Possible use of compound-specific isotope analysis (GC-C-IRMS) was assessed using 255 meat samples from 24 countries. Upon results of isotope ratio (δ¹³C) determination in amino acids after gas chromatographic separation samples were classified using Support Vector Machines and linear discriminate analysis. Prognosis accuracy was 65-75%. Despite the fact that the use of compound analysis only provides low identification accuracy there's a possibility to considerably increase reliability of classification in combination with other data by means of extending dimension by the number of variables.

The paper demonstrates results of testing food products and raw materials for Listeria monocytogenes in 2011-2016. In 2011, the share of detected positive samples amounted to 0.3% (n=1100), in 2016 the detection level amounted to 7% (n=698). Basic types of products containing Listeria monocytogenes include meat and semi-finished meat products (87.2%; n=34), poultry meat and semi-finished poultry meat products (10.3%; n=4), and pasteurized cream (2.6%; n=1). The test results showed that all Listeria monocytogenes isolates demonstrated resistance to cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and fluroquinolones.

The paper presents the results of testing of RTE dairy products submitted to the FGBI “ARRIAH” Testing Centre in 2016 for Coliform identification. The species diversity of isolated bacteria was identified, properties of common Coliforms were characterized and possible sources of contamination were analyzed. Escherichia, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Raoultella, Klebsiella, Cronobacter were identified. The detection rate of E. coli was 61.3%, which suggests post pasteurization contamination of dairy products from production environment.

Analytical review of literature on various factors influencing microbiological spoilage of food products and raw food materials, methods for microbiological spoilage process management and for determination of food product expiry dates and shelf-lives is presented in the paper.

The paper presents analysis of published data and results of epizootic examination of FMD-infected regions associated with migration of FMD-susceptible wild ruminants. Their role in disease spread has been demonstrated. The necessity to carry out regular epizootic monitoring of wild animal populations for FMD and other highly dangerous diseases has been justified.

The paper summarizes the data on biological characteristics of argasid ticks, their involvement in ASF epidemiology in Europe and Russian Federation. Infectious diseases transmission by tick bites is a serious medical and veterinary problem. Viral replication in ticks is one of the factors contributing to formulation of ASF virus populations with different levels of glycosylation. Isolates recovered from ticks are characterized by genome changes in the form of DNA point mutations. Natural virus passages in ticks may lead to emergence of new variants of the virus.

The paper presents the history and analyzes onset of ASF manifestations in the EU countries in 2014. The timeline and locations of outbreak occurrence were studied. During 2014 the situation was exponentially aggravating. The disease was reported in wild boars and pigs as well as on commercial pig farms and large pig establishments. The main causes of the disease spread were large uncontrolled wild boar populations and a great number of small farms with a low biosecurity level.

Monitoring of antibacterial resistance of 9 infectious Coryza (Haemophilus infection) isolates recovered in the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in 2015 was performed. Most of the isolates were sensitive to aminopenicillins (55.5%), III-IV generation cephalosporins (100%), and florfenicol (100%). Most of the isolates were resistant to gentamycine, erythromycin, chlortetracycline and sulfamethoxazole with trimethoprim. All isolates demonstrated resistance to tilmicosin, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, lincomycin and neomycin.

Data on the study of immunobiological properties of a novel lumpy skin disease virus strain LSD Cattle/Dagestan/2015 are presented in the paper. In the course of the research it was found that the obtained strain is biologically active, free from contamination with foreign biological agents. It is type specific and with its immunobiological characteristics meets the standards and requirements set before virus strains used for vaccine and diagnostic production.

Antibodies were shown in blood of lambs vaccinated once with anti-sheep pox virus vaccine based "ARRIAH" strain at the age of one, two and three months and their titres were age-dependant. It was demonstrated that the sheep were resistant to the disease if their mean postvaccinal virus neutralizing antibody titres were within (1.75 ± 0.16)-(2.34 ± 0.24) log₂. The regression models characterizing relationship between humoral factor levels and protective function of anti-sheep pox virus immunity in sheep were constructed. It was determined that 78% and 91% of animals in the flock should be seropositive with mean antibody titres of 1.43 log₂ and 1.97 log₂ to ensure protection of 80% and 95% of immunized animals, respectively.