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Anthrax remains relevant in the world and in the Russian Federation. In Siberia and the Far East, epizootological, epidemiological, environmental and microbiological monitoring of anthrax is constantly carried out. To analyze the epizootological and epidemiological situation of anthrax, we used the information from veterinary institutions and Rospotrebnadzor for 24 regions, as well as reference and archive materials. On the territory of Siberia and the Far East for the period from 1985 to 2023, pronounced epizootological and epidemiological problems of anthrax are observed in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Buryatia, Omsk Region and the Altai Territory. Over the last five-year observation period, high epizootic activity has been observed in the west of the Republic of Tyva. A total of 3,375 livestock animals and 128 people fell ill. The anthrax database contains information on 7,491 stationary anthrax-infected points in 22 subjects and 562 anthrax burials and cattle burials in 17 subjects of Siberia and the Far East. B. anthracis strains have slight variability in biological properties and belong to two global genetic lines – A and B. In order to prevent anthrax, it is necessary to ensure surveillance of soil foci of anthrax (anthrax burials and cattle burials, “plague fields”), a high level of livestock animals registration and their specific vaccination coverage; to control the implementation of veterinary and sanitary requirements for pre-mortem inspection and emergency slaughter of livestock, the sale of meat and meat products, and biological waste disposal; to carry out explanatory work among the population.

The aim of the study was to analyze the epizootiological and epidemiological situation in the Primorsky Territory (1919–2020) and to zone the administrative districts in regard to anthrax. Materials and methods. Accounting and reporting documents, information and archival materials were collected and analyzed, statistical reference books and literature sources were used. A comprehensive epizootiological and epidemiological survey of 12 supposed places of anthrax burials and cattle burial grounds was carried out, and their biological hazard assessed. Results and discussion. Within the framework of updating the Cadastre of stationary potentially hazardous as regards anthrax areas in the Russian Federation (2005), the number of infected farm animals and human cases was specified: according to official data, over the period of 1930–1979, the disease in 173 animals and 34 people with five deaths was registered in 82 stationary unfavorable for anthrax areas of 22 municipalities of the region. Together with the veterinary service of the region, an audit of 12 supposed places of anthrax burials in seven districts of the region was conducted. Based on the results of a comprehensive epizootiological and epidemiological survey, high biological hazard was established for 2 and potential one – for 1 anthrax burials. The culture of Bacillus anthracis isolated on the territory of Primorsky Territory belongs to one of the canonical SNP clusters – A.Br.008/009 of the global genetic line A (subgroup A1). Five criteria for assessing the epizootiological and epidemiological disadvantage for anthrax and the ranking of indicators of the administrative territories in the region have been determined. Zoning of the administrative territories of the region according to risk of anthrax has been carried out. Prophylactic anti-epizootic and anti-epidemic measures have been put forward.

The aim of the study was to analyze the state of stationary potentially hazardous areas as regards anthrax in the Primorsky Territory and update the Cadastre of stationary potentially hazardous as regards anthrax areas (SPHA) of the Russian Federation (2005).Materials and methods. The collection and survey of accounting and reporting documents, archival and informational materials, records on anthrax from veterinary institutions, Rospotrebnadzor, municipalities by the 72 registered anthrax SPHA of the Primorsky Territory have been carried out. The reference book of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic’s settlements endemic for anthrax (1976), the Cadastre of the stationary potentially hazardous as regards anthrax areas in the Russian Federation (2005) were used.Results and discussion. The description of anthrax cases in the Primorsky Territory goes back to 1894, the official registration of the disease – since 1919. The last cases of the disease in farm animals and population were noted in Kavalerovsky and Oktyabrsky districts in 1979. When updating the SPHA (2005), information on 82 dormant sites of the Territory in 22 municipal and six urban districts was clarified. In six districts of the Territory, anthrax was not officially registered. Most of the SPHAs are centered on the Khanka plain, where the network of transport routes, the largest number of livestock and population are concentrated. The data on the number of sick animals and people over a period of 1919–1929 have not survived, and in the period between 1980 and 2020 anthrax was not reported in the region. 173 animals and 34 humans were diagnosed with anthrax in 1929–1979 in Primorye. High epizootic activity was noted in the period of 1919–1941. In the Asian part of the Russian Federation, Primorsky Territory belongs to the regions under a mild epizootic and epidemiological disadvantage as regards anthrax. Monitoring of anthrax has shown that the persistence of the pathogen in the soils of ten districts of the Territory could be facilitated by the absence of soil toxicity (86,8 %) and an average nutritional value (23,5 %) in relation to the anthrax microbe.

