Burden of Childhood Rotavirus Disease in the Outpatient Setting of the Russian Federation.

BACKGROUND: This is a prospective, multicentered study conducted in 9 large urban areas in Russia, in order to determine the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age and the genotypes circulating during 1 rotavirus season. METHODS: From November 2012 to May 2013, surveillance was conducted in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Vologda, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Yaroslavl, Khanty-Mansiysk and Vladivostok. Children <5 years of age presenting at outpatient clinics with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) of less than 72 hours duration were enrolled in the study. Stool samples were tested for rotavirus and positive samples were P- and G-typed. Clinical symptoms were captured by physicians and parents on Day 1. Symptom severity was analyzed by Vesikari scoring system. The direct expenses of parents caused by AGE were obtained from questionnaires provided to parents by phone. RESULTS: A total of 501 were children enrolled. Stool samples were analyzed for 487 (97%) children, and 151 (31%) of those were rotavirus positive. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was associated with more severe clinical course (Vesikari score 11.4 ± 2.2) versus non-rotavirus gastroenteritis (Vesikari score 9 ± 3). The identified serotypes were G4P[8] 38.9%, G1P[8] 34.2%, G3P[8] 6%, G9P[8] 6%, G2P[4] 2% and G4P[4] 0.7%. The mean overall expenses of parents caused by rotavirus and non-rotavirus gastroenteritis were 143.7 USD and 128.8 USD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Rotavirus accounted for 31% of all AGE-related outpatient visits. The major rotavirus genotypes were G1P[8] and G4P[8]. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was associated with significantly more severe clinical symptoms than non-rotavirus gastroenteritis. The average costs of rotavirus cases for parents of children were elevated against the same indications for non-rotavirus. These findings underscore the need for a safe and effective rotavirus vaccine in Russia.

Retrospective Study of the Clinical Epidemiological Characteristics of Pertussis in Infants Prior to Their First Vaccination in the Russian Federation.

INTRODUCTION: The coverage of pediatric pertussis vaccination in the Russian Federation is high, generally using a diphtheria, tetanus, and whole-cell pertussis vaccine in a 3-, 4.5-, and 6-month primary series and with a booster at 18 months of age. However, with no registered pertussis vaccines for adults, unvaccinated adolescents and adults can be a major source of infection of infants under 3 months of age. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, clinical epidemiological analysis to characterize pertussis in infants aged up to 3 months who contracted pertussis and were hospitalized in four different cities in the Russian Federation was performed. Archived medical records and a questionnaire were used to collect the relevant epidemiological and clinical aspects for each case of pertussis over a 2-year period. RESULTS: Infants in four different regions of the Russian Federation in the first 3 months of life, prior to their first pertussis vaccination, are at risk of pertussis infection. The severity is generally worse in neonates, and can lead to complications that can require intensive care. CONCLUSION: Prior to vaccination, young infants in the Russian Federation remain vulnerable to severe pertussis, which may be worsened by their proximity to unvaccinated adults.

Influenza epidemics and acute respiratory disease activity are associated with a surge in autopsy-confirmed coronary heart disease death: results from 8 years of autopsies in 34,892 subjects.

AIMS: To determine whether influenza can trigger heart attacks, we investigated the impact of influenza epidemics on autopsy-proven coronary deaths. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied weekly death due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in autopsies conducted in 1993 to 2000 in St Petersburg, Russia. We plotted the weekly acute respiratory disease (ARD) counts and influenza epidemics against AMI and chronic IHD deaths. There were 11,892 subjects dying of AMI and 23 000 subjects dying of chronic IHD. Median age was 75 for women and 65 for men. In every year, a peak of AMI and chronic IHD deaths were present and coincided with the influenza epidemic and peak ARD activity. A similar pattern was seen for each subgroup of men, women, subjects 50 years or older, and subjects 70 years or older. When comparing the average influenza epidemic weeks to average off-season weeks, the odds for AMI and chronic IHD death increased by 1.30 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.56) and 1.10 (95% CI: 0.97-1.26), respectively. CONCLUSION: Influenza epidemics are associated with a rise in autopsy-confirmed coronary deaths. Influenza vaccination should be advocated for patients at high risk of developing cardiovascular events.