The present study aimed to determine the role of human parvovirus В19 (B19V) as an aetiological agent in measles and rubella negative fever/rash patients from Bulgaria between 2004 and 2013. A total of 1,266 sera from all over the country were tested for B19V IgM antibodies and all positives were further investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 280 sera (22%) were B19V IgM positive and 227 of these (81%) were also PCR positive. The highest number of IgM positives was found among five to nine year-old children (27%). Eight infected women gave birth to healthy children; one fetus was aborted with hydrops fetalis. Of the 55 genetic sequences obtained, 54 belonged to genotype 1a and one grouped as a genotype 2 outlier. Phylogenetic analysis of all available genotype 2 sequences covering the 994 nucleotide non-structural protein 1(NS1)/capsid viral protein 1 (VP1) unique region junction, showed that only one other sequence grouped with the outlier strain, forming a clearly distinct and well-supported cluster of genotype 2 (between-group genetic distance: 3.32%). In accordance with B19V nomenclature, this cluster may represent a new subgenotype 2b. The study showed that B19V infections may be falsely identified as rubella or measles in ca 22% of cases, emphasising the need for laboratory confirmation.

The present study aimed to determine the involvement of the parvovirus B19 (HPVB19) as an etiological agent in individuals with fever-rash infections but not infected with rubella during the rubella outbreak (2005) in Bulgaria. A total of 194 serum samples with negative results for measles and rubella-specific IgM antibodies were tested in the National Reference Laboratory. The individuals aged 5–52 years (mean age 17.2 ± 10.15) were divided into four age groups: 5–14; 15–24; 25–34; and 35+ years old. Serological (indirect enzyme immunoassay – EIA) and molecular (extraction and detection of HPVB19-DNA) methods were used. A genotyping assay of the NS1-PCR product was proceeded with the MfeI restriction enzyme. Out of the total number of samples, 95 samples (48.97%) tested positive for HPVB19-IgM and 109 (56.18%) for HPVB19-DNA. The results from the genotyping assay revealed that genotype 1 (prototype B19) was dominant in 106 from 109 samples (97.25%), while genotype 3 (prototype V9) was detected in only 3 (2.75%). Subjects whose sera tested positive for IgM and had a positive PCR result formed a group that was most frequently linked (in 40% of cases) to acute infection. The highest prevalence was established in the group of the school-age children (5–14 years). The combined application of serological and molecular methods confirms the etiological role of HPVB19, and including virus genotyping, confirms the involvement of HPVB19 in the etiological palette of febrile rash diseases and provides a correct differential diagnostic approach.

Using a standard plaque assay and clinical strains of Herpes Simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1), we have tested the ability of two titanium (Ti)-content complexes-Titanocene Dichloride (Cp 2 TiCl 2) and Titanocene Y. Virus was treated by incubation at 37 o C with both complexes in cell culture media and was then diluted and plated onto human embryonic lung fibroblast cells MRC-5 for detection and quantitation of remaining infectious virus. Of one randomly chosen clinical HSV 1 (TM strain), sensitive to acyclovir (ACV), was inactivated > 98% by treatment in vitro with 0.01µM Titanocene Y for 2h. The effect was concentration dependent. With an HSV 1 strain, 0.01µM Titanocene Y or Cp 2 TiCl 2 caused 99% inactivation, 0.001µM caused 98 to 99% inactivation, and 0.0001µM caused 63 to 86% inactivation. Short (5 min) treatments of selected isolate with Titanocene Y or Cp 2 TiCl 2 yielded inactivation rates of 0 to 55%. We assumed also that Titanocene Y or Cp 2 TiCl 2 could be able to affect negatively not only virus DNA synthesis but also another virus target. The data obtained show that: (i) the 300bp relatively stable region during a short period of viral replication corresponding to ReIV is amplified in non-treated viral control, but not in mock cells and in negative control and (ii) the region was not amplified in Titanocene Y treated samples. The data show that the effect of the suppressive therapy of virus replication by Titanocene Y could be due to the suppression of immediate early Us1 and Us12 genes encoding essential for virus replication products α22-the protein affecting virus ability to replicate, and α47-the protein inhibiting MHC I antigen presentation.

Конюнктивните папиломи представляват 1-16% от всички лезии на конюнктивата при възрастни и 1-10% при деца и подрастващи [1, 2, 3]. От хистологична гледна точка те са доброкачествени новообразувания на плоскоклетъчния епител на конюнктивата, характеризиращи се с пръстовидни проекции, които имат фиброваскуларно ядро и са покрити от акантотичен плоскоклетъчен епител [4]. Морфологично могат да имат екзофитен (на краче или на широка основа), обърнат или смесен растеж [5]. Наблюдават