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Natural bee honey is one of compound natural products in which structure more than four hundred various components are revealed, including enzymes, organic acids, vitamins and microelements. One of the basic biological properties of honey is the ability to slow down processes of aging, because there are vitamins E, C, enzymes with antioxidative properties and a succinic acid in its structure. Examination of 193 beekeepers daily using honey in quantity of 57.2 +/- 8.6 gram with definition of their biological age was carried out. The received results have been compared to results of examination of 35 workers who are doing manual labour in the same degree, as the beekeepers, but do not use products of beekeeping. The research has shown that the biological age of 70% of beekeepers is lower than that of the average in population, 15% of beekeepers are of the same and 15% are of higher biological age than that of the average in population. The biological age of people in the group of comparison is lower than the average in population only in 28.6% of cases, corresponds in 31.4% and is higher than the average in population in 40.0% of cases. The biological age of beekeepers appeared not only less, than of the persons who are not using products of beekeeping, but it also is less than biological age of the population as a whole.

The diurnal biting activity of Culex pipiens molestus in rooms of populated houses was studied in August 1998. The highest activity was recorded at 3.00-4.00 a. m., when 25-30 females attacked one volunteer rer 10 minutes.

Fifteen types of biting midges belonging to two families Ceratopogonidae and Leptoconopidae were recorded in the eastern Caspian Sea region. The insect breeding foci and the seasonal and daily activity of flights were determined.

Six species of the genus Anopheles (An. claviger were prevalent, An. messeae and An. hyrcanus were intermediate, and An. martinius, An. algeriensis and An. superpictus were rare) were recorded in the Chu [correction of Chuisk] Valley in the north of the Republic of Kirghizia. Due to the fact that the malaria situation was worsening, the potential epidemiological significance of Anopheles that predominate under the man-made districts of the region under study was comparatively analyzed. Mosquitoes were collected in the 1991-1992 seasons. This paper gives data on the seasonal attacking activity of the predominant Anopheles species in the foothills and lowlands of the Chu River valley. The maximum seasonal attacking activity of mosquitoes has been found to coincide with the time of their greatest numbers and to be in the hot summer period (July-August) that makes it favourable for the causative agents of malaria to develop.

The universally accepted terms Lyme disease of Lyme borreliosis actually apply to the whole group of etiologically independent diseases. This group of diseases is designated as ixodid tick-borne borrelioses (ITBB) in contrast to argasid tick-borne borrelioses (ATBB) associated with soft ticks. Analysis of individual, etiologically specific diseases should be the matter of strategy in researches and diagnostic studies of ITBB. The prevalence of B. garinii and B. afzelii in the greater part of Eurasia is now beyond doubt. To date, ITBB cases have been registered in 46 of 50 Russian regions inhabited by I. persulcatus and I. ricinus ticks. Therefore, a considerable or even a great part of the world range of infections currently collectively called Lyme disease (LD) is located on the territory of Russia. The mean ITBB incidence rates in 1993-1994 was 3.1 per 100,00 inhabitants. Data reflect a considerable progress in ITBB diagnosis, made in the past two or three years rather than an increase in morbidity rates. The greatest incidence of ITBB is registered in the Ural and west Siberian regions (27 and 17.2%, respectively). In the following years, provided IBBT diagnosis and surveillance are properly organized, the eastern regions of Russia would account for the highest ITBB morbidity. Prognosis is that at least 10,000 to 12,000 new ITBB cases may be annually detected in Russia. ITBB affects mainly adult able-bodied persons. However, in 1993-1994 children under 14 years of age accounted for 1.4% of the total number of cases in Russia. On the whole, the proportion of city dwellers among ITBB patients was 84%, amounting to as high as 90-94% in some regions. The mean ITBB morbidity rate for the rural population in 1993-1994 was 1.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 1993-1994 IFA was regularly performed only in 21 regions. Analysis of paired serum samples obtained from suspected ITBB patients in due time yielded positive results in 65-70% of cases. To identify fresh ITBB cases more thoroughly, at least 200,000 persons should undergo serological testing every year. This number is approximately 25 times greater than the actual number of these tests annually performed in Russia. In this connection, IFA will retain for several years its contribution to a conventional laboratory test routinely used in Russia.

The results of the investigation of the distribution of the synanthropic mosquito Culex pipiens in dwelling buildings in Nehryungri in 1992-1993 are reported. It has been recovered that this mosquito species inhabits all stone buildings and therefore it is a very important problem for city people in the region of investigation.

Contacts with Ixodes persulcatus Sch. and the carriers' infestation with encephalitis virus have been studied for many years in middle taiga forests of the Khabarovsk Territory. The results of the studies have been compared. The risk of contacts with ticks invaded with varying virus doses has been assessed. It has been established that clinical forms of the disease develop upon bites of highly infected ticks. The number of such ticks in the natural focus is an important index of its potential danger. This must be taken into consideration as the most important factor of possible infection and used as a real index in the modelling of an epidemic process.

6000 adult punkies were collected from man and animals over a period of 15 years in the Taimyr and Evenki Autonomous Okrugs of Krasnoyarsk Territory. Four species Culicoides chiopterus, C. pulicaris, C. fascipennis, C. alatavicus are reported from tundra and forest-tundra of Taimyr (68 degrees 00'-73 degrees 13' N). Punkies of the above species are small in number and do not occur all over the region. In northern and middle taiga of Evenkia (60 degrees 20'-65 degrees 45' N) punkies are very abundant and occur everywhere. 7 species C. obsoletus, C. chiopterus, C. punctatus, C. pulicaris, C. grisescens, C. fascipennis, C. helveticus are reported from this region. A relative abundance of punkies in the complex of bloodsucking Diptera during a summer period in different landscape zones is shown. Their seasonal and daily activity is shown and maximum levels of attacking man, reindeer and dog are given.