[Analysis of population immunity of residents of Russian Federation regions against seasonal and highly pathogenic strains of influenza virus].

AIM: Determine the level of antibodies against socially significant types/serotypes of influenza virus in sera of individuals residing in various regions of Russia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1525 samples of blood sera collected in August-December 2013 in 8 regions of Russian Federation were studied in hemagglutination inhibition reaction (HAI) with antigens obtained from A/California/07/09, (H1N1)pdm09, A/Victoria/361/2011(H3N2), B/Brisbane/60/2008 (Victoria line), B/Massachusetts/2/2012 (Yamagata line), A/Commongull/Chany/2006 (H5N1), A/Anhui/01/2013 (H7N9) influenza virus strains. RESULTS: None of the blood sera samples had significant HAI titers against A/H5 and A/H7 antigens. Of all the 1525 samples, 788 (52%) were positive with A(H1N1)pdm09 antigen; 734 (48%) reacted with A(H3N2) antigen; 1010 (66%) samples were positive with B/Victoria antigen and 602 (39%) samples were positive with B/Yamagata antigen. CONCLUSION: Healthcare institutions should pay attention to the correction of population immunity profile in regions for the reduction of social-economic losses from seasonal influenza epidemics.

[Chemical composition of breast milk in females with preterm deliveries in the Primorsky Krai].

In the article there are presented data on the chemical composition of breast milk in females with preterm labor in the Primorye Territory, who were in the Department of newborns for premature babies of the Municipal Institution of Health "Children's city clinical hospital" in Vladivostok during 2010-2011 to care for their newborn infants. Laboratory studies were performed in the Federal State Institution of Health "Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Primorye Territory."

[The spread of ecology-dependent diseases of the genitourinary system in bioclimatic zones of the Primorskii region].

The estimation of the prevalence of a class of diseases of the genitourinary system (ICD-10) of the population in the bioclimatic zones of the Primorsky Krai, with taking into account the environmental situation has been performed. The study of the prevalence of diseases of the genitourinary system was carried out with the use of the classical method of data analysis--descriptive statistics. To determine the impact of water quality correlation and regression analysis of the statistical software package SPP has been applied. The study revealed that the diseases of the genitourinary system occupy in the structure of ecology-dependent morbidity in adults--14.9%, in adolescents--13.1% and in children--5.2%, respectively. During the period of 2000-2011 there is noted a trend of the growth of the level of pathology of the genitourinary system. Over the past 5 years, the number of uronefrological patients doubled. Using the a chi-square test for independence, we found that there is a statistically significant correlation (p < or = 0.001) between the level of diseases of the genitourinary system, the bio-climatic zones and zones of ecological situation in all age groups. The use of regression analysis (multiple regression equation) allowed to determine the main parameters of the water module affecting the rate of spread of diseases of the genitourinary system in different bioclimatic zones. The prevalence level of diseases of the genitourinary system in each age group and bioclimatic zone is affected by a certain combination of parameters of the chemical composition of drinking water. The priority of them are by microbial number, Cl-, Fe sum, NO3-, HCO3-, PH, Mg2+, Ca2+. Ranking of the territory in terms of morbidity permitted to determine the problematic situation in the administrative bodies that was taken into account in the development of the program on the prevention of the ecology-dependent diseases of the genitourinary system.

[The influence of ecological hygiene environmental factors on the distributIon of respiratory diseases in population of Primorskii Krai].

Conducted Ecological hygienic assessment of the incidence of respiratory diseases in bioclimatic zones has been performed. The study of the incidence was conducted with the use of the classical methods of analysis of data such as descriptive statistics, chi-square test, correlation and regression analysis. The study found that respiratory diseases occupy 30%, 47% and 61% in the structure of the incidence in adults, adolescents and children correspondingly. Constructed predictive models describe the tendency of increasing incidence in adolescents and children. The morbidity of environmentally dependent respiratory pathology in residents of different regions of Primorye Territory was found to be dependent on the characteristics of bioclimatic zones and combinations of parameters forming these areas. Factors of bioclimatic character: living in an area of high humidity, temperature swings and the weather travel have the most influence on the level of respiratory diseases in childhood. Iindices of morbidity rate in adolescent achieve those in adult population, that indicates on the immaturity of the adaptation system of adolescent organism to adverse environmental factors.

[Correlation between the receptor specificity of pandemic influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus strains isolated in 2009-2011 and the structure of the receptor-binding site and the probability of fatal primary viral pneumonia].

