Identification and Intraspecific Typing of Plague Microbe Strains with Their Potential Virulence Determination Using PCR

Developed is the method of identification and intraspecific typing of plague microbe strains along with their potential virulence determination. Intraspecific differentiation and focal attribution of the examined plague microbe strains can be determined by monolocus VNTR-PCR, and main virulence determinants (chromosomal pigmentation region and calcium-dependence plasmid genes) - by multiplex PCR

Substantiation of Proposals on Improvement of Normative and Legal Regulation in the Field of Pathogenic Biological Agents Handling in the Russian Federation

Presented are the results of assessment of the national regulatory framework in the field of pathogenic biological agents handling in comparison with the same foreign one and WHO recommendations. Shown is the necessity of timely introduction of amendments or revision of the national regulatory documents. The topical issues requiring decision are specified. The proposals on improvement of normative legal regulations are submitted. The development of the common regulatory document integrating the issues of biological safety provision seems to be advisable

Epidemiological Situation Control at Biohazardous Facility

The analysis of current regulatory requirements and applicable guidelines, as well as scientific papers, confirmed the existence of the subsystem of the control over epidemiological situation at the potentially hazardous biological facility. This subsystem is an element of the facility biosafety support system. Developed is the set of models which contain schemes of epidemiological situation management in case a sick facility officer is detected whose disease is suspected to be caused by the microorganisms of I-II pathogenicity groups

Peculiarities of Pigmentation Expression and Structural Differences of hms Operon Genes in <i>Y. pestis</i> and <i>Y. pseudotuberculosis</i> Strains of Diverse Origin

Pigmentation was examined in 214 plague microbe strains and 68 pseudotuberculosis agent strains. Plague microbe strains of different subspecies and pseudotuberculosis microbe strains demonstrated different ability of hemin and acidic dyes sorption. Genes of hms operon in typical Y. pestis strains of five subspecies and in talassica group strains, as well as in Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 serotype strains, were sequenced and analyzed using PCR. Single nucleotide substitutions were detected in all genes of the operon in plague microbe strains as compared with the operon of pseudotuberculosis agent strains. Determined were single nucleotide substitutions promising for intraspecific differentiation of plague microbe strains