Vol 95, No 6 (2018)

Aim. The article addresses the progress in elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the Russian Federation. The authors reviewed the available data on the current situation and identified opportunities to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Materials and methods. The basic HIV statistics for 2017 from the federal public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor and the Russia's ministry of health were analysed. The findings included several important aspects. Results. In 2017, women constituted a substantial proportion of population living with HIV, both among all cases and among new HIV infections (37%-38%). The number of new HIV cases among women was growing every year and by 2017 increased 62% compared to 2010. In 28 regions of the Russian Federation, more than 1% of pregnant women were HIV positive. Across the whole monitoring period (from 1987), 177,663 pregnancies complicated by HIV infection and ended in delivery were registered in Russia by the end of 2017, including 14,969 such pregnancies in 2017 alone. In 2017, 91.0% of pregnant women living with HIV took ART during pregnancy, 94.7% received it in labour. 98.7% of new-borns were given antiretroviral therapy as prevention. However, a three-stage chemoprophylaxis was provided to only 89.1% of mother-child pairs. It was revealed that 1,635 motherchild pairs (10.9%) missed at least one of prevention stages. The main reason for incomplete prevention was the late diagnosis of HIV infection in mothers. The viral load before delivery was not suppressed in 25.8% of HIV-positive pregnant women whose pregnancies were completed in 2017 (2,527 women were tested for viral load and 1,342 did not take antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy). 708 children born to HIV-positive mothers were diagnosed HIV positive in 2017 of whom, however, only 235 were born that year. Calculations showed that in 2017 the risk of vertical HIV transmission amounted to 2.3%, which were 348 new-born babies. A significant number of children (35,579 born in different years) did not undergo a final HIV test. 3.9% of all HIV-infected children born to HIV-positive women had contracted HIV through breastfeeding. There was also a trend towards increasing the number of HIV transmissions this way. The article reveals that in the cohort of children born women, the death rate is higher. So in 2017 mortality among infants born to HIV-positive mothers was 1.5 times higher, while perinatal mortality was twice as high as in the general population. Conclusion. The study showed that in order to improve the situation concerning vertical transmission of HIV, it is necessary to solve a number of tasks related to low threshold programmes aimed at access to surveillance, treatment and retention in care for women, especially those of at-risk of HIV. The ways to achieve the goal are early infant HIV diagnosis in first two months of new-borns' life, urgent final laboratory examination of older children exposed to HIV at birth, determination and elimination of factors leading to increased infant mortality, breast-feeding counselling, as well as improvements in statistical methods.

Aim. Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of the three experimental lots of Recombinant Pseudomonas Vaccine. Materials and methods. The preparation contained the recombinant proteins OprF and toxoid that were purified by chromatography in nickel-sepharose. Aluminum hydroxide was used as an adjuvant. The authenticity of the vaccine components was confirmed by electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The concentration of endotoxin in the vaccine was determined by LAL test. The abnormal toxicity was evaluated in mice and cavy. The anaphylactic activity was evaluated in cavy. The delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was evaluated in mice. Evaluation of the immunogenicity was carried out in an experiment with on double immunization of mice with following intraperitoneally infection by a live virulent culture of P. aeruginosa (PA-103 strain). Results. The authenticity of the vaccine, sterility, non-pyrogenicity and non-toxicity were confirmed after the studying of the quality indicators of the three lots of Recombinant Pseudomonas Vaccine. In animal experiments, the vaccine did not possess allergic properties and it was shown that it protected mice against Pseudomonas infection with Index of efficiency 3.0 and more. Conclusion. The efficacy, the safety, and the standardization of three experimental lots of the recombinant vaccine, which is intended to prevent infections caused by P. aeruginosa, have been shown.

Aim. The experience of investigating a major outbreak of tularemia among the population of Khanty-Mansiysk and Khanty-Mansiysk Region in 2013. Materials and methods. The materials of epidemiological monitoring of activity of foci of tularemia in KhMAO for a long period of time, the results of laboratory studies of biological materials and environmental objects on infection with tularemia pathogen during investigation of the outbreak in 2013 are analyzed. Results. The causes and features of the outbreak development, anti-epidemic and preventive measures were analyzed. An algorithm for investigating tularemia outbreaks has been developed and the effectiveness of preventive and antiepidemic measures for their elimination in a strained natural focus has been shown. Conclusion. Monitoring of natural foci of tularemia confirms the continued preservation of their activity and viability. The transmissive nature of outbreaks causes their scale and intensity, the need for permanent disinsection and deratization measures. The invasion of rodents into populated areas can be considered a predictive sign of the deterioration of the epidemiological situation and the onset of outbreak, which allows taking anti-epidemic measures in advance. Systemic interdepartmental interaction (health care, executive authorities) is needed to strengthen attention to prevention and build up a cautious attitude towards the problem of tularemia.