The receptor specificity (RS) of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 virus strains deposited into the State Collection of Viruses of the Russian Federation, D. I. Ivanovsky Research Institute of Virology, Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia, in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 epidemic seasons to a panel of 9 sialoglycopolymers (SGP). The strains were divided into 3 groups according to the W(3/6) index proposed by the authors, which was equal to the amount of reactivities to unbranched alpha2-3-SGP to that of reactivities to unbranched alphal-6-SGP: W(3/6) < or = 1.0; 1.0 < W(3/6) < or = 1.5. The W(3/6) < or = 1.5 group showed a predominance of a2-3-RS, attended by the high incidence of fatal primary viral pneumonias (FPVP) (60.0%) and amino acid replacements in the HA1 receptor-binding site (RBS) (80.0%): D222{G, N} and Q223R. The 1.0 < W(3/6) < or = 1.5 group was characterized by mixed alpha2-3/alpha2-6-RS with the incidence of FPVP (29.7%) and amino acid replacements in the HA1 RBS (40.5%) (D222{G, N, V} and Q223), respectively. In the W(3/6) < or = 1.0 group, alpha2-6-RS was prevalent, FPVPs were absent and amino acid replacements in HA1 RBS (D222{G, E}) were seen only in 6.0% of cases. The number of strains with increased specificity to alpha2-3-sialosides increased in the 2010-2011 epidemic season as compared to the previous season. With their further spread among the population, there may be a rise in cases of severe primary viral pneumonias with possible fatal outcomes, which can be, however, accompanied by a decrease in the capacity of mutants to air-dropwise transmission.

[Environmental and hygienic aspects of the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Primorskii territory].

The authors have conducted an environmental and hygienic evaluation of the prevalence of congenital anomalies in the Primorye Territory. It has been found that there is a considerable rise in congenital anomalies in children and adolescents, which is predicted for the coming 5 years. The prevalence of congenital anomalies in the region depends on the bioclimatic zone and environmental situation. The highest incidence of the pathology is observed in the children living in the coastal bioclimatic zone and in the adolescents in the critical environmental areas of the continental bioclimatic zone. A combination of sanitary-and-hygienic and natural climatic factors was found to influence the incidence of congenital malformations differently. The sanitary-and-hygienic parameters of an inhabitancy play a leading role (44.5-63.1%).

[A possible association of fatal pneumonia with mutations of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 sw1 virus in the receptor-binding site of the HA1 subunit].

The paper gives the results of sequence analysis of 150 positive samples in real-time RT-PCR, including 47 autopsy materials from patients (including 10 pregnant women), who died from fatal pneumonia mainly in November-December 2009, in whom the lifetime etiological diagnosis had not been made and hence no early etiotropic therapy performed. 70% of the primary materials from the deceased patients were found to have pandemic influenza A(H1N1) v mutants in the lung tissue with D222G (15%), D222N (15%), D222E (2%) substitutions, as well as a mixture of mutants (38%). Nasopharyngeal lavages from 3 Chukotka deceased patients exhibited only consensus (nonmutant) D222 virus variants; there was a mixture of consensus and mutant virus variants in the trachea and a mixture of mutant ones in the lung. Preliminary data from the study of the interaction of the hemagglutinin of two strains having D222G and D222N mutations with 9 oligosaccharides imitating the variants of cell receptors for influenza A virus suggest that there is a double receptor specificity for alpha2'-3' and alpha2'-6'-sialosides with a preponderance of alpha2'-3'-specificity. Further spread of the mutants that have acquired a high virulence and preserved their capacity for the respiratory route of human infection may lead to the situation similar to that seen in the 1918-1919 pandemic. Another scenario for evolution of the virus is to preserve its receptor specificity for alpha2'-3'-sialosides and high virulence with losses of alpha2'-6' specificity and capacity for aerosol transmission, by damping the pandemic.

[Trends in the spread of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) swl in the Far East in 2009].

The paper describes the trend in the spread of pandemic influenza A(H1N1) swl virus in the Far East, which started in this region 2-3 months later than that in the European part of Russia. By mid-October seasonal epidemic influenza was practically displaced by pandemic one.

[The first break-through of the genotype 2.3.2 of high-virulence influenza A virus A/HSN1, which is new for Russia, in the Far East].

