Application of Laser Correlation Spectroscopy for Measuring Virus Size.

Dynamic light scattering method or laser correlation spectroscopy was applied to evaluation of the size of viruses. We measured correlation functions of the light scattered by human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and hepatitis A viruses (HAV) and found that size of HIV-1 (subtype A and B) and HAV virions were 104 nm and 28 nm, respectively. Comparison of these findings with electron microscopy data for fixed samples of the same viruses showed good agreement of the results.

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.

Study of Antiherpetic Efficiency of Phosphite of Acycloguanosine Ableto Over come the Barrier of Resistance to Acyclovir.

As has been shown previously, phosphite of acycloguanosine (Hp-ACG) exhibits equal efficacy against ACV-sensitive and ACV-resistant HSV-1 strains in cell culture. Intraperitoneal administration of Hp-ACG to model mice with herpetic encephalitis caused by HSV-1 infection was shown to be effective in protecting against death. In the present work, we continue the study of the antiviral efficiency of Hp-ACG against HSV administered non-invasively; namely in vivo, orally and in the form of ointment formulations.

Intravirion cohesion of matrix protein M1 with ribonucleocapsid is a prerequisite of influenza virus infectivity.

Influenza virus has two major structural modules, an external lipid envelope and an internal ribonucleocapsid containing the genomic RNA in the form of the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, both of which are interlinked by the matrix protein M1. Here we studied M1-RNP cohesion within virus exposed to acidic pH in vitro. The effect of acidification was dependent on the cleavage of the surface glycoprotein HA.

Development of pan-phlebovirus RT-PCR assay.

This study reports the pan-phlebovirus assay capable of detecting both sandfly/mosquito- and tick-borne phleboviruses. Sensitivity and specificity of the assay was verified using a panel of arboviruses. The RT-PCR assay is simple and sensitive, and thus well suited for screening of field samples.

Virus susceptibility and clinical effectiveness of anti-influenza drugs during the 2010-2011 influenza season in Russia.

Background: Antiviral drugs are critical adjuncts to influenza vaccination. This study determined the in vitro susceptibilities of influenza A and B viruses isolated in the 2010-2011 season in Russia to the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir and the hemagglutinin fusion inhibitor umifenovir and clinical efficacy of this antiviral drugs in this season.

Methods: The antiviral potency of these drugs against A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in mice was assessed.

[The 2015-2016 epidemic season in Russia and the world: Circulation of influenza viruses, trends in incidence, clinical aspects, and treatment algorithm].

In the 2015-2016 epidemic season, there were dominant influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strains (over 90%) among the circulating influenza viruses in most countries of the Northern Hemisphere and in Russia. A study of the antigenic properties of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strains revealed no differences in those of vaccine virus. Sequencing showed that there were amino acid substitutions in hemagglutinin (receptor binding and Sa sites) and in the genes encoding internal proteins (PA, NP, M1, and NS1).

Reorganization and expansion of the nidoviral family Arteriviridae.

The family Arteriviridae presently includes a single genus Arterivirus. This genus includes four species as the taxonomic homes for equine arteritis virus (EAV), lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV), porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), and simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), respectively. A revision of this classification is urgently needed to accommodate the recent description of eleven highly divergent simian arteriviruses in diverse African nonhuman primates, one novel arterivirus in an African forest giant pouched rat, and a novel arterivirus in common brushtails in New Zealand.

Pleiotropic effects of amino acid substitutions in H5 hemagglutinin of influenza A escape mutants.

We believe that the monitoring of pleiotropic effects of the hemagglutinin (HA) mutations found in H5 escape mutants is essential for accurate prediction of mutants with pandemic potential. In the present study, we assessed multiple characteristics of antibody-selected HA mutations. We examined the pH optimum of fusion, HA heat inactivation, affinity to sialyl receptors, and in vitro and in vivo replication kinetics of various influenza H5 escape mutants.

The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN): a new platform to describe the epidemiology of severe influenza.

Background: Influenza is a global public health problem. However, severe influenza only recently has been addressed in routine surveillance.

Objectives: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) was established to study the epidemiology of severe influenza in consecutive seasons in different countries.

Historical Outbreaks of Simian Hemorrhagic Fever in Captive Macaques Were Caused by Distinct Arteriviruses.

Simian hemorrhagic fever (SHF) is lethal for macaques. Based on clinical presentation and serological diagnosis, all reported SHF outbreaks were thought to be caused by different strains of the same virus, simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV; Arteriviridae). Here we show that the SHF outbreaks in Sukhumi in 1964 and in Alamogordo in 1989 were caused not by SHFV but by two novel divergent arteriviruses.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from a Rock Dove (Columba livia) in the Russian Federation.

We report here the complete genome sequence of a Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolate, NDV/Altai/pigeon/770/2011, isolated from a rock dove in the Russian Federation. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, this strain was clustered into genotype VIb class II.

Genome Sequences of Simian Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Variant NIH LVR42-0/M6941 Isolates (Arteriviridae: Arterivirus).

Simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) variant NIH LVR42-0/M6941 is the only remaining SHFV in culture, and only a single genome sequence record exists in GenBank/RefSeq. We compared the genomic sequence of NIH LVR42-0/M6941 acquired from the ATCC in 2011 to NIH LVR42-0/M6941 genomes sequenced directly from nonhuman primates experimentally infected in 1989.

2012-2013 Seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza hospitalizations: results from the global influenza hospital surveillance network.

Background: The effectiveness of currently licensed vaccines against influenza has not been clearly established, especially among individuals at increased risk for complications from influenza. We used a test-negative approach to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against hospitalization with laboratory-confirmed influenza based on data collected from the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN).

Methods And Findings: This was a multi-center, prospective, active surveillance, hospital-based epidemiological study during the 2012-2013 influenza season.

Detection and quantification of human herpes viruses types 4-6 in sperm samples of patients with fertility disorders and chronic inflammatory urogenital tract diseases.

Acute and chronic infections of the seminal tract are among the most common causes of male infertility. As at least half of male infertility cases are classified as idiopathic, some of these cases might be attributed to asymptomatic infection. The detection and quantification of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) DNA in semen samples were performed.

Fusion to the Lysosome Targeting Signal of the Invariant Chain Alters the Processing and Enhances the Immunogenicity of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase.

Intracellular processing of the antigen encoded by a DNA vaccine is one of the key steps in generating an immune response. Immunization with DNA constructs targeted to the endosomal-lysosomal compartments and to the MHC class II pathway can elicit a strong immune response. Herein, the weakly immunogenic reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 was fused to the minimal lysosomal targeting motif of the human MHC class II invariant chain.

Evaluation of immune response and protective effect of four vaccines against the tick-borne encephalitis virus.

Among three main subtypes of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), the Siberian subtype is currently dominant in a majority of the endemic regions of Russia. However, inactivated vaccines are based on TBEV strains of the heterologous Far Eastern or the European subtypes isolated 40-77 years ago. To analyze the efficacy of the available vaccines against currently prevailing TBEV isolates of the Siberian subtype, mice were immunized subcutaneously three times (one group per each vaccine).

Location and architecture of an antibody-binding site of influenza A virus nucleoprotein.

Amino acid positions recognized by monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) in the influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP) have been reported. As these residues were scattered in the three-dimensional (3D) structure of NP, no patterns of the architecture of antibody-binding sites could be inferred. Here, we used site-specific mutagenesis and ELISA to screen the amino acids surrounding position 470 recognized by the MAb 3/1 as a linear epitope.

Pleiotropic effects of hemagglutinin amino acid substitutions of H5 influenza escape mutants.

In the present study we assessed pleiotropic characteristics of the antibody-selected mutations. We examined pH optimum of fusion, temperatures of HA heat inactivation, and in vitro and in vivo replication kinetics of the previously obtained influenza H5 escape mutants. Our results showed that HA1 N142K mutation significantly lowered the pH of fusion optimum.

Influenza A virus proteins NS1 and hemagglutinin along with M2 are involved in stimulation of autophagy in infected cells.

The NS1 protein of influenza A virus is known to downregulate apoptosis early in infection in order to support virus replication (O. P. Zhirnov, T.

INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE IN RUSSIA BASED ON EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND LABORATORY DATA FOR THE PERIOD FROM 2005 TO 2012.

Exchange of information on and sharing of influenza viruses through the GISRS network has great significance for understanding influenza virus evolution, recognition of a new pandemic virus emergence and for preparing annual WHO recommendations on influenza vaccine strain composition. Influenza surveillance in Russia is based on collaboration of two NICs with 59 Regional Bases. Most epidemiological and laboratory data are entered through the internet into the electronic database at the Research Institute of Influenza (RII), where they are analyzed and then reported to the Ministry of Public Health of Russia.

New adamantane derivatives can overcome resistance of influenza A(H1N1)pdm2009 and A(H3N2) viruses to remantadine.

New adamantane derivatives with amino acid residues and other bifunctional compounds were synthesized and their antiviral activity towards influenza A(H1N1)pdm and A(H3N2) viruses was studied. Some of these adamantane derivatives completely suppressed replication of remantadine-resistant influenza A virus strains.

Contamination of cell cultures with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV).

The incidence of contamination of cell strains used in biological and virological studies and of fetal calf sera (FCS) manufactured by Russian and foreign companies used for cell culturing with noncytocidal bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV; Pestivirus, Flaviviridae) was analyzed. The virus was detected by reverse transcription PCR and indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to BVDV virion envelope glycoprotein in 25% of 117 cell strains and 45% of 35 tested FCS lots. The virus multiplied and persisted in a wide spectrum of human cell strains and in monkey, swine, sheep, rabbit, dog, cat, and other animal cells.

Antiviral activity of Inonotus obliquus fungus extract towards infection caused by hepatitis C virus in cell cultures.

Fractions of Inonotus obliquus fungus water extract exhibited a virucidal effect towards hepatitis C virus: it 100-fold reduced its infective properties within 10 min. The antiviral effects of fungus extracts manifested after preventive (24 h before infection) and therapeutic use (during infection of porcine embryo kidney cells). Moreover, the data indicate that the birch fungus extracts inhibit production of infective virus by porcine embryo kidney cells.