Distribution of dirofilariasis in Omsk region

Background. Recently, in the Russian Federation, there has been a tendency to an increase in the number of registered cases of dirofilariasis among residents living in a temperate climate zone, including in Western Siberia. The species Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis are of clinical importance for humans. Dirofilariae are characterized by migration into the subcutaneous tissue, mucous membranes, organs of vision, internal organs. In the Omsk region, there is an increase in cases of dirofilariasis, including among children.The aim. To assess endemicity of the territory of the Omsk region in relation to pathogens of dirofilariasis.Materials and methods. The maps of the epidemiological survey of persons infected with dirofilariae for the period 2013–2020 were analyzed, parasitological and molecular biological methods examined 1155 blood samples of dogs, 2488 samples female blood-sucking mosquitoes, 26 samples of dirofilaria helminths removed from residents of the Omsk region.Results. In 18 people, the infection was regarded as local, since the infected persons had not left the Omsk region for the previous three years. Local infections are reported annually. Infection of the final owners – dogs – with dirofilaria ranges from 0.6 to 4.8 % in different years. On average, the extensiveness of the invasion was 3.0 ± 0.6 %; and the intensity of microfilaremia was 1277.68 ± 395.87 specimens/ml of blood. On the territory of Omsk and the Omsk region, 11 species of mosquitoes belonging to the genus Aedes, Ochlerotatus, Culex, Anopheles, Coquillettidia were identified. The estimated individual infection of mosquitoes of different species ranged from 0.6 % (O. flavescens) to 9.8 % (An. messeae). The total infection of vectors was 3.4 %. All positive samples were found to contain DNA of D. repens.Conclusion. The territory of the Omsk region is endemic for pathogens of dirofilariasis, in particular, D. repens. Further studies are needed to study the prevalence and species diversity of pathogens of dirofilariasis in Western Siberia, to identify the most dangerous from an epidemiological point of view, species of vectors

Genetic engineering of peptide hormones

Peptide and polypeptide hormones represent an extensive group of biologically active compounds of important significance for medicine and agriculture. In recent years genetic engineering methods have been used to create strains of microorganisms synthesizing eukaryotic proteins, including hormones and their precursors. The first stage of such developments is the isolation of DNA coding the des~red product. We have accomplished the cloning of the cDNA of a number of polypeptide and peptide hormones of the pituitary of man and domestic animals. The model gene of human calcitonin has also been synthesized and cloned. The obtained genes are being used to develop methods for the microbiological synthesis of human and animal-hormones