Assessing the Intense Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Epidemic and Vaccine Effectiveness in the Post-COVID Season in the Russian Federation.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on influenza activity worldwide. However, as the pandemic progressed, influenza activity resumed. Here, we describe the influenza epidemic of high intensity of the 2022-2023 season.

An Early SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Outbreak in a Dormitory in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread worldwide in late 2021-early 2022, displacing the previously prevalent Delta variant. Before 16 December 2021, community transmission had already been observed in tens of countries globally. However, in Russia, the majority of reported cases at that time had been sporadic and associated with travel.

Results from the second WHO external quality assessment for the molecular detection of respiratory syncytial virus, 2019-2020.

Background: External quality assessments (EQAs) for the molecular detection of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are necessary to ensure the standardisation of reliable results. The Phase II, 2019-2020 World Health Organization (WHO) RSV EQA included 28 laboratories in 26 countries. The EQA panel evaluated performance in the molecular detection and subtyping of RSV-A and RSV-B.

Resurgence of Influenza Circulation in the Russian Federation during the Delta and Omicron COVID-19 Era.

Influenza circulation was substantially reduced after March 2020 in the European region and globally due to the wide introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID-19. The virus, however, has been actively circulating in natural reservoirs. In summer 2021, NPIs were loosened in Russia, and influenza activity resumed shortly thereafter.

Age-Specific Etiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections and Influenza Vaccine Effectivity in Prevention of Hospitalization in Russia, 2018-2019 Season.

The expansion and standardization of clinical trials, as well as the use of sensitive and specific molecular diagnostics methods, provide new information on the age-specific roles of influenza and other respiratory viruses in development of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Here, we present the results of the multicenter hospital-based study aimed to detect age-specific impact of influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORV). The 2018-2019 influenza season in Russia was characterized by co-circulation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) virus subtypes which were detected among hospitalized patients with SARI in 19.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus G Protein Sequence Variability among Isolates from St. Petersburg, Russia, during the 2013-2014 Epidemic Season.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children. It is actively evolving under environmental and herd immunity influences. This work presents, for the first time, sequence variability analysis of RSV G gene and G protein using St.

Freshwater transport between the Kara, Laptev, and East-Siberian seas.

The Kara and Laptev seas receive about one half of total freshwater runoff to the Arctic Ocean from the Ob, Yenisei, and Lena rivers. Discharges of these large rivers form freshened surface water masses over wide areas in these seas. These water masses, i.

Results from the WHO external quality assessment for the respiratory syncytial virus pilot, 2016-17.

Background: External quality assessments (EQAs) for the molecular detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are necessary to ensure the provision of reliable and accurate results. One of the objectives of the pilot of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global RSV Surveillance, 2016-2017, was to evaluate and standardize RSV molecular tests used by participating countries. This paper describes the first WHO RSV EQA for the molecular detection of RSV.

[Complications of the acute scrotum syndrome in children].

Aim: To establish causes of complications and repeated surgical procedures in patients with acute scrotal pathology during the short- and long-term follow-up.

Materials And Methods: The treatment results of 3315 patients aged 0 to 18 years with various forms of acute scrotal pathology were analyzed.

Results: A total of 43 complications were documented, 32 of them required surgical intervention.

Human respiratory syncytial virus and influenza seasonality patterns-Early findings from the WHO global respiratory syncytial virus surveillance.

Background: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes illnesses among all age groups and presents a burden to healthcare services. To better understand the epidemiology and seasonality of RSV in different geographical areas, the World Health Organization (WHO) coordinated a pilot initiative to access the feasibility of establishing RSV surveillance using the existing Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) platform.

Objectives: To describe and compare RSV and influenza seasonality in countries in the northern andsouthern temperate, and tropics during the period January 2017 to April 2019.

Safety and immunogenicity of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in adults 60 years of age and older: a phase II, a randomized, comparative trial in Kazakhstan.

Background: The study was aimed at comparative evaluation of seasonal influenza vaccine RIBSP versus commercial vaccine VAXIGRIP® for immunogenicity and safety in the course of clinical trial phase II on healthy subjects up to 60 years.

Methods: The trial involved 150 subjects in randomized 2:1 groups that received either RIBSP vaccine or comparator vaccine VAXIGRIP®. One dose (0.

Long-Term Maintenance of the Functional Changes Induced by Influenza A Virus and/or LPS in Human Endothelial ECV-304 Cell Sublines.

Influenza A virus and secondary bacterial infection may have remote effects in the form of cardiovascular complications or fibrosis in different organs. However, the mechanisms governing the development of complications remain poorly studied. The present work reports the comparative assessment of the functional changes which take place in human ECV-304 endothelial cell sublines obtained previously by the long-term culturing of cells after exposure to varying infectious doses (IDs) of influenza A virus, and/or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

[Etiological structure of influenza and other ARVI in St. Petersburg during epidemic seasons 2012-2016.].

The etiological structure of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections including their rate of incidence in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region during 4 epidemic seasons has been studied. Seasonality of some respiratory viruses was shown and peaks of circulation of RSV, adenovirus, parainfluenza viruses, rhinovirus, bocavirus, metapneumovirus and coronavirus were marked.

Rationale for vaccination with trivalent or quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccines: Protective vaccine efficacy in the ferret model.

