Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases
Peer-review medical journal
Editor-in-chief
- Prof. Vladimir V. Nikiforov, MD, PhD
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2205-9674
Founder
- Izdatelstvo MEDICINA (https://medlit.ru/en/)
- Eco-Vector (https://eco-vector.com/en/)
Publisher
- Eco-Vector (https://eco-vector.com/en/)
About
The journal covers issues of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
Special attention is devoted to clinical analyses of diagnostically difficult cases, analysis of epidemics, new diagnostic and treatment methods, and epidemiological situation in Russia and the rest of the world. The journal publishes official documents issued by the Russian Ministry of Healthcare, Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, societies for infectiologists, epidemiologists, microbiologists and parasitologists as well as information on meetings, symposia, and conferences in Russia and the rest of the world.
The journal is aimed at a wide spectrum of researchers and practicing specialists focusing on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases: epidemiologists, infectiologists, microbiologists, primary care physicians, and family medicine specialists.
Indexation
- Russian Science Citation Index
- CrossRef
- Google Scholar
- Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory
- Dimensions
Types of accepted articles
- plain reviews
- systematic reviews and metaanalysis
- results of original research (experimental, clinical, epidemiological
- clinical cases and series of clinical cases
- short communications
- letters to the editor
Publications
- regular issues bimonthly, 6 issues per year
- articles — continuously online (Online First)
- with NO APC (free of charge for all authors)
- in Russian and English
- in hybrid access mode — by subscription or in Open Access with CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license (authors are welcome for Optional Open Access (see more)
Current Issue
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Vol 29, No 3 (2024)
- Year: 2024
- Published: 28.07.2024
- Articles: 7
- URL: https://rjeid.com/1560-9529/issue/view/8366
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/EID.293
ORIGINAL STUDIES
An experimental model of liver echinococcosis in laboratory rats to study the effectiveness of anthelmintic drugs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The introduction into clinical practice of drug therapy with anthelmintic drugs from the carbamate-benzimidazole group has reduced the need for aggressive surgical interventions in the initial stages of parasitic cyst development. However, no consensus has been reached in which cases and for what size of cysts the use of monotherapy with carbamate benzimidazoles will be sufficient and in which cases a combination of surgical and therapeutic treatment methods is necessary. Experimental studies with human participants are impossible to solve this problem.
AIM: To evaluate the proximity of the developed experimental model of liver echinococcosis to real clinical practice, including the response to the use of carbamate benzimidazoles.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Modeling of liver echinococcosis in laboratory animals was performed by suturing a part of an echinococcal bladder (Echinococcus granulosus) to the liver capsule. The model provides a high survival percentage of laboratory animals, in which after 60 days a typical hydatid cyst forms in the liver. The effects of albendazole and praziquantel were studied using this echinococcus model. One group of animals (n = 10) received albendazole through an intragastal tube for 28 days and the other (n = 10) received praziquantel for 15 days, after which the animals were autopsied.
RESULTS: When using albendazole, destructive changes were microscopically determined in the structure of the walls of the echinococcal cyst on day 28 of therapy. Similar changes were observed when using praziquantel; however, they were characterized by more massive cellular infiltration of all cyst layers.
CONCLUSIONS: The developed experimental model of liver echinococcosis in laboratory animals allowed us to experimentally examine the effect of various drugs on the larval stages of E. granulosus development and evaluate their effectiveness.
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Experience in the use of the drug Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab in the complex therapy of coronavirus infection in the Primorsky territory
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, various treatment options and regimens, and their combinations, have been used. However, before the start of vaccination and the introduction of biologic drugs and monoclonal antibodies, life-threatening complications occurred much more often.
AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab (“Evusheld”) for the treatment of patients with comorbidities and SARS-CoV-2 infection in comparison with standard therapy protocols in vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of the inpatient medical records of 290 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 was conducted.
RESULTS: The average bed-days in the three groups varied. The lowest number was recorded in the Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab group with 9.9 days. In the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, the corresponding values were 10.9 and 11.7 days. The duration of the COVID-19 course was minimal in the Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab with 12.6 days; in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, the disease lasted an average of 17.6 and 18.7 days, respectively. The percentage of lung tissue damage was the highest in the unvaccinated group with 43.2% on average, followed by the vaccinated group with 26.5% and the Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab group with 4.3%. Moreover, 53.6%, 32.5%, and 13.6% of the unvaccinated, vaccinated, and Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab groups required oxygen support, respectively. In the unvaccinated group, leukocytosis increased to 11.3×109, which was associated with the emergence of a bacterial infection and prolonged hospitalization.
CONCLUSIONS: The preparation of synthetic recombinant monoclonal neutralizing antibody Tixagevimab / Cilgavimab to SARS-CoV-2 significantly reduces the severity of COVID-19 and the first day of hospitalization.
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REVIEW ARTICLES
The possibility of predicting the COVID-19 severity by clinical-laboratory criteria taking into account the SARS-CoV-2 strain: An analytical review
Abstract
The survival of patients with severe COVID-19 depends on timely and adequate assessment of the risk of adverse disease outcomes. Currently, conflicting data on the prognostic value of various laboratory parameters in severe COVID-19 caused by different SARS-CoV-2 variants require analysis and systematization. The leading clinical and laboratory signs that determine the severity of COVID-19 include the syndrome of systemic inflammatory reaction and hemostasis disorders, which, in conditions of high viral load, hypoxia, and toxic exposure, contribute to the development of cytolytic syndrome, cytopenia, and multiple organ failure. Biological and immunological features of SARS-CoV-2 variants have an important influence on the severity of the infection. Based on literature sources, we have listed the most significant laboratory parameters, which, combined with clinical criteria, serve as an accurate guide for physicians both in monitoring patients and selecting therapy in Russia and abroad. Some SARS-CoV-2 variants exhibit reduced susceptibility to monoclonal antibodies and recombination plasma, which requires a revision of the therapy strategy. Detailed analysis of pathognomonic laboratory parameters and understanding of the immunological response to a particular SARS-CoV-2 variant will quickly and accurately identify the vulnerable patient groups, timely change in their therapy, and prevent complication development.
