Vol 58, No 4 (2013)

Worldwide spreading of H5 and H7 highly pathogenic influenza viruses of the avian origin, which periodically infect and kill humans without prior adaptation, poses a constant threat of the new pandemic. The effectiveness of the pandemic prevention completely depends on the quality of the existing influenza vaccines. Typical methods of the vaccine production from the antigenically relevant strains are problematic in case of high virulent H5 and H7 viruses. Therefore, new approaches to the construction of the vaccine strains and production technologies are required in order to protect the population.

Two bunyaviruses, Bhanja (BHAV, LEIV-Az1818) isolated from the ixodes ticks Rhipecephalus bursa (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1878) in Azerbaijan (1973) and Razdan (RAZV; strain LEiV-Arm2741) isolated from the Dermacentor marginatus (sulzer, 1776) ticks in Armenia (1972), were de novo sequenced (on the illumina platform). The amino acid identity between these viruses proteins were 95.8% (RdRp, L-segment), 90.3% (GnGc, M-segment), and 92.5% (N, s-segment). Thus, RAZV was classified to BHAV group. GnGc protein identity of RAZV with European BHAV strains is more than 90%. With the African Forecariah virus (FORV) RAZV has 85% identity. BHAV LElV-Az1818 is most closely related to the Indian strain BHAV IG690 (99%), while showing 90% identity with the European BHAV isolates. The genome structure of BHAV and RAZV is typical of the tick-transmitted phleboviruses. Based on the result of the molecular-genetic and phylogenetic analysis RAZV has been classified as belonging to BHAV group in the genus Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae).

The HiV-1 genetic variants circulated in the Asian part of the Russian Federation in 2005-2010 were studied. The samples of HiV-1 (427 in total) were collected in Khabarovsk, Magadan, Kurgan, Krasnoyarsk, Noyabr’sk, Yakutsk, Altay, and Tyva. Sequencing of some genome regions followed by the phylogenetic analysis or specific internet resource sampling were used as the main methods of the HiV subtyping. The domination of the iDU-A HiV-1 genetic variant typical of HiV-infection epidemic in Russia was shown in all regions tested in 2005-2010. This variant prevailed both in iDUs and heterosexuals. in addition to iDU-A, some other HiV-1 genetic variants were found among them: subtype B and recombinant CRF03_AB. The HiV-1 genetic polymorphism in Russia was found to be low. An increase in the genetic distance among studied de novo samples was noted in the Asian part of Russia in 2005-2010 (26-68%) as compared to the European variants in 1996-1999 (10%).

In the experiments using intranasal (i/n) infection of mice with the ectromelia virus (EV) in a dose 10 LD50/head (10 x 50% lethal dose/head) or with the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in a dose 10 iD50/head (10 x 50% infective dose/ head) it was demonstrated that the antiviral efficiency of chemical compounds - the condensed derivatives of pyrrolidin-2,5-dion, as well as their predecessors and the nearest analogues, synthesized in Novosibirsk institute of Organic Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (NiOCH SB RAS) was observed. As a positive control we used the antipoxvirus chemical preparation ST-246 available from SiGA Technologies inc. (USA), synthesized in NiOCH SB RAS by the technique suggested by the authors. it was demonstrated that the compound NiOCH-14 (7-[N'-(4-Trifluoromethylbenzoil)-hydrazidecarbonil]-tricyclo[3.2.2.02,4]non-8-en-6-carbonic acid) possessed comparable with ST-246 antiviral activity concerning EV and MPXV on all indicators used. Therefore, at infection of mice with EV (strain K-1) and peroral administration of NiOCH-14 and ST-246 in a dose 50 mkg/g of mouse weight (12-14 g) within 10 days the survival rate and average life expectancy of mice authentically exceeded the control levels. EV titers in lungs through 6 days after infection in the same groups were lower than in the control. in addition to that, after 7 days of infection of mice with MPXV (strain V79-1-005) and daily peroral administration of NiOCH-14 and ST-246 in a dose 60 mkg/g of mouse weight (9-11 g) authentic decrease in a part of infected animals and MPXV titers in lungs was observed.