[Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Sverdlovsk Region]. / Lekarstvennaia ustoichivost' mikobakterii tuberkuleza v Sverdlovskoi oblasti.

In the Sverdlovsk Region, multidrug resistance was observed in greater than 8% of patients isolating bacteria mainly in the residents of cities, former prisoners, those having fibrocavernous tuberculosis complicated by chronic nonspecific lung disease (CNLD). Primary resistance was determined in 4.7%, secondary resistance developing in 57.4% of cases 3 years or longer after the initiation of treatment. The most common cause of multiresistant tuberculosis is irregular treatment, patients' discontinuation of some antituberculous agents, as well as scarce financing of a tuberculosis control service, which prevents the standard treatment regimens from using in tuberculosis. Death due to tuberculosis was largely occurred irregularly treated dwellers of cities, tuberculosis-induced disabled individuals, alcohol abusers, patients with CNLD, or having fibrocavernous tuberculosis resistant to 4-5 antituberculous agents.

[The OF characteristics of streptococci group A and immunity to streptococcal infection based on the results of OF and anti-OF tests]. / OF-kharakteristika streptokokkov gruppy A i immunitet k streptokokkovoi infektsii po rezul'tatam OF- i anti-OF-testov.

The influence of the OF activity of group A streptococci on their specific pathogenic properties has been shown, which is manifested by increased virulence of these streptococci for children of younger age groups and by a two times higher isolation rate of OF+ strains in tonsillitis than in scarlet fever. The possibility of the indirect evaluation of the content of anti-M-antibodies by the results of the anti-OF test has been revealed, which permits using this test instead of the bactericidal test, more complicated, in the study of immunity to infection induced by group A OF+ streptococci. Among the main methods of laboratory support of epidemiological surveillance on streptococcal infection, the introduction of the highly discriminating OF typing and the anti-OF test into practical use is recommended.

[The general characteristics of the epidemic process and of the circulating streptococcal strains during an upsurge in scarlatina morbidity in Leningrad]. / Obshchaia kharakteristika épidemicheskogo protsessa i tsirkuliruiushchikh shtammov streptokokka v period pod''ema zabolevaemosti skarlatinoi v Leningrade.

The dynamics of scarlet fever morbidity in Leningrad for many years was studied and the absence of any effect produced by the existing system of preventive measures against this disease for the last 30 years was shown. On the basis of epidemiological and bacteriological data the authors came to the conclusion on the unity of the epidemic process of scarlet fever in the whole city and the relatively autonomous character of the process in individual districts. The necessity of the realization of epidemiological surveillance on streptococcal infection, with special emphasis on the multilevel social structure of the city and the wide use of the bacteriological diagnosis of streptococcal diseases, is substantiated.