[Effect of accomodation conditions of isolated contingents on the course of the epidemic influenza process]. / Vliianie uslovii razmeshcheniia izolirovannykh kollektivov na techenie épidemicheskogo protsessa grippa.

The influence of accomodation conditions on the intensity of influenza A2 virus spread was studied annually in 1970-1975 during the periods of rises in influenza incidence, November--April, in contingents isolated from the general population. The influence of the main accommodation conditions (number of subjects in a bed-room, the area and air volume of the bed room per person), on the influenza incidence was shown to occur only in the periods of moderate incidence rises which preceede large outbreaks. In the interepidemic period or during large outbreaks no such influence occurs. These results confirm the concept on the epidemiological importance of heterogeneity of two interacting systems, the causative agent population and the contingent composition (V. D. Belyakov, 1975). It is assumed that when the circulating influenza virus population is heterogeneous and contains a certain number of potentially epidemic strains, they are activated most intensively in large groups of human subjects. Therefore, large contingents living under specific accommodation conditions are the likely place of most early emergence of new epidemic influenza virus strains. The lack of influence of the accommodation conditions of the influenza incidence indicates that the epidemic process of this infection in closely communicating contingents occurs intensively and continuously due, to a large extent, to latent, clinically inapparent forms.