Non-specific prevention of acute respiratory viral infections in naval personnel

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVIs) consistently maintain a leading position in the structure of infectious diseases in the Russian Federation. The main causative agents of the disease are viruses capable of causing diverse clinical forms – from mild symptoms to severe pneumonia. For military personnel of the Navy, especially during long voyages, the risk of contracting ARVIs becomes particularly high, as confined spaces and close contact between people contribute to the rapid spread of diseases, necessitating the development of new methods of prevention and control.
Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches to the non-specific prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections during long voyages among Navy military personnel.
Materials and Methods. An observational study involved military personnel of the Russian Navy (150 individuals, mean age 29.77±6.3 years) in 2024. The incidence and health status during the voyage were assessed against the background of using intranasal human recombinant interferon alfa-2b. Participants in Group 1 (75 individuals) received intranasal interferon alfa-2b twice daily for one month before and after the voyage. The control group (Group 2) also consisted of 75 individuals. Questionnaires utilizing self-rated health tests and analysis of outpatient medical data were applied. Statistical processing of the obtained results was performed on Windows 10 operating systems using Statistica-8 and SPSSv.20 software.
Results and Discussion. In the first month of the study, ARVIs were detected in 11% of military personnel in Group 1, who used intranasal interferon alfa-2b, and in 72% of military personnel in Group 2 (p<0.05). In Group 1, all disease cases were mild, and the interferon dosage was increased to 15,000-18,000 IU. The illness lasted on average 3±1.1 days and was not accompanied by complications. In Group 2, 17% of military personnel experienced a moderate severity of illness with febrile fever and catarrhal symptoms, requiring antibacterial therapy. During the voyage, no ARVI cases were recorded in Group 1, while in Group 2, such cases were diagnosed in 8% of individuals, with re-infections in 7%. One month after the voyage, 28% of military personnel from Group 1 contracted ARVIs, but the disease was mild and lasted up to 4 days, without complications or the use of antibacterial drugs. In Group 2, ARVIs were registered in 72% of individuals, with a mean duration of 14 days; 38% of them required antibacterial drugs due to the development of bacterial complications, and 7% were hospitalized.
Conclusions. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of additional measures of non-specific pharmacological prevention of ARVIs in closed communities. Continuous epidemiological monitoring and improvement of prevention methods are important for maintaining the combat readiness of the army

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