[Comparative analysis of virulence of the Siberian and Far-East subtypes of the tick-born encephalitis virus].

The Siberian subtype of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TEV) is different from the Far-East subtype by a moderate virulence observed in Siberian hamsters and by a low infection development rate (100 strains were compared). No differences were found in neuro-invasiveness. Clinical findings and experiments with monkeys denote the ability of the Siberian subtype to provoke severe forms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The inflammation-and-degenerative changes were localized in the brain cortex, subcortical ganglions, nuclei of medulla oblongata, in the cortex and nuclei of the cerebellum as well as in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. 18 disease cases triggered by the Siberian TEV subtypes in residents of the Western and Eastern Siberia and of Central Russia (Yaroslavl Region), including 7 acute TBE cases (5 lethal outcomes), as well as 11 chronic TBE cases are analyzed. The viral RNA was found in the cortex, medulla oblongata, horn and in the cervical part of the spinal cord of those diseased of acute TBE. Sequences of genotyped strains were presented to Gen Bank, NCBI (AY363846-AY363865).