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CASE REPORTS
Underdiagnosis of botulism as a cause of tragedy: A case report
Abstract
Botulism has unique clinical picture; however, some of its manifestations, when analyzed separately, are similar to the manifestations of other, both infectious and noncommunicable diseases. This contributes to the occurrence of diagnostic errors because botulism is not one of the most common infectious diseases; as a result, most practitioners are familiar with the clinical picture of botulism purely theoretically and clearly insufficiently. The article analyzes the course of botulism in a group of family diseases when, at the first visit to specialists, botulism was diagnosed in any of the patients not receiving medical care. In addition, the causes and effects of prolonged toxemia (20 days) in one of the patients are discussed.
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Difficulties in diagnosing rabies using the example of a clinical case in the Omsk region
Abstract
Rabies is the deadliest zoonotic disease caused by the rabies virus, a member of the genus Lyssavirus. The disease occurs after a bite from a wild or domestic animal.
The paper presents a clinical case of rabies with early diagnostic difficulties, particularlyclinical, epidemiological, and laboratory diagnostic features, in a patient suffering from alcoholism. The victim sought medical help 20 days after the dog bite. On day 29, a hydrophobia clinic was observed. The patient exhibited signs of visual and auditory hallucinations, aggressiveness, and disorientation in place and time, which resembled the development of alcoholic psychosis. Saliva samples were collected on day 3 of the disease, and its polymerase chain reaction test was negative for rabies virus. On day 29, the patient died. The diagnosis of rabies was confirmed antemortem and posthumously. The virus was detected in the saliva on day 9 of the disease and posthumously in the cerebral cortex, medulla oblongata, cerebellum, and salivary glands. Histologically, Babesh–Negri bodies were found in the brain tissue. Necessary preventive measures were implemented.
The unfavorable outcome in the described case of rabies emphasizes the lack of awareness of the population (especially rural) about the risk of contracting rabies infection through contact with animals and the importance of timely post-exposure prophylaxis. Timely anti-rabies care remains the only effective means of preventing related deaths.
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Mumps: A case report
Abstract
The widespread of mumps and its medical and social significance determine the relevance of further study of the etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mumps infection. Despite the lack of mortality, the possible occurrence of complications that affect the suppression of male reproductive function makes mumps a priority. Official statistics show the annual incidence of mumps in the Russian Federation, estimated in hundreds of cases up to several thousand (2017–2018). The continued spread of mumps is associated with violations of immunization regimens, underestimation of the unvaccinated population or unreliability of the reported data, introduction of new viral genotypes capable of bypassing vaccine immunity, and natural weakening of post-vaccination immunity.
The presented clinical case refers to an outpatient case of mumps in a 53-year-old man with a delayed diagnosis despite the typical clinical manifestations. The clinical case demonstrates the lack of awareness of outpatient practitioners about the manifestations of mumps. The causes of mumps in older age groups and possible ways to solve the problem are discussed.
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Исторические статьи
Surgical antisepsis in Russia: historical parallels
Abstract
The origins of surgery and the improvement of surgical practices did not always guarantee a favorable surgical outcome. Even a masterfully performed operation could lead to a purulent-inflammatory process. Even at the stage of empirical development of medicine, before the great microbiological discoveries, an understanding was formed about a certain “substrate” that penetrates the surgical wound from the external environment and causes its suppuration. Supporters of the contagionist theory called it contagium, and supporters of the miasmatic theory considered the external (air) environment as such a source. The ideas of the supporters of the contagionist theory of the occurrence of purulent-septic complications in surgery in the middle of the 18th century are reflected in the works of D.S. Samoilovich and I.F. Semmelweis; the latter proved the transmission of the infectious principle by the surgeon’s hands, which became the starting point for the development of preventive antiseptics.
In historical retrospect, the technology and means used for surgical hand antisepsis in Russia were analyzed from the mid-18th to the early 20th centuries.
Moreover, literary sources for the period from 1783 to 2023 were analyzed, containing information about the antiseptic treatment of surgeons’ hands. Historical, descriptive, evaluative, analytical, and bacteriological research methods were used. As an experiment, the original antiseptic recipe described by D.S. Samoilovich (1783) was restored, and its effectiveness was confirmed.
During surgical practices in Russia, starting from the mid-18th century, facts about the use of drugs with antiseptic activity for hand treatment are described. It is shown how, in historical retrospect, views on the final result of surgical antisepsis changed: from partial to complete destruction of microorganisms, preventing their entry from the deep layers of the skin, to the destruction of transient microflora and reduction of the abundance of resident microflora. Despite the influence of the English (J. Lister) and German (P. Fürbringer, J.F. Ahlfeld) surgical schools on the development of antiseptics in Russia, it retained its originality, determined by the needs of society and the possibility of using certain chemical antiseptics and their compositions for its implementation. The contribution of domestic surgeons to the improvement of antiseptic technologies and drugs in military field conditions is shown (N.I. Pirogov, A.M. Zabludovsky, D.I. Tatarinov et al.).
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