.1%), antihemagglutinins_in 11 (6.9%). The number of positive findings in 4 reactions in 1999 was 81(50.0%). The results of examination of the sera collected for two years (1998 and 1999) were the following: of 402 samples examined in NR positive were 135(33.6%), of 304 five (1.6%) were IgM positive, 128(27.1%) of 472 were IgG positive, and 31(7.4%) of 417 responded in HAIR. Overall index of humoral immunity for 2 years was 37.9% (in males and females 39.8 and 32.8%, respectively. In persons aged 20-29 years_36.9%, 50-59 years_42.9%. Thus, by 2-year results, antibodies to WNF virus occurred in 51.9% rural citizens and 35.0% city population.

[Topographic and anatomic markers of the temporal pyramidal bone and their role in the surgical treatment of ear neoplasms]. / Topografoanatomicheskie orientiry piramidy visochnoi kosti i ikh znachenie pri operativnykh vmeshatelstvakh po povodu novoobrazovanii ukha.

Topographic anatomical guide points were studied on 126 total preparations of the temporal bones. The relation of the temporal bone pyramid angles in sagittal and horizontal planes, the distance from spina suprameatum to the pyramid top, from spina suprameatum to promontorium, from promontorium to internal carotid artery with the shape of the skull has been established.

[Adult respiratory distress syndrome in patients with infection]. / Respiratornyi distress-sindrom vzroslykh u bol'nykh sepsisom.

A grave complication of sepsis is a respiratory distress in adult persons observed by the authors in 11.3% of the examinees. The syndrome of respiratory distress could develop in the presence of toxico-infectious (septic) shock or severe allergic immediate responses to the administration of certain drugs. The main approaches to the treatment of respiratory distress in adult septic patients turned to be glucocorticoids, heparin and recurrent sessions of hemosorption.

[Use of a personal computer for storage and statistical processing of information on patients with breast cancer]. / Ispol'zovanie personal'nogo komp'iutera dlia khraneniia i statistikoi obrabotki informatsii o bol'nykh rakom molochnoi zhelezy.

The breast cancer data analysis system (BCDAS) was developed to be used in personal computers to enter, store and process data on breast cancer patients. It is a multi-purpose system adjustable to other applications.