[Comparative analysis of methods efficiency of virification of the tick-borne encephalite virus.]

Based on experimental studies with 10-fold dilutions of two the strains TBEV of the Far Eastern subtype, different in moleculargenetic characteristic complex data of simultaneously taking into account three indicators of their verification (virus titer, ELISA and PCR-RT) were obtained. The efficiency of detecting a genetic marker in PCR compared with ELISA for a weakly pathogenic strain with defects in the genetic structure was higher by a factor of 10, and for a highly pathogenic strain by a factor of 5,000. At the same time, positive results in both reactions with respect to two strains were detected with a virus titer of not less than 1-1.5 log TCID50, i.e. this level of virus in the sample is defined as epidemically significant. An algorithm for conducting research on the verification of TBEV is proposed: 1) Ticks collected from vegetation can be examined by ELISA or by PCR. All positive results can be summarized and considered viral ticks; 2) All samples with positive results only in PCR or ELISA must be investigated in two reactions in order to obtain confirmation of the possible infectivity of the pathogen; 3) To obtain a fast complex result of infection of the removed ticks from patients or blood after a tick bite, studies should be carried out simultaneously in two reactions simultaneously in ELISA and PCR; 4) Isolation virus should be carried out in biological samples (ticks collected from vegetation, ticks removed from patients, the blood of patients with suspected TBE, mammals) only with the same results in PCR and ELISA. Thus, such an approach to verifying TBEV in a tick or in the blood of patients will improve the reliability of laboratory diagnostics, identifying not only markers of TBEV, but also determining the infectivity of the pathogen, which may be the basis for the appointment of early intensive antiviral therapy.