Effect of production microclimate on female thermal state with increased temperature and air humidity

The thermal state of women during the effect of high air temperature and relative humidity with a varying degree of physical loads was studied. Parameters for air temperature, relative humidity, and air movement were established. It was established that in women the thermo-regulatory stress occurs at lower air temperatures and with lower physical loads than in men. The accumulation of heat in women was revealed with lower air temperature than in men. It is concluded that to preserve the normal physiological state of the female organism it is necessary to create more favorable microclimate conditions and decrease the physical loads

Epidemiologic Aspects of an Emerging Focus of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Tbilisi, Georgia

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has emerged as a public health problem in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Dogs are the main infection reservoirs for transmission by sand flies of Leishmania infantum to humans, many of whom may become infected without developing disease. Since majority of cases are in children we were interested to know the rate of infection in children and in dogs living within the area where cases of VL have been found, and what factors may affect the risk of infection. Using a test that detects the presence of antibodies in blood as a marker of infection, 7.3% of 4,250 children examined were positive at the baseline survey, and 6% became positive after one year. Overall, 18.2% of domestic and 15.3% of stray dogs were seropositive. The infected children were more apt to live in areas where clustered flying insects and stray dogs were observed, and were far more likely to have experienced a persistent fever in the 6 months before the survey. We conclude that there is very active transmission of L. infantum to both humans and dogs in Tbilisi, and that children remain at high risk of developing clinical disease and sub-clinical infection

Avian Influenza Viruses in Wild Birds: Virus Evolution in a Multihost Ecosystem.

Wild ducks and gulls are the major reservoirs for avian influenza A viruses (AIVs). The mechanisms that drive AIV evolution are complex at sites where various duck and gull species from multiple flyways breed, winter, or stage. The Republic of Georgia is located at the intersection of three migratory flyways: the Central Asian flyway, the East Africa/West Asia flyway, and the Black Sea/Mediterranean flyway. For six complete study years (2010 to 2016), we collected AIV samples from various duck and gull species that breed, migrate, and overwinter in Georgia. We found a substantial subtype diversity of viruses that varied in prevalence from year to year. Low-pathogenic AIV (LPAIV) subtypes included H1N1, H2N3, H2N5, H2N7, H3N8, H4N2, H6N2, H7N3, H7N7, H9N1, H9N3, H10N4, H10N7, H11N1, H13N2, H13N6, H13N8, and H16N3, and two highly pathogenic AIVs (HPAIVs) belonging to clade 2.3.4.4, H5N5 and H5N8, were found. Whole-genome phylogenetic trees showed significant host species lineage restriction for nearly all gene segments and significant differences in observed reassortment rates, as defined by quantification of phylogenetic incongruence, and in nucleotide sequence diversity for LPAIVs among different host species. Hemagglutinin clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 viruses, which circulated in Eurasia during 2014 and 2015, did not reassort, but analysis after their subsequent dissemination during 2016 and 2017 revealed reassortment in all gene segments except NP and NS. Some virus lineages appeared to be unrelated to AIVs in wild bird populations in other regions, with maintenance of local AIVs in Georgia, whereas other lineages showed considerable genetic interrelationships with viruses circulating in other parts of Eurasia and Africa, despite relative undersampling in the area.IMPORTANCE Waterbirds (e.g., gulls and ducks) are natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) and have been shown to mediate the dispersal of AIVs at intercontinental scales during seasonal migration. The segmented genome of influenza viruses enables viral RNA from different lineages to mix or reassort when two viruses infect the same host. Such reassortant viruses have been identified in most major human influenza pandemics and several poultry outbreaks. Despite their importance, we have only recently begun to understand AIV evolution and reassortment in their natural host reservoirs. This comprehensive study illustrates AIV evolutionary dynamics within a multihost ecosystem at a stopover site where three major migratory flyways intersect. Our analysis of this ecosystem over a 6-year period provides a snapshot of how these viruses are linked to global AIV populations. Understanding the evolution of AIVs in the natural host is imperative to mitigating both the risk of incursion into domestic poultry and the potential risk to mammalian hosts, including humans

