Genome sequence of equine influenza virus isolated from horses in southeast Kazakhstan in 2020.

An influenza virus strain, A/equine/Almaty/268/2020, was isolated from horses in southeast Kazakhstan in 2020. Here, we present the nearly complete genome sequence of this epidemic strain. This study was aimed at obtaining the complete genome sequence of the isolate.

Interpolymer Complexes Based on Cellulose Ethers: Application.

Interpolymer complexes based on cellulose ethers have gained significant interest in recent years due to their versatile applications. These complexes are formed by combining different polymers through non-covalent interactions, resulting in stable structures. This article provides an overview of the various fields where IPCs based on cellulose ethers find application.

Serological Screening for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Hepatitis E Virus in Camels in Kazakhstan.

After the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pandemic in 2013, more attention has been paid to the camel as an important source of zoonotic viral infections. Almost simultaneously, in 2013, new genotypes 7 and 8 of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) were discovered in dromedary and Bactrian camels, respectively. HEV 7 was further shown to be associated with chronic viral hepatitis in a transplant recipient.

Hepatitis A vaccine versus immune globulin for postexposure prophylaxis.

Background: Hepatitis A vaccine administered to persons after exposure to the hepatitis A virus has not been compared directly with immune globulin, which is known to be highly effective in preventing hepatitis A when given within 2 weeks after exposure to the virus.

Methods: We randomly assigned household and day-care contacts, 2 to 40 years of age, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to receive one standard age-appropriate dose of hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin within 14 days after exposure to patients with hepatitis A. Instances of laboratory-confirmed, symptomatic hepatitis A infection occurring between 15 and 56 days after exposure were then assessed during active follow-up of all susceptible contacts.

Person-to-person transmission of hepatitis A virus in an urban area of intermediate endemicity: implications for vaccination strategies.

Developing countries with an increasing hepatitis A disease burden may target vaccination to specific groups, such as young children, as an initial control strategy. To better understand transmission of hepatitis A virus in such countries, the authors prospectively studied household and day-care/school contacts of cases in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Overall, by the time of identification of symptomatic index cases, half of transmission had already occurred, having been detected retrospectively.