Associating Land Cover Changes with Patterns of Incidences of Climate-Sensitive Infections: An Example on Tick-Borne Diseases in the Nordic Area.

Some of the climate-sensitive infections (CSIs) affecting humans are zoonotic vector-borne diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis (BOR) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), mostly linked to various species of ticks as vectors. Due to climate change, the geographical distribution of tick species, their hosts, and the prevalence of pathogens are likely to change. A recent increase in human incidences of these CSIs in the Nordic regions might indicate an expansion of the range of ticks and hosts, with vegetation changes acting as potential predictors linked to habitat suitability.

Lethal Outcome of Leptospirosis in Southern Russia: Characterization of Isolated from a Deсeased Teenager.

This article describes a lethal case of leptospirosis that occurred in Southern Russia. The strain was isolated and characterized using a microscopic agglutination test, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, targeted PCR, and high-throughput sequencing. We show that molecular and mass-spectrometry methods can be an alternative to conventional methods of leptospirosis diagnostics and study, which require highly qualified staff and can be performed only at specialized laboratories.

Coxiella burnetii in ticks and wild birds.

Unlabelled: The study objective was to get more information on C. burnetii prevalence in wild birds and ticks feeding on them, and the potentialities of the pathogen dissemination over Europe by both.

Materials: Blood, blood sera, feces of wild birds and ticks removed from those birds or from vegetation were studied at two sites in Russia: the Curonian Spit (site KK), and the vicinity of St.

Migratory birds along the Mediterranean - Black Sea Flyway as carriers of zoonotic pathogens.

At the crossroad between Europe, Asia, and Africa, Bulgaria is part of the Mediterranean - Black Sea Flyway (MBSF) used by millions of migratory birds. In this study, bird species migrating through Bulgaria were investigated as carriers of zoonotic pathogens. In total, 706 birds belonging to 46 species were checked for the presence of various bacterial pathogens (Campylobacter, Yersinia, Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Brucella spp.

Draft Genome Sequence of Historical Strain Leningrad-2, Isolated from Blood of a Patient with Acute Q Fever in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

This is the announcement of a draft genome sequence of strain Leningrad-2, phase I. The strain, which is mildly virulent in infected guinea pigs, was isolated in 1957 from the blood of a patient with acute Q fever in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia.

Molecular Markers of Pesticide Resistance and Pathogens in Human Head Lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) From Rural Georgia, USA.

Although the head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, and body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus L., both have a worldwide distribution, the occurrence of head louse pediculosis appears to be more prevalent in modern societies despite systematic use of various pediculicides. This study tested head lice collected in rural Georgia and body lice collected in Russia for the prevalence of a kdr-biomarker that is associated with permethrin resistance.

Impact of air temperature variation on the ixodid ticks habitat and tick-borne encephalitis incidence in the Russian Arctic: the case of the Komi Republic.

Background: The causes of the recent rise of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence in Europe are discussed. Our objective was to estimate the impact of air temperature change on TBE incidence in the European part of the Russian Arctic.

Methods: We analysed the TBE incidence in the Komi Republic (RK) over a 42-year period in relation to changes in local annual average air temperature, air temperature during the season of tick activity, tick abundance, TBE-prevalence in ticks, tick-bite incidence rate, and normalised difference vegetation index within the area under study.

[IDENTIFICATION OF LEPTOSPIRA SEROVARS BY MALDI-TOF MASS-SPEC- TROMETRY].

Aim: An attempt to use MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry method for identification of lep- tospiral isolates on the serovar level.

Materials And Methods: 8 reference Leptospira spp. and 11 leptospira strains isolated from leptospiral patients and infected animals in the North-Western region of Russia were included into the study.

[COMPARISON OF DIAGNOSTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF METHODS OF DETECTION OF COXIELLA BURNETII IN BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH Q FEVER BASED ON AMPLIFI- CATION OF 16S rRNA GENE FRAGMENTS (STANDARD PCR) AND groEL GENE (REAL- TIME PCR)].

Aim: Comparison of diagnostic capabilities of 2 variants of PCR for detection of Coxiella burneli persistence in dynamics of infectious process in patients with Q fever.

Materials And Methods: 110 samples of clinical material, obtained from patients with Q fever in an endemic region for this infection (Astrakhan region), were studied. The samples were studied in a standard PCR (marker - 16S rRNA gene fragment) and in real-time.

[TYPING OF LEPTOSPIRA SPP. STRAINS BASED ON 16S rRNA].

Aim: Comparative typing of Leptospira spp. strain collection based on analysis of 16S RNA fragment.

Materials And Methods: 2 pairs of primers were used for PCR, that jointly flank 1423b.

