[Emergency situations in the North Caucasus and role of specific immunoprophylaxis in eradication and prevention of epidemiological consequences]. / Chrezvichainye situatsii na Severnom Kavkaze i rol' spetsificheskoi immunoprofilaktiki v likvidatsii i preduprezhdenii ikh épidemiologicheskikh posledstvii.

Information on emergency situations (ES) on the territory of the North Caucasus from the 90s of the last century till the present moment is presented. The importance of the specific immunoprophylaxis of infections for the liquidation of epidemiological aggravations in ES and for their prevention is shown. Information on the scope of specific immunoprophylaxis in the zones of ES and on different approaches to its carrying out. The conclusion was made on the expediency of making corrections in the normative documents of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, regulating planned vaccinations and vaccinations made on epidemic indications in connection with different kinds of ES.

[Current state of epidemiologic surveillance of natural foci of plague of North Caucasus]. / Sovremennoe sostoianie épidemiologicheskogo nadzora v prirodnykh ochagakh chumy Severnogo Kavkaza.

Information on the epizootic situation in plague in the natural foci of North Caucasus and on the influence of a number of anthropogenic and natural factors on this situation is presented. The data given in this work indicate that under the conditions of the anthropogenic transformation of landscapes the character of the epizootic manifestations of plague is changed and new factors, capable of aggravating epidemiological situation, appear. In addition, some other factors must be considered, such as the insufficient financing of reliable field surveys at present, the impossibility of making reliable epizootological studies due to causes of the social character (armed conflicts), thus making it impossible to evaluate, with a sufficient degree of reliability, the real epizootic state of a number of territories and, therefore, the risk of human infection. In this connection the necessity to carefully plan prophylactic measures and measures aimed at the localization and liquidation of the probable foci of infection arises.

[Laboratory diagnostics of the outbreak of Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Southern Russia]. / Laboratornaia diagnostika vspyshki krymskoi gemorragicheskoi likhoradki na iuge Rossii.

The results of the serological analysis of blood sera taken from patients with Crimean haemorrhagic fever (CHF) and from persons suspected for this disease are presented. These results made it possible to confirm that during the period of April 16-September 04, 2000, the outbreak of CHF occurred on the territory of Southern Russia. In addition to the laboratory confirmation of the outbreak of CHF by means of the enzyme immunoassay and the indirect immunofluorescence test the diagnostic work was completed by the isolation, and subsequent identification, of 3 strains of CHF virus from the blood of patients and 1 strain from the pool of ticks Hyalomma marginatum.

[Emerging infections and infectious diseases as the cause of extreme situation]. / Neozhidanno voznikaiushchie i vnov' poiavliaiushchiesia infektsionnye zabolevaniia kak prichina chrezvychainykh situatsii.

Information on unexpectedly emerging and newly appearing infectious diseases in the world, based on materials contained in WHO weekly reviews for the period of 1991-2000, is presented. Opinions of researchers on the causes and factors giving rise to this complex situation in different regions and on different continents are cited. In cases of insufficient training of the medical personnel, the specialists of diagnostic laboratories and the antiepidemic service the outbreak of these infections may assume the character of emergency situations. The importance of the development, introduction and ensuring the availability of the methods for the rapid diagnostics of infectious diseases, as well as the improvement of the system of epidemiological surveillance and operative exchange in information on so-called "new" infectious diseases, is emphasized.

[Activity of the natural foci of plague in the Northern Caucasus in recent years]. / Aktivnost' prirodnykh ochagov chumy na Severnom Kavkaze v poslednie gody.

During the last two years the natural foci of plague in the North Caucasus were controlled with relatively low intensity. Nevertheless, every year rodents of different species and their fleas, both infected with Yersinia pestis, were detected in all 5 foci. According to the available data, no intensive, expanding epizootics were registered at the period under consideration. In the areas where stable manifestations of plague, irrespective of the density of the population of vector rodents, were observed for decades only a few infected rodents or local epizootics of plague were mainly registered.

[Specific epidemiologic features of Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Stavropol' region in 1999-2000]. / Epidemiologicheskie osobennosti krymskoi gemorragicheskoi likhoradki v Stavropol'skom krae v 1999-2000 gg.

The results of the epidemiological analysis of morbidity in Crimean haemorrhagic fever in the Stavropol Territory in 1999-2000 are presented. The epidemiological features, specifically characteristic of the manifestations of this infection in the territory, have been determined.

[The action of anticoagulants on the transmission of the causative agent of plague]. / Deistvie antikoaguliantov na transmissivnuiu peredachu vozbuditelia chumy.

The anticoagulants 4-hydrocoumarine and 1,3-indandione derivatives produce a varying action on the formation of a gizzard block in plague-infected fleas. The feeding of fleas on the animals having typical signs of severe intoxication with ratindane, zoocoumarine, and tomorine reduces the time and incidence of gizzard block formation in the fleas. The individuals with blocks retain their high infectability and the development of an infectious process is mainly generalized in rodents. In this connection, the package of eradication measures should involve the concurrent use of insecticides and zoocides which can reduce the size of both rodents and fleas.

[The aggregation ability of the plague microbe]. / Agregirovannost' chumnogo mikroba.

Hemoglobin enhances the aggregation of the plague bacillus in fluids (p > 0.99), the proportion of its action on this process being 46.7%. The aggregated forms of the plague bacillus as conglomerates are of greater value in the virulence of the plague bacillus for white mice than are a series of plague bacilli or single microbes, which is an important factor in the mechanism of bacillus transmission. Block is an aggregated status of the plague bacillus in the gizzard of an effective vector.

[The experimental action of lindane on the vector capacity of plague-infected fleas]. / Deistvie lindana na vektornuiu sposobnost' zarazhennykh chumoi blokh v éksperimente.

Being fed on white mice, intoxicated with subtoxic doses of lindane, blocked fleas sharply decreased in number. The inhibition of the vector ability of fleas, infected with plague, under the systemic effect of lindane is shown.

[Block formation capacity in fleas infected with a plague agent after their feeding with blood substitutes]. / Vozmozhnost' blokoobrazovaniia u blokh, zarazhennykh vozbuditelem chumy, pri kormlenii krovezameniteliami.

By feeding plague infected Xenopsylla cheopis fleas with blood substitutes free of blood formed elements blocked fleas were obtained. These fleas are able to transmit plague agent to white mice and cause their mortality.