The epizootic etiologically associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 genotype 2.3.2 that is new for Russia among wild and domestic birds in the south of the Primorye Territory during spring migration in April 2008 has been decoded. About 25% of the wild birds of a water complex, which include European teals (Anas crecca), mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), great-crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), are involved in viral circulation in the area of the Suifun-Khankai plain. Chicken embryos and the cell lines MDCK, SPEV, BHK-21, SW-13 were used to isolate 3 strains from recently deceased hens (A/chicken/Primorje/1/08, A/chicken/Primorje/11/08, and A/chicken/Primorje/12/08) and one strain from a European teal (A/Anas crecca/Primorje/8/08). The strains were deposited in the State Collection of Viruses of the Russian Federation, D. I. Ivanovsky Research Institute of Virology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The nucleotide sequences of the full-sized genomes of A/chicken/Primorje/1/08 and A/Anas crecca/Primorje/8/08 were sent to the International databank GenBank. The strains from domestic and wild birds were shown to be identical. The isolated strains are most close to the strains Alchicken/Viet Nam/10/05, A/chicken/Guangdong/178/04, and A/duck/Viet Nam/12/05. Molecular genetic analysis has indicated that the strains isolated are susceptible to rimantadine and ozeltamivir and less adapted to mammalian cells (particularly, they contain E627 in RV2, which agrees with the biological properties of these strains in vitro). Penetration of the newly isolated virus into the Far East ecosystem provides in the foreseeable future a way for infecting the birds wintering in America and Australia in the nesting places, with further carriage of viral populations there in the period of autumn migrations.

[Complex environmental and virological monitoring in the Primorye Territory in 2003-2006].

The paper presents the results of monitoring of viruses of Western Nile (WN), Japanese encephalitis (JE), tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Geta, Influenza A, as well as avian paramicroviruses type I (virus of Newcastle disease (ND)) and type 6 (APMV-6) in the Primorye Territory in 2003-2006. Totally throughout the period, specific antibodies to the viruses were detected by neutralization test in wild birds (7.3%, WN; 8.0%, Geta; 0.7% Batai; 2.8%, Alpine hare (Lepus timidus); by hemagglutination-inhibition test in cattle (11.4% WN; 5.9%, JE; j 3.0%, TBE; 11.6%, Geta), horses (6.1, 6.8, 0, and 25.3%, respectively), and pigs (5.4, 1.5, 0, and 5.9%, respectively) by enzyme immunoassay (IgG) in human beings (0.8, 0.5, 6.8, and 3.2%, respectively. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to reveal RNA of the NP segment of influenza A virus in 57.9 and 65% of the cloacal swabs from wild and domestic birds, respectively; and the HA-segment of subtype HH was not detected in 2005. HA/H5 RNA was recorded in 5.5 and 6.7% of the swabs from wild and domestic birds, respectively; 6% of the specimens from domestic birds were M-segment positive in 2006. RNA of influenza A virus NA/H7 and RNA was not detected throughout the years. In 2004, the cloacal swabs 8 isolated influenza A strains: two H3N8 and two H4N8 strains from European teals (Anas crecca), two (H3N8 and H6N2) strains from Baikal teals (A. formosa), one (H10N4) strain from shovelers (A. clypeata), and one (H4N8) from garganeys (A. querquedula). In 2004, one ND virus strain was isolated from the cloacal swabs from European teals (A. crecca). RT-PCR revealed RNA of this virus in some 8 more cloacal swabs from black ducks (A. poecilorhyncha) (3 positive specimens), pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) (n = 2), garganeys (A. querquedula) (n = 1), gadwalls (A. strepera) (n = 1), and geese (Anser anser domesticus) (n = 1). Sequencing of the 374-member fragment of the ND virus F gene, which included a proteolytic cleavage site, could assign two samples to the weakly pathogenetic variants of genotype 1, one sample to highly pathogenic variants of genotype 3a, five to highly pathogenic ones of genotype 5b. Isolation of APMV-6 (2003) from common egrets (Egretta alba) and geese (Ans. anser domesticus) is first described.

[Newcastle disease virus in the populations of wild birds in the south of the Primorye Territory in the period of autumn migrations in 2001-2004].

The paper presents the results of molecular virological monitoring of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) by reverse-polymerase chain reaction (followed by sequence of F-gene fragment 374 p.n.) and chick embryo isolation of samples from the avian cloacal swabs collected in the south of the Primorye Territory in September-October 2001-2004. It shows that before 2004, there were only slightly pathogenic variants of NDV of genotype 1 in this region and in 2004 they were added by highly pathogenic variants of subtypes 3a and 5b. The impact of landscaping features of the south of the Primorye Territory on the environment of NDV is discussed.