Aim. Genotyping and molecular genetic characteristics of parvovirus B19, circulating in the NorthWest Federal District. Material and Methods. The material of the study is based on serum samples from 821 patients with maculopapular rash negative for antibodies IgM-measles and IgM-rubella were received at the St. Petersburg Regional Center for Measles and Rubella Surveillance in 2009-2017. In the present study we used genotyping by direct sequencing of the NS1/VP1 region of Parvovirus B19 genome. Results. DNA of the virus was detected in 59 (42.4%) of seropositive patients. To assess the heterogeneity of isolates, 14 samples were selected from patients from geographically remote regions of the NWFO, of different ages, regardless of gender, with a high viral load (10⁶-10⁷ copies/ml). Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the isolates showed that only the genotype 1A was detected in all isolates. The nucleotide sequences can be divided into two subgroups: 13 isolates (92.8%) belong to the subgroup 1A2, one isolate to the subgroup 1A1. Conclusion. The introduction of B19 screening from patients with fever / rash can provide meaningful information on the prevalence of parvovirus infection in the Russian Federation. Identifying new mutations of the virus and further analysis of their possible relationships with the course of the mutation disease can help in the development of medicines, as well as in the development of an effective vaccine against the parvovirus B19.

Aim. Investigation of the features of the protein profiles of the spore and vegetative form of the anthrax microbe by the MALDI-TOF MS method using the resources of the Mass-Up program and the package for the statistical software with open source code R. Materials and methods. Spores and vegetative forms of 32 strains of B. anthracis from the collection of microorganisms of the Stavropol Research Institute for Plague Control, including 8 strains isolated from an outbreak of anthrax in Yamal in 2016. Protein profiling was carried out on the Microflex MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer «Bruker Daltonics». Results. The alternative bioinformational-statistical approach used to analyze the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of the causative agent of anthrax made it possible to differentiate the spores and vegetative forms of the microbe based on the identification of the corresponding groups of biomarkers. Conclusion. A comparison of vegetative and spore cells of typical and atypical strains of anthrax causative agent on the basis of MALDI-TOF MS data was made. It has been experimentally confirmed that the protein profiles of cultures of Bacillus anthracis of the spore and vegetative form differ significantly, and this difference can be used to search for potential markers of each of the forms.

Aim. To analyze current epidemiological and epizootological situation on cystic (hydatidiform) echinococcosis in constituent entities of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. Data of the administrations of the Federal service for surveillance on consumers rights protection and human wellbeing as well as data of the FBIH «Center of hygiene and epidemiology» located in different constituent territories of the FEFD during 2013-2017 was used. A review of scientific papers concerning the topic of the current article was performed. Results. Mainly sporadic cases of the disease were registered in 7 out of 9 constituent entities of the FEFD during the 2013-2017. The Jewish Autonomous district and Kamchatka region were free of the echinococcosis during the 5-year observation period. Echinococcosis cases were registered annually in the Chukotka Autonomous district, Republic Sakha (Yakutia) and Primorsky region. Herewith, the incidence rates in Chukotka Autonomous district and Republic Sakha (Yakutia) notably exceeded the national average. No fatal outcomes due to cystic echinococcosis in the FEFD were registered. Conclusion. Implementation of immunoepidemiological surveillance of the population of different age groups and professions is recommended on the constituent entities with registered cases of cystic echinococcosis.

More than 100 species of arboviruses can cause diseases in humans. Arbovirus infections attract attention of medical specialist around the world due to their wide distribution, diversity and severity of the clinical course. The number of new arboviruses, which are pathogenic for humans and animals, is constantly increasing. In the last 30 years arbovirus infectious diseases have become a significant threat to public health. There are many large-scale outbreaks in various regions of the world every year. This article examines the current epidemic status, the main factors contributing to the expansion of areas with epidemic manifestations and the risks associated with the spread of a arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and the West Nile.

Aim. Investigation of the effect of fucose in the diet on the gastrointestinal microflora of experimental animals with experimental dysbiosis, the humoral factors of nonspecific immunity, as well as the degree of fucosylation of oocytes and the proportion of oocytes that can be fertilized. Materials and methods. Prebiotic properties of fucose were studied by analyzing the luminal microflora of experimental mice against the background of experimental dysbiosis. Investigation of factors of nonspecific immunity was carried out after immunization of mice according to the level of antibody formation in blood serum by the method of enzyme immunoassay. The degree of fucosylation of oocytes was assessed by the intensity of their luminescence upon microscopy of oocytes of experimental mice on a fluorescent microscope. Results. The use of fucose in all tested doses led to the restoration of the composition and quantity of the gastrointestinal microflora. For the correction of dysbiosis, the optimal concentration of fucose was 0.02% of the body weight of the experimental animals. Inclusion of fucose in a diet of experimental animals in the amount of 0.008% to the body weight provided the highest level of immune response. The degree of fucosylation of oocytes, the proportion of oocytes capable of fertilization was increased when fucose were introduced in the amount of 0.008% to the body weight of the mice. Conclusion. Bifidogenic and lactogenic activity of fucose is established. The ability of fucose to stimulate an increase in the level of antibodies in in blood serum is shown. The tendency of positive effect of fucose in the diet of mice on the degree of fucosylation of oocytes was revealed.