Epidemiological and molecular investigation of a rubella outbreak, Romania, 2011 to 2012.

We describe a rubella outbreak that occurred in Romania between September 2011 and December 2012. During this period 24,627 rubella cases, 41.1% (n=10,134) of which female, were notified based on clinical criteria, and a total of 6,182 individuals were found serologically positive for IgM-specific rubella antibody.

Differentiation of influenza B lineages from clinical samples by one-step real-time RT-PCR.

Background: Influenza viruses type A and type B are a leading cause of annual epidemics in human populations. Since the 1970s, influenza B viruses have diverged into two antigenically distinct virus lineages called the Yamagata and Victoria lineages. We describe the validation and implementation of a one-step real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) assay that can differentiate between the two genetic lineages of type B.

Single and multipathogen viral infections in hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections.

We aimed to describe the viral etiology of acute respiratory tract infections in children aged 0-8 years admitted to Grigore Alexandrescu Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in Romania. The patients had clinical diagnosis of pneumonia, bronchiolitis or viral respiratory infections and had been hospitalized between September 2010 and September 2011. The study was part of the "Molecular investigations of acute respiratory infections caused by non-influenza viruses, to assess the implications of infant and young child pathology" (2008-2011), a National Project II--42-164 (MIRVI).

Survival of H5N1 influenza virus in water and its inactivation by chemical methods.

The ability of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) to survive in surface water has been assessed in experimental laboratory conditions, based on non-pathogenic avian reassortant model, by titration of infectivity (TCID50) at different time intervals, in three different types of water. The effect of different chemicals on AIV's survival was assessed using the same type of experimental model. After exposure to the chemical, followed by growth on a suitable substrate, the AIV was quantified by a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR).

Spread of measles virus D4-Hamburg, Europe, 2008-2011.

A new strain of measles virus, D4-Hamburg, was imported from London to Hamburg in December 2008 and subsequently spread to Bulgaria, where an outbreak of >24,300 cases was observed. We analyzed spread of the virus to demonstrate the importance of addressing hard-to-reach communities within the World Health Organization European Region regarding access to medical care and vaccination campaigns. The D4-Hamburg strain appeared during 2009-2011 in Poland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland, and Belgium and was repeatedly reimported to Germany.