The coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) was announced by WHO in February 2020. In Moscow, the first case of the disease was detected on March 2, 2020 in a man who arrived from Italy. Two weeks after the first case, there was an exponential increase in the number of cases. The incidence peaked in the 19th week of the year, followed by a steady decline, lasting 16 weeks. Objective. To investigate the level and structure of population immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus among the population of Moscow against the background of the incidence of COVID-19. Patients and methods. The study of population immunity of Moscow residents to SARS-CoV-2 was carried out in the period from July 1, 2020 to July 30, 2020 against the background of stabilization of the incidence rate. The work was conducted as part of the first stage of the Rospotrebnadzor project to assess population immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus among the population of the Russian Federation, taking into account the protocol recommended by WHO. Volunteers for the study were selected by the method of questioning and randomization. The results of the survey of 2688 people were included in the analysis. The number of volunteers in all age groups was 384–385 people. The content of specific IgG to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assya using a kit produced by FBIS SRCAMB according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results. During the survey of volunteers it was found that the share of seroprevalent residents of Moscow was 22.1%. By age groups, the highest proportion of seroprevalent was found among children aged 14–17 years (44.6%), the lowest (15.9%) – among people aged 18–29 years. Seroprevalence had no gender differences. The lowest level of herd immunity was revealed in the North-Western Administrative District (16.8%), the highest – in the South-Eastern Administrative District, as well as in the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky Administrative Districts of Moscow (in both, 24.1%). The smallest number of seropositive persons was among cultural workers (5.8%), the largest – among medical workers (27.0%). In the presence of contacts with patients with COVID-19, the probability of seroconversion increases by 1.5 times, and among convalescing persons COVID-19 antibodies were detected in 60.0% of cases. The proportion of people with asymptomatic infection among seropositive residents was 82.4%. Conclusion. The results obtained make it possible to characterize the population immunity of Moscow residents and are essential for the planning and implementation of anti-epidemic measures during the incidence of COVID-19. Key words: coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2, seroprevalence, population, COVID-19

Pertussis infection remains a high-priority issue both for Russian health care and abroad. A rise of pertussis incidence in various human age groups instigates a search for new ways to fight this infection and improve methods for its laboratory diagnostics. By taking into consideration a short-term effect induced by acellular and whole-cell vaccines, a feasibility of introducing the second or even the third pertussis revaccination is vigorously debated. Objective of the study was to analyze the experience and effectiveness of acellular pertussis vaccines in countries, which use the second and third pertussis revaccination in the National Immunization Schedule in order to have an insight into adjusting strategy and tactics of pertussis immunization In Russia. Analyzing pertussis prevalence demonstrated that despite a wide immunization coverage pertussis incidence in the last years (2008–2015) was increased in a large number of countries in the European region, as well as inAustralia,CanadaandUSA. However, the reasons for elevated pertussis incidence have not been clarified yet. On one hand, it may be accounted for by low vaccination coverage in adolescents and adults; weakened immune protection after vaccination; genetic changes in Bordetella pertussis; shortened durability of protective immunity in children vaccinated with acellular vs. whole-cell vaccine; improved monitoring and morbidity reporting, as well as improved laboratory diagnostics due to shifting from serological and bacteriological to molecular genetic assays. In an attempt to solve this issue, researchers from several countries collaborate to discuss and develop a strategy to reduce pertussis incidence. ForRussia, the most important is to empower and/or improve existing infant immunization strategy in order to provide wide coverage with the four dose pertussis vaccine for decreasing the risk of pertussis morbidity and mortality. It is worth noting the “cocoon” strategy given the high risk of pertussis infection in children of the first months of life. We believe that forRussiait is worth investigating an opportunity of using children 2–3 months of life an acellular vaccine as the first vaccination, which is expected to increase the coverage of this cohort and allow to increase proportion of children who might complete vaccination by 5 months of age. At the same time, more reasonable might be to preserve a number of age groups for pertussis vaccination in the current National Immunization Schedule, as expanding age limits for vaccination might put a risk at increasing pertussis morbidity in older individuals, which could be hard to diagnose.