Assessment of a particular territory by its epidemiological significance is very relevant in the light of widespread occurrence of new coronavirus infection, COVID-19, in the Russian Federation.Objective. Detection of the epidemiological features and revealing trends in the epidemic process of new coronavirus infection in the Irkutsk Region and forecasting of its spread.Materials and methods. An operational analysis of the epidemiological situation on COVID-19 in the Irkutsk Region as of August 16, 2020 was performed. Restrictive measures were substantiated based on the calculation of the infection spread rate (Rt).Results and discussion. Irkutsk Region remained one of the adverse territories as regards human COVID-19 incidence in the Siberian Federal District and the Russian Federation as of August 16, 2020. The gradual dynamics of the epidemic process was revealed: at the first stage of the epidemic development it was facilitated by the imported cases from affected countries and regions of the Russian Federation, and subsequently by local transmission. The incidence increase was registered 2 months later than in central regions of the Russian Federation. Currently there is a consistent downward trend. The increase in the cases prevailed among rotation workers staying for shift and seasonal activities in the administrative center and northern districts of the Irkutsk Region. The epidemic pattern was determined by gender, age and social characteristics. It is demonstrated that the risk of the new coronavirus infection is determined by the intensity of contacts in family foci, the spread of infection in medical organizations and a significant proportion of asymptomatic carriers. High lethality rates (0.7 %) and mortality rates (31.1 o / oooo) were established among persons over 65 years. The stationary time series observed since June for changing the Rt-indicator with fluctuations ranging from 0.92 to 1.01 requires maintaining control of restrictive measures with prompt management decisions making based on the evolving epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk Region and taking into account the assessment of its possible complication risks.

Background. Detection of the pathogenicity factors is one of the actual directions in studying of the anthrax causative agent. First of all, it includes the presence of tripartite toxin, capsule and the related structural and regulatory genes. Their presence or absence is defined by structural changes in cellular structure of blood and immunocomplex organs of a macroorganism.Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of subpopulational structure of marrow and peripheral blood cells at anthrax infection in experimental animals and to trace dynamics of the infectious process caused by Bacillus anthracis of different genotypes.Methods. Comparative examination of subpopulational structure of red marrow and peripheral blood cells of white mice in dynamics of the infectious process caused by B. anthracis of different genotypes was conducted. Also, neutrophil maturing index and leucoerythrocytic correlation were calculated in red marrow. Degree of manifestation of neutrophil pathological granularity was revealed in peripheral blood smears stained by the Freifeld’s method. Statistical processing of the received data was conducted using the computer program “Statistics”, version 6 (Novosibirsk). Authentic results were considered if the error probability was less than 0.05 (р < 0.05) in relation to the control.Results. It is revealed that alterations in white mice infected by B. anthracis strains with the same set of plasmids are significantly various.Conclusion. The resulted data permit to assume that the distinction of pathological alterations in peripheral blood and red marrow is probably connected with the other factors of the pathogen invasiveness like enzymatic activity, ability to adhesion and many others.

Objective - development of the unified interdepartmental approach to realization of complex epidemiological and epizootiological inspection of anthrax burials and animal refuses (AB/AR) with law compliance of standard requirements of the administrative, veterinary and sanitary-and-epidemiological legislation for solving the problems of expert estimation of object’s biological hazard, sanitary-protective zoning and rational land tenure. Materials and methods. Standard-methodical documentation and literature sources were analyzed, the official data, reference books, inventory registration and statement documents, information materials and the data of Veterinary Institutions, Rospotrebnadzor, Rosselkhoznadzor, municipal formations and other establishments were used. The data of complex epizootiological and epidemiological investigation of 27 AB/AR in five entities of Siberia and Far East over 2013-2017 were summarized. Results and discussion. For the first time the algorithm was unified and the technique of complex epidemiological and epizootiological inspections of anthrax burials (refuses) with known location was developed according to the requirements of veterinary and sanitary-and-epidemiologic rules to aid the specialists of the Rospotrebnadzor and Veterinary Science Institutions. Introduction of complex epizootiological-and-epidemiological inspection of anthrax burials (refuses) taking into account the retrospective and operative epizootiological-and-epidemiological analysis of the situation on anthrax in the Siberian administrative territory, studying of sanitary-veterinary condition of an object in aggregate with the results of laboratory examinations of samples for anthrax will permit to estimate the biological danger of anthrax burials (refuses), to solve problems of its preservation and/or utilization with the subsequent reduction of the areas of sanitary-protective zone of the object and rational land tenure.

