[Analysis of etiology of influenza-like morbidity and monitoring influenza epidemic of 1998-1999 by laboratory diagnosis methods].

The etiological structure of influenza-like was analyzed in the population in cities and towns and in Russia as a whole in November 1998 to April 1999 by the findings of immunofluorescence and serological surveys of patients with acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI). By the results of both tests, the proportion of the incidence of influenza A (H3N2) was largest, the decreasing order in their significance was as follows: adenoviruses, type 3 parainfluenza virus, RSV, influenza B virus, influenza A(H1N1), types 2 and 1 parainfluenza virus. All influenza viruses A(H1N1) were isolated in Samara in February 1999. Three of them were similar to the reference strain A/Johannesburg/82/96 in antigenic properties, two strains appeared to be its drift variants. No A/Beijing/262/95 (H1N1)-like viruses recommended for incorporation as part of vaccines were detected. All influenza A(H3N2) viruses were drift variants of strain A/Sydney/05/97, and all influenza B viruses were similar to the reference strain B/Harbin/07/94 in antigenic structure.