Резюме. Цель исследования: оценка эффективности применения молекулярно-генетической диагностики при обследовании контактных лиц в очагах коклюшной инфекции. Материалы и методы. Под наблюдением находилось 4930 человек из 8 общеобразовательных учреждений г. Москвы и Московской области в период с 2012 по 2015 гг. Изучено 430 проб клинического материала. В исследование были включены учащиеся 1-9, 11 классов и работники образования различных категорий. Исследования проводили согласно методическим рекомендациям МР 3.1.2.0072-13. Экстракцию ДНК B. pertussis из исследуемых образцов проводили с помощью тест-системы «АмплиПрайм ® ДНК-сорб-АМ». Выявление специфических фрагментов генома возбудителя коклюша осуществляли методом ПЦР-РТ с помощью тест-системы «Амп лиСенс ® Bordetella multi-FL» и методом ПЦР при изотермальных условиях с оригинальной комбинацией праймеров. Результаты. Из обследуемых контактных лиц в очагах коклюшной инфекции в 80,9% были дети и 19,1%-взрослые. В трех из восьми образовательных учреждений ранее были выявлены случаи коклюша у 7 детей в возрасте 7, 9, 11 и 15 лет. Диагноз коклюша у них был подтвержден в одном случае с помощью бактериологического метода и в шести случаяхс помощью серологических методов (ИФА и РНГА). Обнаружено 33 положительных ДНК-образца (7,7% от общего числа проб). ДНК-положительные образцы выделены от 18 учащихся и 15 работников образовательных учреждений. Среди учащихся положительные образцы в основном обнаружены у учеников 4-х классов в возрасте 10-11 лет. Среди работников образовательных учреждений ДНК-положительные образцы в большинстве (33,3%) случаев выделены от педагогов, а также от медицинского персонала и работников столовой. В двух очагах, где ранее были установлены источники инфекции, обнаружено 15 ДНК-положительных образцов, при этом у троих обследованных с ДНК-позитивными пробами наблюдались клинические проявления. В тех оча-Адрес для переписки:

Objective. With the increase in vaccination coverage of the child population began the process of ousting children determining the incidence of measles in the country and by 2004, the children ceased to play a leading role in maintaining the epidemic process of measles. The definition of significance in the epidemic process of measles individuals of different age, including children in the first year of life, was the purpose of the work. Material and methods. Measles cases in different age groups were analyzed for the period 2003 - 2015 in the Russian Federation. 1799 cases of measles in children under 1 year were investigated. The ELISA method were examined the sera of children up to 1 year in 2002 - 22 sampls, 2016 - 31 sampls. Results. Analysis of the incidence of measles in different age groups conducted since the beginning of the program of measles elimination in Russia to date (2003 - 2015), showed that with the increase in the level of the immune stratum, the incidence of measles inculcated among the population declined markedly and even in the boom years (2012 - 2014) intensive morbidity rates of children aged 3 - 6 years, adolescents and adults averages ranged from 3.0 to 4.0 per 100 thousand of the appropriate age. The exception was children first year of life and children aged 1 - 2 years, of intense the incidence of which was several times higher (in average, respectively, was 22.0 and 19.0). If the vast majority of affected children aged 1 - 2 years had been vaccinated against measles, for various reasons, the children of the first year of life, according to the immunization calendar, the vaccination could not be. Conclusion. Detailed analysis showed that the incidence of measles in the country determined by the adult population. Comparison of incidence and state of specific immunity to measles virus in children the first year of life suggests that their involvement in the epidemic process of measles is not determinative. Changing the proportion of affected children of this age are directly linked with fluctuations in the long-term dynamics of the overall incidence of measles in the country, and high, compared with other age groups, the intensive indicator of disease is not due to a large numerical composition of this age group.

A pandemic of the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (hereinafter referred to as COVID-19) was announced by WHO in February 2020. In the Moscow Region (MR), the first case of the disease was detected on March 7, 2020 in a woman who arrived from Switzerland. Four weeks later, a rapid rise began, the peak of which fell on the 20th week (May 11, 2020 – May 17, 2020), which was replaced by a gradual steady decline that lasted for 13 weeks. Objective. To determine the level and structure of population immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus among the population of the Moscow Region between June 22, 2020 and July 11, 2020. Patients and methods. A serological study of seroprevalence among residents of MR to COVID-19 was carried out from June 22, 2020 till July 11, 2020 during the period of a steady decline in the incidence. The work was conducted as part of the first stage of the large-scale Rospotrebnadzor program to assess population immunity to the COVID-19 virus among the population of the Russian Federation. Volunteers for the study were selected by the method of questioning and randomization. The analysis included the results of a survey of 2688 people. The number of volunteers in all age groups was equal. The content of specific IgG to the COVID-19 nucleocapsid was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a test system manufactured by the FBIS SRCAMB according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results. The results of the study showed that the collective immunity of the total population of the Moscow Region was 21.0%. The maximum level of population immunity was established in children aged 14–17 years (30.7%) and 1–6 years old (25.2%). There were no statistically significant differences in the level of seroprevalence between men and women. As a result of seroepidemiological research, it was shown that in the medical center, in the presence of contacts with patients with COVID-19, the risk of infection increases by 2.5 times. After infection with COVID-19, antibodies were detected in 78.7% of cases. In persons with a positive result of the PCR analysis obtained earlier, antibodies were detected in 82.8% of cases. A high proportion of asymptomatic infection among seropositive volunteers was found, which amounted to 83.4%. Key words: coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2, incidence, seroprevalence, the Moscow Region, population, COVID-19