Objective – study of biological and molecular-genetic properties of Bacillus anthraciscultures isolated in the supervised Siberian and Far Eastern territory between 1959 and 2013. Materials and methods. 39 B. anthracisstrains isolated from different specimens in 11 Siberian and Far Eastern constituent entities during epizootic and epidemic complications in terms of anthrax and monitoring of the soil foci were studied. The strains were examined using 16 culturalmorphological and 23 biochemical tests, for virulence, plasmid content, 15 VNTR- and 13 SNP-loci. Results and conclusions. Phenotypic and considerable genotypic heterogeneity of B. anthracisstrains found in the supervised territory was demonstrated. It was determined that 87,2 % of the isolates possessed typical cultural-morphological and biochemical properties. Twenty VNTR-profiles and three canonical SNP-clusters belonging to two global genetic branches A and B were revealed by means of molecular-genetic typing. The data can serve as a genetic marker in the investigation of anthrax cases, potential bioterrorist acts and evaluation of epizootic activity of stationary hazardous as regards anthrax areas in the specified administrative territory. The database «Biological properties of Bacillus anthracisstrains isolated in Siberia and Far East» was generated on the basis of systematization and analysis of the data concerning the origin, biological, molecular-genetic properties of the isolates. The Certificate of State Registration was also received. The database structure is replenishable and can be expanded if new technologies and methods are applied.

The paper presents the data describing historical aspects of anthrax dissemination in Siberia and Far East. This disease has engrained here and spread throughout the entire Asian part of Russia. The majority of the soil anthrax foci are concentrated in the southern entities of the country. Siberia and Far East regions are characterized by low anthrax incidence rates among the population. This is due to the peculiarities of stock-animal farming and low population density. Historically, the establishment of a significant number of stationary hazardous as regards anthrax areas and soil foci is occasioned by the lack of proper veterinary surveillance and support of preventive activities aimed at the disposal of dead animals. Sporadic occurrence of epizootic complications on anthrax in the same areas indicates the persistence of soil anthrax foci.

7201 stationary hazardous as regards anthrax points (SHAP) and 557 anthrax burial places are registered in Siberia and the Far East. Epizootiological and epidemiological situation for anthrax in the Asian part of the Russian Federation is characterized at present by uneven geographical distribution and predominance of old non-manifested shaps (98.9 %), and epizootic outbreaks with epidemic complications (82.5 %). In the Siberian Far North and four southern areas of the region it remains hazardous. Reduction of livestock population in 1990s lead to agricultural animals morbidity decline, thus morbidity among deers dominated (80.2). Sporadic pattern of the epidemic process was observed. The majority of patients were unvaccinated rural population (97.5 %), males (77.5 %), ablebodied citizens infected during constrained slaughtering (90.5 %). Meat and meat products were main transmission factors (96.4 %). Cutaneous anthrax prevailed. Anthrax outbreak in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in 2016 outlined the necessity of effective interdepartmental interaction and optimization of normative regulation on disposal of fallen cattle and condition of anthrax burial places.

Objective of the study is to analyze the situation on anthrax in the Altai Territory and the Republic of Altai in 1985–2015. Materials and methods. Utilized were statistical and report forms provided by the Rospotrebnadzor, veterinary, and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service institutions in the Republic of Altai and Altai Territory, as well as by Altai Plague Control Station. Laboratory investigations of Bacillus anthracis cultures, field and clinical samples was conducted in accordance with Methodological Recommendations 4.2.2413- 08. Results and conclusions. Between 1985–2015, in the Altai Territory, an expressed unfavorable situation on anthrax was observed, defined by the large number of stationary potentially hazardous areas (SPHA) (1262 sites) and their high density (7.68); registration of six novel SPHA in five separate districts; and excess of long-term average annual morbidity rates among live-stock animals (0.111 per 100 thousand animals) and the population (0.022±0.001 о /оооо). The Republic of Altai is classified as a territory with relatively favorable epizootiological-epidemiological situation on anthrax. Current situation on anthrax in this region is characterized by domination of old non-manifesting SPHA; infections among cattle stock on farms and private subsidiary holdings; and registration of sporadic cases among non-vaccinated rural population. The major cause of human infection was participation in compulsory slaughtering, cutting, and skinning of cattle, as well as in cooking of the infected meat (88.2 %). It manifested itself in cutaneous anthrax (94.1 %). Indicated has been an ineffective organization of sanitary-veterinary measures in private holdings and on the farms.

