[New strategies in preventing the spread of HIV infection in Russia]. / Novye strategii v preduprezhdenii rasprostraneniia VICh-infektsii v Rossii.

Due to the joint efforts of Russian specialists, the UNAIDS program, the international nongovernmental organization "Médecins sans Frontières" (Holland) and the "Institute of Open Society" (USA), the concept of making programs on the prevention of HIV infection among the intravenous drug users has been formed in the Russian Federation. The cohort of specialists mastering modern technologies in target group has been trained, the realization of the projects of harm reduction is carried out in 25 regions. The necessity of the realization of such projects has been confirmed in 21 more regions of the Russian Federation. Taking into account the development of the epidemic of HIV in the Russian Federation with drug users being the main motive force of this epidemic, the importance and timeliness of the efforts made in this direction can scarcely be exaggerated. In working out the new federal program "Anti-HIV/AIDS" the support ans development of activities in this direction must become one of the priorities of this program.

[Emergency measures to control the spread of diseases caused by the human immunodeficiency virus]. / O neotlozhnykh merakh po bor'be s rasprostraneniem zabolevanii, vyzyvaemykh virusom immunodefitsita cheloveka.

Since the middle of 1996 the growth of HIV-infected persons and AIDS morbidity are registered in Russia. In 1997 4,300 new cases of HIV infection were registered, which exceeded 1.6 times the total number of cases for the period of 1987-1996. The highest morbidity rate was observed in the cities of the European part of Russia: Kaliningrad (west), Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don (south), Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow (center). AIDS patients and HIV-infected persons were registered in 73 out of 89 regions of the country. 90% of HIV-infected persons were drug users in 1997. In 1992-1997 the number of drug addicts increased 3.5 fold and young women in 1987-1997, 6.5 fold. 71 HIV-infected children were registered were born from HIV-infected mothers at present time. The article deals with the main provisions of the federal laws aimed at the prevention of the spread of HIV infection in Russia and characterizes scientific research on AIDS. Evidence is presented that the early detection of HIV-infected persons, as well as rendering timely medical and social assistance to such persons, makes it possible to increase their mean survival time and check the spread of human immunodeficiency virus.

[The vaccinal prophylaxis of hepatitis B among children born to mothers with persistent HBs-antigenemia]. / Vaktsinoprofilaktika gepatita B sredi detei, rodivshikhsia ot materei s persistiruiushchei HBs-antigenemiei.

In Uzbekistan and Moldova 542 children born of HBsAg carriers were immunized against hepatitis B (with vaccine Engerix B according to the immunization schedule of 4 injections). Anti-HBs antibodies in protective titers were detected by EIA and RIA techniques in 76.7% of children aged 4-5 months after the 3rd injection, in 95.7% of children aged 15-16 months and in 90.0% of children aged 2-2.5 years after the 4th (booster) injection. In the control group (117 nonimmunized children born of HBs carriers) observed during the same period anti-HBs antibodies were detected significantly less frequently (in 7.3%, 11.6% and 12.9% of these children respectively). 1-2 months after the course of immunization was completed 74.1% of the immunized children had high anti-HBs antibody titers (exceeding 1000 IU/ml) with their subsequent decrease by 2-2.5 years of age. In the control group these figures were 27.1% and 29.0% respectively. The index of immunization effectiveness obtained by the comparison of the hepatitis B morbidity rates in both groups was 7.8. No postvaccinal complications were registered.

The seventh pandemic of cholera in the USSR, 1961-89.

Over the period 1961-89 a total of 1,713,057 cases of cholera were reported to WHO from 117 countries in all continents. The course of the epidemic fell into three periods: in period I (1961 to 1969), 24 countries (predominantly in Asia) reported about 419,968 cholera cases; in period II (1970 to 1977), 73 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas reported 706,261 cases; and in period III (1978 to 1989), 83 countries reported 586,828 cases. The global epidemic was at its most severe in 1967-74. Subsequently morbidity declined and up to 1989 had remained high and stable, with 44,000-52,000 cases per annum. In the USSR 10,723 cholera cases and carriers were reported between 1965 and 1989 from 11 republics (but not Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, or Armenia). In 1965 and 1970-74 large-scale outbreaks of imported cholera were characteristic of the epidemic in the USSR. Thereafter morbidity declined, and sporadic cases were reported along with environmental, predominantly nontoxigenic strains of cholera vibrio. Most of the outbreaks in the 1970s were waterborne, and virulent strains containing the vct-gene were isolated from samples of water. Large-scale outbreaks continued that were associated with seafood and dairy produce that were contaminated with cholera vibrio. Clinical cases of cholera as well as a considerable number of carriers of avirulent nontoxigenic strains were reported. The epidemiological situation in the USSR is unstable, with cases of cholera and virulent strains from surface water being reported every year.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)