The estimate of the rubella elimination status in the Russian Federation in 2019

In 2002, the WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a Strategic Program for the Prevention of Measles and Congenital Rubella Infections in the European Region, which was revised in 2004. As a result of the revision, an additional target was set to eliminate endemic rubella in the region by 2010. Rubella is a disease that is well controlled by vaccination, which will determine the theoretical possibility of interrupting its global transmission. Since 2013, the Russian Federation has been implementing the National Rubella Elimination Program. Elimination criteria have been revised as the Program progresses. Currently, the main criterion for rubella elimination is the absence of endemic (local) transmission of the virus for at least 36 months, which should be confirmed by molecular genetic research methods. In addition, in the Russian Federation, an incidence rate of less than 1 case per 1 million population is also used as one of the elimination criteria. The successful implementation of the Program is supported by the fact that since 2013, against the background of a high (over 95%) coverage of preventive vaccinations, there has been a decrease in incidence rates and their stabilization at a level of less than 1 per 1 million population since 2014. Genetic monitoring of rubella virus strains circulating among the population showed the termination of endemic transmission of the virus. During the implementation of the Elimination Program, the prevailing genotypes of the virus circulating in Russia were genotypes 1E and 2B, which have a global distribution. The data obtained from the results of molecular genetic monitoring made it possible to determine that the strains isolated during the period under consideration belong to different clusters, which speaks in favour of their imported character. Considering the above factors: high vaccination coverage, low incidence and lack of endemic transmission of the virus, the WHO Committee on verification of measles and rubella elimination in 2017 awarded the Russian Federation the status of a country that has achieved rubella elimination. The continuation of the phase of elimination of infection is confirmed annually. This article presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the rubella elimination status in the Russian Federation by specialists from the National Scientific and Methodological Center for Measles and Rubella and WHO EURO Moscow regional reference laboratory for measles and rubella based on epidemiological data and data from molecular genetic studies in 2019.

Ecological and Genetic Monitoring of a Recently Established Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Population in Wales

ABSTRACT The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) experienced severe declines in Europe over the past centuries, including extirpations from large parts of its range. After Ospreys began naturally recolonizing Wales, United Kingdom (UK), in 2004, the Dyfi Osprey Project initiated an extensive ecological (ringing, satellite tracking, and nest video recordings) and genetic (microsatellite genotyping) monitoring program alongside artificial nest platform construction. From 2004 to 2019 there were 40 reproductive events (i.e., eggs laid in a nest) across six nests, resulting in a total of 95 fledglings and a yearly average of 2.35 ± 0.8 (SD) fledglings per nest-with-eggs. Video recording at one nest documented high hatching success and survival to the fledging and dispersal phases, as well as mate- and nest-fidelity across multiple years. Collectively these breeding parameters suggest high productivity associated with artificial nest structures and limited density-dependent effects for the Welsh population due to its small size and low density at this stage of recovery. Satellite tracking of four migrating individuals revealed that Ospreys used a western European migratory flyway and wintered in sub-Saharan western Africa. Genetic analysis of nestlings from five nests indicated single paternity in all cases, in agreement with evidence of social monogamy. Genetic analysis of geographical outgroups (Scottish, Swedish, and Latvian) provided preliminary evidence of cryptic population structure among UK (Welsh and Scottish) populations. The novel combination of loci show Welsh Osprey retain high levels of variation and more broadly direct reconsideration of the hitherto inferred genetic poverty of the species compared to other raptors. We recommend implementation of similar long-term ecological and genetic monitoring programs for other populations.

On the formation of combined forms of salmonellosis caused by different plasmid types of Salmonella enterica

In the modern period, combined infections occupy an increasingly large niche in the structure of infectious pathology. In studies on this problem, various scientists, both in our country and abroad, consider such forms of the disease, which are mainly formed as a result of interspecific interaction in the human body of bacteria, viruses, viruses and bacteria. However, there is practically no information in the literature about whether it is possible to form combined forms of infections between microorganisms of the same species, but carrying different genetic information. This paper presents an analysis of the results of more than 20 years of microbiological molecular genetic monitoring of the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology of the Somov Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology for the circulation of Salmonella in the regions of the Far East and Siberia. Studies have shown that one patient may have co-infection with different plasmid types of Salmonella. However, the risk of such combinations is relatively small. There is a certain pattern between the level of prevalence of certain plasmid types of Salmonella in the region and their possible combination in one patient. In addition, it was found that variants of superinfection that occur when the patient is in the hospital, due to infection with other plasmid types of Salmonella or other serovars of S. enterica, are not excluded. At the same time, in the process of repeated examinations of the patient in the hospital, it was found that salmonella may lose certain plasmids or, on the contrary, it may have new variants. The reasons for this phenomenon remain unclear.