Avian Influenza Virus Surveillance in Wild Birds in Georgia: 2009-2011

The Caucasus, at the border of Europe and Asia, is important for migration and over-wintering of wild waterbirds. Three flyways, the Central Asian, East Africa-West Asia, and Mediterranean/Black Sea flyways, converge in the Caucasus region. Thus, the Caucasus region might act as a migratory bridge for influenza virus transmission when birds aggregate in high concentrations in the post-breeding, migrating and overwintering periods. Since August 2009, we have established a surveillance network for influenza viruses in wild birds, using five sample areas geographically spread throughout suitable habitats in both eastern and western Georgia. We took paired tracheal and cloacal swabs and fresh feces samples. We collected 8343 swabs from 76 species belonging to 17 families in 11 orders of birds, of which 84 were real-time RT-PCR positive for avian influenza virus (AIV). No highly pathogenic AIV (HPAIV) H5 or H7 viruses were detected. The overall AIV prevalence was 1.6%. We observed peak prevalence in large gulls during the autumn migration (5.3-9.8%), but peak prevalence in Black-headed Gulls in spring (4.2-13%). In ducks, we observed increased AIV prevalence during the autumn post-moult aggregations and migration stop-over period (6.3%) but at lower levels to those observed in other more northerly post-moult areas in Eurasia. We observed another prevalence peak in the overwintering period (0.14-5.9%). Serological and virological monitoring of a breeding colony of Armenian Gulls showed that adult birds were seropositive on arrival at the breeding colony, but juveniles remained serologically and virologically negative for AIV throughout their time on the breeding grounds, in contrast to gull AIV data from other geographic regions. We show that close phylogenetic relatives of viruses isolated in Georgia are sourced from a wide geographic area throughout Western and Central Eurasia, and from areas that are represented by multiple different flyways, likely linking different host sub-populations

The potential risks and impact of the start of the 2015–2016 influenza season in the WHO European Region: a rapid risk assessment

Background: Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region are reporting more severe influenza activity in the 2015–2016 season compared to previous seasons. Objectives: To conduct a rapid risk assessment to provide interim information on the severity of the current influenza season. Methods: Using the WHO manual for rapid risk assessment of acute public health events and surveillance data available from Flu News Europe, an assessment of the current influenza season from 28 September 2015 (week 40/2015) up to 31 January 2016 (week 04/2016) was made compared with the four previous seasons. Results: The current influenza season started around week 51/2015 with higher influenza activity reported in Eastern Europe compared to Western Europe. There is a strong predominance of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 compared to previous seasons, but the virus is antigenically similar to the strain included in the seasonal influenza vaccine. Compared to the 2014/2015 season, there was a rapid increase in the number of severe cases in Eastern European countries with the majority of such cases occurring among adults aged < 65 years. Conclusions: The current influenza season is characterized by an early start in Eastern European countries, with indications of a more severe season. Currently circulating influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses are antigenically similar to those included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, and the vaccine is expected to be effective. Authorities should provide information to the public and health providers about the current influenza season, recommendations for the treatment of severe disease and effective public health measures to prevent influenza transmission

Seasonal and inter-seasonal RSV activity in the European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic from autumn 2020 to summer 2022

© 2023 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Background: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in early 2020 and subsequent implementation of public health and social measures (PHSM) disrupted the epidemiology of respiratory viruses. This work describes the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) observed during two winter seasons (weeks 40–20) and inter-seasonal periods (weeks 21–39) during the pandemic between October 2020 and September 2022. Methods: Using data submitted to The European Surveillance System (TESSy) by countries or territories in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region between weeks 40/2020 and 39/2022, we aggregated country-specific weekly RSV counts of sentinel, non-sentinel and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) surveillance specimens and calculated percentage positivity. Results for both 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons and inter-seasons were compared with pre-pandemic 2016/17 to 2019/20 seasons and inter-seasons. Results: Although more specimens were tested than in pre-COVID-19 pandemic seasons, very few RSV detections were reported during the 2020/21 season in all surveillance systems. During the 2021 inter-season, a gradual increase in detections was observed in all systems. In 2021/22, all systems saw early peaks of RSV infection, and during the 2022 inter-seasonal period, patterns of detections were closer to those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: RSV surveillance continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial reduction in transmission, followed by very high and out-of-season RSV circulation (summer 2021) and then an early start of the 2021/22 season. As of the 2022/23 season, RSV circulation had not yet normalised.Peer reviewe