Background And Aim: The majority of seasonal influenza vaccines are trivalent, containing two A virus strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and one B virus strain. The co-circulation of two distinct lineages of B viruses can lead to mismatch between the influenza B virus strain recommended for the trivalent seasonal vaccine and the circulating B virus. This has led some manufacturers to produce quadrivalent influenza vaccines containing one strain from each B lineage in addition to H1N1 and H3N2 strains.

Two Live Attenuated Vaccines against Recent Low⁻and Highly Pathogenic H7N9 Influenza Viruses Are Safe and Immunogenic in Ferrets.

Influenza H7N9 virus is a potentially pandemic subtype to which most people are immunologically naïve. To be better prepared for the potential occurrence of an H7N9 pandemic, in 2017 the World Health Organization recommended developing candidate vaccine viruses from two new H7N9 viruses, A/Guangdong/17SF003/2016 (A/GD) and A/Hong Kong/125/2017 (A/HK). This report describes the development of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) candidates against A/GD and A/HK viruses and study of their safety and immunogenicity in the ferret model in order to choose the most promising one for a phase I clinical trial.

Cross-Protective Efficacy of Monovalent Live Influenza B Vaccines against Genetically Different Lineages of B/Victoria and B/Yamagata in Ferrets.

Background: Currently, two genetic lineages of influenza B virus, B/Victoria and B/Yamagata, are cocirculating in humans in various countries. This situation has raised a question regarding the possibility of cross-protection between B components of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) belonging to different lineages. This study aimed to assess in naïve ferrets the potential protective activity of monovalent B-LAIVs against challenge with homologous and heterologous wild-type (WT) influenza B viruses.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF ADENOVIRUSES CIRCULATING AMONG THE MILITARY IN THE NORTH-WEST REGION.

The contribution of adenovirus (AV) infections to the overall structure of acute viral respiratory infections among young people of draft age can reach as high as 64.6%. Wide dissemination, the incidence of AV-associated pneumonias and lethal outcomes in the case of some complicated infections illustrate the urgency of studying the antigenic diversity of AVs circulating among the military.

GENETIC AND ANTIGENIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS STRAINS ISOLATED IN ST. PETERSBURG IN 2013-2016.

Antigenic and genetic characteristics of Russian RSV isolates are presented for the first time. Of the 69 strains isolated in St. Petersburg, 93% belonged to the RSV-A antigenic group.

Targeting an Oncolytic Influenza A Virus to Tumor Tissue by Elastase.

Oncolytic viruses are currently established as a novel type of immunotherapy. The challenge is to safely target oncolytic viruses to tumors. Previously, we have generated influenza A viruses (IAVs) containing deletions in the viral interferon antagonist.

Genetic characterization of influenza viruses from influenza-related hospital admissions in the St. Petersburg and Valencia sites of the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network during the 2013/14 influenza season.

Background: Continuous surveillance for genetic changes in circulating influenza viruses is needed to guide influenza prevention and control.

Objectives: To compare intra-seasonal influenza genetic diversity of hemagglutinin in influenza A strains isolated from influenza hospital admissions collected at two distinct sites during the same season.

Study Design: Comparative phylogenetic analysis of full-length hemagglutinin genes from 77 isolated influenza A viruses from the St.

[THE APPLICATION OF DOT-TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTING ANTIGENS OF ADENOVIRUS IN CLINICAL SAMPLES].

The article substantiates possibility of application of point enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-technique) for detecting viral antigens in samples from patients. To diagnose adenovirus infection conjugate of virus-specific monoclonal antibodies and peroxidase of horse-radish were used The chromatographic rectification of conjugate from free peroxidase permits diminishing background coloring of nitrocellulose membrane and therefore to increase sensitivity. The application of direct conjugates on the basis of virus-specific monoclonal antibodies increases specifcity of dot-technique and significantly shortens time period of analysis.

Epidemiology of Hospital Admissions with Influenza during the 2013/2014 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season: Results from the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network.

Background: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network was established in 2012 to obtain valid epidemiologic data on hospital admissions with influenza-like illness. Here we describe the epidemiology of admissions with influenza within the Northern Hemisphere sites during the 2013/2014 influenza season, identify risk factors for severe outcomes and complications, and assess the impact of different influenza viruses on clinically relevant outcomes in at-risk populations.

Methods: Eligible consecutive admissions were screened for inclusion at 19 hospitals in Russia, Turkey, China, and Spain using a prospective, active surveillance approach.

[THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EFFECTIVENESS OF QUICK TESTS IN DIAGNOSTIC OF INFLUENZA AND RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRAL INFECTION IN CHILDREN].

The analysis was implemented concerning diagnostic parameters of commercial quick tests (immune chromatographic tests BinaxNOW Influenza A&B and BinaxNow RSV Alere, Scarborough Inc., USA) under detection of antigens of influenza virus A and respiratory syncytial virus in clinical materials. The polymerase chain reaction in real-time and isolation ofviruses in cell cultures.

Rapid spread of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses with a new set of specific mutations in the internal genes in the beginning of 2015/2016 epidemic season in Moscow and Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation).

A dramatic increase of influenza activity in Russia since week 3 of 2016 significantly differs from previous seasons in terms of the incidence of influenza and acute respiratory infection (ARI) and in number of lethal cases. We performed antigenic analysis of 108 and whole-genome sequencing of 77 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Most of the viruses were antigenically related to the vaccine strain.