To date, tuberculosis (TB) remains the primary cause of mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients in Russia. Since the beginning of 2000, a sharp change in the HIV patients’ structure, to the main known risk factors for HIV infection has taken place in Russia. The transmission of HIV through injectable drug use has begun to decline significantly, giving way to the prevalence of sexual HIV transmission today. These changes may require adjustments to organizational approaches to anti-TB care and the treatment of HIV-positive patients. Our study is aimed at identifying changes in TB-HIV coinfection patients’ structures in 2019 compared to 2000. Based on the results obtained, our goal was to point out the parameters that need to be taken into account when developing approaches to improve the organization of TB control care for people with HIV infection. We have carried out a cross-sectional, retrospective, epidemiological study using government TB registry data from four regions in two federal districts of Russia in 2019. The case histories of 2265 patients from two regions with high HIV prevalence, which are part of the Siberian Federal District of Russia, and 89 patient histories from two regions of low HIV prevalence, which are part of the Central Federal District of Russia, were analyzed. We found that parenteral transmission (69.4%) remains the primary route of HIV transmission among the TB-HIV coinfected. The unemployed of working age without disability account for 80.2% of all coinfected people, while the formerly incarcerated account for 53.7% and the homeless account for 4.1%. Those with primary multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) comprise 56.2% of HIV-TB patients. When comparing the incidence of coinfection with HIV among TB patients, statistically significant differences were obtained. Thus, the chances of coinfection increased by 4.33 times among people with active TB (95% CI: 2.31; 8.12), by 2.97 times among people with MDR-TB (95% CI: 1.66; 5.32), by 5.2 times in people with advanced processes in the lungs, including destruction, (95% CI: 2.78; 9.7), as well as by 10.3 times in the case of death within the first year after the TB diagnosis (95% CI: 2.99; 35.5). The absence of data for the presence of TB during preventive examination was accompanied by a decrease in the chances of detecting coinfection (OR 0.36; 95% CI: 0.2; 0.64). We have identified the probable causes of the high incidence of TB among HIV-infected: HIV-patient social maladaptation usually results in delayed medical care, leading to TB treatment regimen violations. Furthermore, self-administration of drugs triggers MDR-TB within this group. Healthcare providers should clearly explain to patients the critical importance of immediately seeking medical care when initial TB symptoms appear.

Objective: evaluate the passive specific immunity to measles and rubella in newborns and their mothers. Materials and metods: a study was made by the ELISA of the state of specific immunity to measles and rubella in 226 puerperas aged 15 to 44 without taking into account the vaccination status and their newborns in maternity hospitals in Moscow and Moscow Region. Results - the seropositive of measles proportion - 73.9 ± 2.9%, the rubella - 84.5 ± 2.4%. Comparison of the results of the study of immunity to rubella in puerperas and newborns with the results of previous years did not reveal any significant differences. The results of the examination of 226 newborns for the presence of antibodies to the rubella virus showed that the proportion of seropositive measles to the virus turned out to be 177 (78.3 ± 2.7%) children, rubella - 83.6 ± 2.4%, comparable to results of a survey of their mothers. Conclusion: high level of protection of the puerperas and their newborns from these infections. However, the organization and carrying out of vaccinations requires increased attention and control, since only high and timely coverage with vaccinations will prevent the increase in the incidence of infection when meeting with the pathogen of infection, including children of the first year of life.

The Chlorovirus genus of the Phycodnaviridae family includes large viruses with a double-stranded DNA genome. Chloroviruses are widely distributed in freshwater bodies around the world and have been isolated from freshwater sources in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. One representative of chloroviruses is Acanthocystis turfacea chlorella virus 1 (ATCV-1), which is hosted by Chlorella heliozoae. A few publications in the last ten years about the potential effects of ATCV-1 on the human brain sparked interest among specialists in the field of human infectious pathology. The goal of our viewpoint was to compile the scant research on the effects of ATCV-1 on the human body, to demonstrate the role of chloroviruses as new possible infectious agents for human health, and to indicate potential routes of virus transmission. We believe that ATCV-1 transmission routes remain unexplored. We also question whether chlorella-based nutritional supplements are dangerous for ATCV-1 infections. Further research will help to identify the routes of infection, the cell types in which ATCV-1 can persist, and the pathological mechanisms of the virus’s effect on the human body.