Nº 6 (2012)

Objective. To study herd immunity against the pathogens of controlled infections (measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus) by the materials of the serum bank and to evaluate the efficiency of mass immunization. Materials and methods. Serum samples from 2028 apparently healthy adults (blood donors) aged 20-50 years or older who lived in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District and from 540 healthy inhabitants of Moscow (a comparison group) were investigated. Test systems for the quantitative and qualitative enzyme-linked immunoassay of IgG to measles, epidemic parotitis, and rubella viruses were used to detect specific antibodies and erythrocyte diagnosticums (RPHA) were employed to assess immunity against diphtheria and tetanus. Results. Assessment of measles immunity ascertained a significant (11.4-31.3%) proportion of seronegative subjects, which was associated with the risk of complications of the measles epidemic situation in case of carriage of the infection pathogen. The rate of herd immunity against rubella and diphtheria was noted to be high. Conclusion. Analysis of immunity against epidemic parotitis virus revealed a very large (36.1-41.8%) number of seronegative subjects in adults of all age groups, which suggests vaccination pitfalls and necessitates further enhancement of the efficiency of mass immunization.

Hepatitis C (HC) remains one of the most important public health problems in many countries worldwide, including in the Russian Federation. The specific features of the epidemiology of this infection are little covered in the current scientific literature. Objective: To assess current trends in the development of an epidemic process of HC on the basis of an analysis of the data of the present time versus the 1990s. Materials and methods. The incidence of acute (AHC) and chronic (CHC) infection in the period 1994 to 2011 was estimated using the records of 198196 AHC cases and 638154 CHC cases. Enzyme immunoassay revealed anti-HCV in 605 patients from hemodialysis units of 5 Saint Petersburg hospitals. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HCV genotypes in 158 samples from CHC patient. Results. The baseline basic epidemiological HC patterns (the rate of AHC is lower than that of acute hepatitis B; very low involvement of children less than 14 years into the epidemic process, the great importance of artificial transmission routes of HC virus, high chronicity rates) has been established to remain at the present time.

N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia The clinical picture of an infectious disease depends on the route of infection. Penetration of an infectious agent through a tropic organ gives rise to a typical clinical picture and the disease has a cyclic course with recovery. Whereas the agent penetrates blood or perinatally, there is a clinical picture of slow infection with a steadily progressive course. The slow infections can include measles-induced subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, tetanus, rabies, HIV infection, herpes encephalitis in neonatal infants, and many other diseases. It is not improbable that all severe cases with a fatal outcome, as well as chronic types of infection and most cases with visceral involvement occur with an artificial infection mode in which an adequate immune response seems to be impossible or difficult.

Objective. To study the nature of biochemical shifts in minimal toxicosis in patients with food toxic infection. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 61 patients aged 18 to 25 years who were diagnosed as having moderate food toxic infection (FTI) with a prevalence of intoxication syndrome. Results. In the patients with FTI, the intoxication syndrome was accompanied by protein and carbohydrate metabolic disturbances during the course of an inpatient observation. The level of albumin decreased in proportion to the lower blood concentration of protein, but it did not drop below 50% of the total protein content. Hypoproteinemia with hypoalbuminemia was attended by adjustment-induced ALT- and GGT-hyperenzymenia. The rise of ALT levels was indicative of the activated process of gluconeogenesis and that of GGT was suggestive of intensive amino acid uptake at the tissue level. This pattern was particularly clearly seen in patients with a blood protein level of below 60 g/l. By keeping in mind this fact, dietary supplementation of beef broths in mild FTI and incorporation of endogenous albumin in severe FTI in the presence of hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia is pathogenetically warranted and advisable. Conclusion. In the context of the adjustment syndrome (after G. Selye), food toxic infection versus other infectious diseases may be considered as minimal toxicosis with characteristic biochemical shifts.

The article gives the results of scientif ic and practical activities of the Epidemiology Departments of Prophylactic Faculties at the universities of the Russian Federation, which are aimed at forming a system for training physicians in the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases. Promises for improving the interaction between sanitary-and-epidemiological establishments and institutions, which are engaged in the prevention of non-communicable diseases among the population, are considered.

The paper presents information on the history of development of the city of Taganrog and the Taganrog port and on the history of formation of a sanitary and quarantine service in the port, called a sanitary and quarantine control type today.