Rospotrebnadzor confirmed the appearance in Russia of "Kraken" - a new strain of omicron

The first case of infection with the omicron subvariant virus - XBB.1.5 "kraken” was recorded in the Penza region. About it informed Rospotrebnadzor on the official website on January 12.

The XBB family appeared a few months ago and has attracted the attention of scientists because it contains mutations that avoid the formation immunity more than other omicron lines.

Most of the infections with the XBB.1.5 variant were registered in the United States: in the last week of 2022, the Kraken accounted for 40% of all detected cases.

In Russia, the VA.5 omicron line is currently dominant, the strains of which are transmitted more easily than the Delta variants. The latter dominated the country in the second half of 2021 and were detected in isolated cases in the fall of 2022. Other strains have not been recorded in recent months, the Rospotrebnadzor added.

The department's laboratories continue to constantly monitor the circulation of coronavirus variants in Russia.