Aim. Analysis of results of ecological and microbiological examination of territories nonwelfare for anthrax in territories of Barguzinsky and Kurumkansky districts of the Republic of Buryatia for justification of prophylaxis measures. Materials and methods. Space photographs were used and area and landscape signs of cattle grave sites were established. 174 samples of soil and 6 samples of bone remains of agricultural animals were obtained and studied. Results. Examination of 15 objects in 12 non-welfare for anthrax stationary points of the Republic of Buryatia was carried out in August 2014. A novel approach to detection of abandoned cattle grave sites, where DNA of Bacillus anthracis had been detected in samples, was developed and proposed. Conclusion. Ecological properties of soils 2 districts of the Republic facilitate prolonged conservation of B.anthracis in the environment. Measures of sanitary clean-up of non-welfare territories, utilization of biological waste and decision on legal status of abandoned objects are recommended.

Based on the reference data on monitoring of natural-focal infections, collected from the institutions of the Federal service for surveillance in the sphere of consumers rights protection and human welfare, estimated are the morbidity rates for natural-focal and zoonotic diseases in Siberia and Far East Region within a period of 9 months, 2013. Established is the scope of laboratory investigations as regards anthrax, brucellosis, tularemia, yersinioses, leptospirosis, borreliosis, rickettsiosis, and a number of viral infections. It is determined that high waters in the Amur River region did not have any considerable impact on the epidemiological situation in 2013, however in 2014 epizootic and epidemic complications are expected to take place, for the prevention of which enhanced package plan is being implemented. The situation on tularemia in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District, and brucellosis - in the Republic of Tyva and Trans-Baikal Region is still tense.

Anthrax animal burial sites and potentially hazardous as regards anthrax territories (PHT) of the three municipal entities in the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) were exposed to the Amur River flood (the Amur River basin, river inflows, and near-by territories), the emergency situation in August-September 2013. In order to estimate epizootiological-epidemiological situation on the infection carried out was retrospective analysis of morbidity rates among the population and the livestock animals of the region. Studied were the peculiarities of anthrax spatial distribution and sanitary conditions of PHT and animal burial sites (including anthrax ones). Laboratory investigations of soil and bone samples for the presence of Bacillus anthracis were conducted. Thus based on the results obtained the short-term forecast for epidemiological situation development in the post-flood period was worked out, and a complex of anti-anthrax actions was recommended.

Carried out is the analysis of epizootiological and epidemiological situation on anthrax in the Republics of Altai, Buryatia and Tuva and the Trans-Baikal Region bordering Mongolia for the period of 1985–2010. The Republics of Buryatia and Tuva, and the Trans-Baikal Region are the territories with unsafe epizootiological and epidemiological situation, while the Altai Republic is relatively safe territory in this regard. Long extension of frontiers, intensification of trade and economic cooperation, passenger and cargo traffic increase, and existence of soil foci predetermine the necessity of inter-state partnership in monitoring these foci and making forecast on anthrax epizootiological and epidemiological situation.

Carried out is the analysis of scientific-methodological approaches to the development of algorithm for epizootic and epidemiological investigation of anthrax cases in the administrative territory. Put forward are five criteria of analysis for epidemiological investigation of anthrax sporadic cases and outbreaks, in order to develop the package of administrative, informational, anti-epizootic, anti-epidemic, and preventive measures, aimed at localization and elimination of anthrax focus.

Epizootological and epidemiological anthrax situation in Siberia in 2000—2011 was analyzed. On the basis of the situation evaluation and. geographical demarcation of Siberia territory the anthrax morbidity was prognosed

Approbation of the experimental series of latex agglutination and immune chromatography test-systems was carried out for identification of Bacillus anthracis spores and vegetative cells respectively. These test-systems are suitable for rapid diagnostics of anthrax and have a number of advantages over already-existing commercial tests.