Influenza study of backyard animals in Georgia

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify zoonotic influenzaviruses in swine and poultry populations in Georgia and to definetheir pandemic potential.IntroductionAquatic birds are the main reservoirs of influenza viruses,however pigs represent an essential host in virus ecology as they aresusceptible to both avian and human influenza viruses. Circulatingzoonotic influenza (A/H7N9, A/H5N1, and A/H3N2v) viruses couldmutate into forms easily transmissible from human-to-human andbecome a public health concern. Georgia is located along routes usedby migrating birds where different species of aquatic birds are found.In 2006, highly pathogenic influenza virus A/H5N1 was detected intwo wild swans in Adjara (western Georgia). Moreover, in the frameof wild bird surveillance, various subtypes of influenza A viruseswere detected in mallard and gulls in Georgia (Lewis, 2013). Thusdomestic animals in Georgia have a potential chance to contractinfluenza viruses from wild birds.MethodsThe Kakheti region, the leading region in cattle breeding andpoultry production in Georgia, was selected for study. Villages wereselected for door-to-door visits to search for ill backyard animalsshowing influenza-like symptoms. In case of identification of a sickanimal, samples were obtained for laboratory investigations; samplecollection forms were filled out to generate epidemiological data.Cloacal and tracheal swabs were taken from poultry; and pharyngealand nasal swabs were collected from pigs. Each specimen wasscreened for influenza A matrix gene by real-time RT-PCR using aprotocol from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.ResultsEighty four villages in the Kakheti region were surveyed fordomestic animals with influenza-like illness symptoms. In total,164 specimens were collected from 112 backyard animals in55 households (107 samples were from 55 poultry and 57 sampleswere from 57 pigs). All samples tested negative for Influenza A virusby real time RT-PCR. The questionnaire data revealed that the agerange of both pigs and poultry varied from one month to two years;median and mode were both 1 year. Chickens and ducks primarilyfreely ranged in backyards (67%), while half the number of pigs werekept in closed premises. Equally, 61% of pigs and poultry had contactwith other pigs or poultry within the premises.ConclusionsIn spite of the negative findings, we cannot exclude the circulationof influenza viruses in domestic animals in Georgia. Especially,considering the fact that a domestic duck with influenza A/H10virus was identified during veterinarian training in 2010 in Grigoleti(Black sea cost of Georgia) manifesting no clinical symptoms.Therefore, larger scale studies, including swabbing more backyardanimals without any clinical symptoms are necessary to identify inter-species virus transmission in the country

Influenza study of backyard animals in Georgia

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify zoonotic influenzaviruses in swine and poultry populations in Georgia and to definetheir pandemic potential.IntroductionAquatic birds are the main reservoirs of influenza viruses,however pigs represent an essential host in virus ecology as they aresusceptible to both avian and human influenza viruses. Circulatingzoonotic influenza (A/H7N9, A/H5N1, and A/H3N2v) viruses couldmutate into forms easily transmissible from human-to-human andbecome a public health concern. Georgia is located along routes usedby migrating birds where different species of aquatic birds are found.In 2006, highly pathogenic influenza virus A/H5N1 was detected intwo wild swans in Adjara (western Georgia). Moreover, in the frameof wild bird surveillance, various subtypes of influenza A viruseswere detected in mallard and gulls in Georgia (Lewis, 2013). Thusdomestic animals in Georgia have a potential chance to contractinfluenza viruses from wild birds.MethodsThe Kakheti region, the leading region in cattle breeding andpoultry production in Georgia, was selected for study. Villages wereselected for door-to-door visits to search for ill backyard animalsshowing influenza-like symptoms. In case of identification of a sickanimal, samples were obtained for laboratory investigations; samplecollection forms were filled out to generate epidemiological data.Cloacal and tracheal swabs were taken from poultry; and pharyngealand nasal swabs were collected from pigs. Each specimen wasscreened for influenza A matrix gene by real-time RT-PCR using aprotocol from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.ResultsEighty four villages in the Kakheti region were surveyed fordomestic animals with influenza-like illness symptoms. In total,164 specimens were collected from 112 backyard animals in55 households (107 samples were from 55 poultry and 57 sampleswere from 57 pigs). All samples tested negative for Influenza A virusby real time RT-PCR. The questionnaire data revealed that the agerange of both pigs and poultry varied from one month to two years;median and mode were both 1 year. Chickens and ducks primarilyfreely ranged in backyards (67%), while half the number of pigs werekept in closed premises. Equally, 61% of pigs and poultry had contactwith other pigs or poultry within the premises.ConclusionsIn spite of the negative findings, we cannot exclude the circulationof influenza viruses in domestic animals in Georgia. Especially,considering the fact that a domestic duck with influenza A/H10virus was identified during veterinarian training in 2010 in Grigoleti(Black sea cost of Georgia) manifesting no clinical symptoms.Therefore, larger scale studies, including swabbing more backyardanimals without any clinical symptoms are necessary to identify inter-species virus transmission in the country

Implementation of a sentinel surveillance system for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in the country of Georgia, 2015-2016

Objectives: Due to reports of substandard influenza preparedness, the country of Georgia developed two influenza surveillance systems. This paper describes these surveillance systems in their capacity to detect influenza. Methods: Two surveillance systems for influenza operate in Georgia: an influenza-like illness (ILI) sentinel surveillance system for out-patient cases, based in the capital, Tbilisi, and a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) sentinel surveillance system for in-patient cases with five sentinel sites â one in Tbilisi, and four in Kutaisi. Patients in these surveillance systems provide samples for laboratory testing, including influenza confirmation. Results: From 2015-2016, 825 cases were surveilled in the ILI surveillance system and 1367 cases were surveilled in the SARI surveillance system, with 222 (26.9%) and 451 (33.0%) positive for influenza, respectively. Influenza positivity varied by age with adults 30-64 years having highest proportion of influenza-positive cases at 42.2%. Conclusions: The sensitivity of the surveillance systems to influenza was relatively high compared to neighboring countries. These findings show the importance of influenza surveillance in the country of Georgia. Keywords: Surveillance, Influenza, Severe acute respiratory illnes