Characteristics of the Current Etiological Pattern of Acute Respiratory Diseases in the Ussr

Ten years of observation of the dynamics of the etiological pattern of acute respiratory diseases (ARD) in the USSR have brought to light some etio-epidemiological peculiarities of different ARD nosological forms and defined epidemically relevant types of adenoviruses and picornaviruses and the dynamics of their succession, depending on the period of observation throughout the country in general, and in selected climatic and geographical zones in particular. Two subtypes of adenovirus serotype 3, distinguished by cytotoxic activity in tissue cultures, have been identified. The polymorphism of naturally occurring populations of adenoviruses (serotype 3), the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the parainfluenza virus (serotype 3) has been determined by a number of antigenic, biological, and molecular and biological properties. A correlation between the biological profile of circulating viral populations (RSV and parainfluenza virus) and their epidemic potentials among institutionalized children has been established.