[MALDI-TOF MASS-SPECTROMETRIC ANAIYSIS OF LEPTOSPIRA SPP. USED IN SERODIAGNOSTICS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS].

Aim: Creation of a classification model of Leptospira spp. serovar model using ClinProTools 3.0 software and evaluation of use of MALDI-TOF MS as a method of quality control of reference strains of leptospira.

[PRODUCTION OF CERTAIN PRO- AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES DURING STIMULATION BY LIVE AND INACTIVATED LEPTOSPIRA PATHOGENS IN THE MODEL OF HUMAN WHOLE BLOOD].

Aim: Study of the ability of clinical isolates of leptospira to cause production of certain pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines in the model of human whole blood.

Materials And Methods: Leptospira interrogans strain was taken for the experiment. Cytokine content was determined by a method based on xMAP technology using a standard panel, composed of 9 analytes: TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-IRa, IL- 12 (p70), IFN-γ.

[Content of some pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood sera of leptospirosis patients].

Aim: Study the content of some pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood sera of leptospirosis patients in dynamics of infectious process and the role of these cytokines in the disease immunopathogenesis.

Materials And Methods: The content of cytokines in blood sera was determined by a method based on xMAP technology with a standard panel consisting of 9 analytes: TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1Ra, IL-12 (p70), IFN-γ.

Results: A significantly increased level of IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α was confirmed and the increased content of MCP-1 in leptospirosis patients compared with practically healthy donors was established for the first time.

Climate change and zoonotic infections in the Russian Arctic.

Climate change in the Russian Arctic is more pronounced than in any other part of the country. Between 1955 and 2000, the annual average air temperature in the Russian North increased by 1.2°C.

[Development of PCR test system based on colA gene for detection of leptospirae in clinical material].

Aim: Development of primers for the detection of leptospirae in clinical material including urine.

Materials And Methods: Study of specificity and sensitivity of primers complementary to colA gene in standard PCR by using DNA preparation of cultures of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospirae, biological materials from healthy humans and dogs, including contaminated with pathogenic leptospirae culture.

Results: Specific interaction of these primers with DNA of pathogenic leptospirae of 14 serogroups was established.

The impact of climate change on the expansion of Ixodes persulcatus habitat and the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis in the north of European Russia.

Background: The increase in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence is observed in recent decades in a number of subarctic countries. The reasons of it are widely discussed in scientific publications. The objective of this study was to understand if the climate change in Arkhangelsk Oblast (AO) situated in the north of European subarctic zone of Russia has real impact on the northward expansion of Ixodid ticks and stipulates the increase in TBE incidence.

Interspecific polymorphism of gene lipL32 restriction profiles of pathogenic leptospires.

We analyzed restriction fragment length polymorphism of lipL32 gene encoding outer membrane protein in three Leptospira genomic species (L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and L.

[Improvement of method of Coxiella burnetii detection in biological material based on groEL gene amplification].

Aim: Improvement of PCR for detection of Coxiella burnetii in field material by development of set of primers for amplification of groEL gene fragment.

Materials And Methods: C. burnetii strains, samples from organs of wild rodents and laboratory animals, blood of healthy donors and laboratory animals.

Study of heterogeneity of Coxiella burnettii strains by analysis of groEL gene restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism was used for evaluation of genetic heterogeneity of Coxiella burnettii strains. A 594-b. p.

[RAMS academician I. V. Tarasevich is a leader of development of combined inactivated vaccine against Q-fever].

Short information about significance of Q-fever in human pathology is represented. Necessity of vaccination is proved. The row of vaccines, developed in Czechoslovakia and Romania and identified as small-effective, was considered.

Detection and identification of bacterial agents in Ixodes persulcatus Schulze ticks from the north western region of Russia.

Ixodes persulcatus Schultze ticks are traditionally associated with transmission of Lyme disease, babesiosis, and tick-borne encephalitis. Here we compared the prevalence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, and rickettsial and ehrlichial agents in I. persulcatus ticks collected in different locations of the North Western administrative region of Russia.

[Secondary leptospirosis].

The author describes cases of secondary leptospirosis. Secondary infection with leptospiras occurred in patients with concomitant pathology. In connection with occupational activity or life-style the patients got infected from Rattus norvegicus.

Prevalence of bacterial agents in Ixodes persulcatus ticks from the Vologda Province of Russia.

The prevalence of rickettsiae, ehrlichiae, and the rickettsia-like endosymbiont called Montezuma relative to that of Borrelia was determined in questing Ixodes persulcatus (I. persulcatus) ticks collected in 2002-2003 from Vologda Province, Russia. Ehrlichia muris, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Montezuma, and new spotted fever group rickettsiae were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the first time in this area.