Ethnodemographic processes in the Russian Federation

This is an English translation of the introduction to a textbook on the ethnic demography of the Russian Federation. It explores the intricacies of multiple language groups, ethnic group interspersions, and the existence of small yet self-identifying populations without political territorial status. The political implications of demographic developments affecting ethnic groups, including migration, are also considered.     

Alcoholism and rising mortality in the Russian Federation.

In the Russian Federation today the high incidence of alcoholism and drunkenness helps to account for rising death rates, more particularly among the male population. During the mid-1980s a significant reduction in deaths from alcohol related diseases was achieved by state action in curtailing the supply of alcohol. However, official data disclose a pattern of sharply increased consumption per head since 1987, with high proof drinks--especially vodka--now forming a larger share in the total. In current economic conditions the effects of a traditional macho drinking culture are exacerbated by a reduction of state control over the quality of alcohol available for purchase. A substantial increase has occurred in deaths from most principal causes, with a disproportionate increase in deaths from non-natural causes, including deaths caused predominantly by alcohol. Average expectation of life at birth has fallen especially sharply for men; by 1993 it had slumped to 59.0 years--that is, to below the age at which a pension starts to be paid.     

Human cases of hydrophobia in the Russian Federation

The analysis of 29 human cases of hydrophobia registered in the Russian Federation in 2000-2001 is presented. Dogs appeared to be the main infection source (50% of cases). An increased proportion of cats (17.3%) in the spread of the disease was noted. Among wild animals, the leading role of foxes in the spread of rabies virus was determined. A number of serious drawbacks in the organization of antirable service to the population, in particular, insufficient qualification of medical personnel, a low level of medical education among the population on the sources of infection, deviations from the rules of urgent notification presentation, etc. The conclusion was made on the necessity of improving the organization of antirabic services to the population.     

Paralytic poliomyelitis in Russian Federation in 1998-2005

From 1998 through 2005 3,294 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) including 93 cases with clinical picture of poliomyelitis were registered in Russian Federation. From the latter cases 91 were classified as vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP): 66 were VAPP cases in oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV) recipients and 25--VAPP cases in contacts. VAPP rate was 1 case per 1.6 million of distributed OPV doses, 1 case per 2.2 million doses for OPV recipients, and 1 case per 186,000 doses for recipients of 1st OPV dose in children aged < 1 year. Majority of VAPP cases in recipients occurred after 1st dose (89.4%) and in contacts--in non-vaccinated children (76%). Mean interval between OPV administration and onset of VAPP in recipients was 21 days. Children aged < 1 year were predominant among VAPP cases (92.4% among recipient VAPP cases, and 80% among contact VAPP cases). Majority of the patients had unfavorable health status including defects of immunity. Most of poliovirus strains isolated from VAPP cases belonged to type 3 (52.9%) whereas to type 2 and 1--29.8% and 17.4% of strains respectively. All VAPP cases were associated with vaccine-derived polioviruses. A highly diverged poliovirus type 1 (2.65% of nucleotide substitutions in VP1 region) was isolated from patient with contact VAPP. Formation of poliovirus-neutralizing serum antibodies in children with VAPP including persons with immunodeficiency reflects the ability of the organism to produce specific antiviral immune response.     

Cause-of-death registers in radiation-contaminated areas of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan

Since the early 1990s, information on radiation-exposed populations other than those exposed from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 has become increasingly available for international scientific research. It is essential to understand how the cohorts of exposed populations have been defined and what mechanisms can be used to study their health outcomes. Different international scientific research collaborations currently investigate four population groups chronically exposed to ionizing radiation during the late 1940s and early 1950s in the Russian Federation and in Kazakhstan. In this framework, collaborations have been established to develop cause-of-death registers in each of these four areas for future mortality follow-up purposes with the aim of studying the health effects of ionizing radiation. The emphasis of this effort is on assessing the information sources available, the mechanisms of data collection and coding, and the data quality and completeness of the information collected. One of the major challenges is the harmonization of all these aspects between the four different centers to the extent possible, taking into account that much of the actual data has been collected over many decades.     

Leptospirosis in the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation

The retrospective and operative epidemiological analysis of leptospirosis morbidity on the administrative territories of the Southern Federal District during the period of 1990-2002 was carried out. The dynamics and tendencies of morbidity in individual administrative units of the region were shown. Materials on the negative influence of the emergency situation arising in the region as the result of the natural calamity in summer 2002 were presented. As shown in this work, timely decisions on the stabilization of epidemiological situation taken at the period of high flood and inundation in summer 2002 in the Southern Federal District and their efficient execution made it possible to keep the epidemiological situation in leptospirosis under control.     

Measures for counteracting of biological terrorism in the Russian Federation

The article deals with topicality of the problem of ensuring biological safety in Russia. The necessity of a unified state policy aimed at the realization of the concept of biological safety is grounded. In particular, the expediency of the state support of research programs is emphasized. The organizational and practical measures, carried out by the Ministry of Health and Social Development in this field, are analyzed. The list of prospective measures for the organization of effective state regulation in the field of ensuring the biological safety of the country is given.     

Polymorphism of Y-chromosomal microsatellites in Russian population from Southern Federal district of the Russian Federation

Haplotype frequencies and allele distributions at 11 STR loci of the Y chromosome were evaluated in 180 unrelated individuals from Russian population of Southern Federal district of the Russian Federation (Rostov oblast, Krasnodar krai, and Stavropol krai). Among 153 Y-chromosomal haplotypes discovered, 62 were unique. In the sample of Russian population, the most frequent haplotype (frequency of 5.56%) was 16-11,14-13-30-25-11-11-13-14-11-10 (for the loci DYS19, DYS385a,b, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS437, DYS438, and DYS439, respectively). Despite the high diversity of Y-chromosomal haplotypes in the Russian populations from the south of Russia (the h value was 0.997, 0.995, and 0.994 in Rostov, Krasnodar, and Stavropol samples, respectively), analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed the absence of differentiation between the populations (Φ_ST = 0.1%, P = 0.36). Comparative differentiation analysis performed for 13 Russian populations from the European part of Russia pointed to low among-population differentiation in Y-chromosomal lineages (Φ_ST = 0.52%, P = 0.03).