Avian influenza is a highly contagious avian viral disease notifiable to the World Organiza­tion for Animal Health that causes huge economic losses and poses a great threat to poultry farms worldwide. A total of 60,697 serum samples from poultry and 581 serum samples from wild and synanthropic birds were submitted to the Reference Laboratory for Avian Viral Diseases of the FGBI “ARRIAH” (Vladimir) from 34 regions in 2017–2018 in the frame­work of monitoring carried out by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation. Antibodies to type A avian influenza virus were detected with laboratory tests in backyard poultry in the Smolensk Oblast and Republic of Crimea, antibodies to A/H5 AIV were found in backyard poultry in the Altai Krai, Rostov and Kaliningrad Oblasts, antibodies to A/H9 AIV were found in backyard poultry in the Primorsky Krai. Antibodies against A/H9 AIV were also detected in non-vaccinated chickens kept at two poultry establishments located in the Primorsky Krai in 2018. The immunity in backyard poultry in the Russian Federation Subjects covered by scheduled preventive vaccination against A/H5 AIV was found to be insufficient. Obtained test results indicated that the virus circulation in bird populations in the Russian Federation and persistent risk of avian influenza spread to poultry establishments and backyard poultry.  

Different liquid nutrient media supplemented with growth factors intended for Avibacterium paragallinarum strain No. 5111 cultivation were com­pared. The highest specific growth rate (μ = 0.787 ± 0.041 h-1) and the maximal accumulation of the agent’s biomass (Х = 9.52 ± 0.04 lg CFU/ cm3) were reported when cultured in casein soybean broth. Herewith, the mean time of the live microbial cell concentration doubling was minimal (td = 0.88 h), and the exponential growth phase lasted for 6 hours. The optimal method for Avibacterium paragallinarum cultivation in casein soy­bean broth in laboratory bioreactor Biotron LiFlus GX was determined through the measurements and adjustment of basic physical and chemical parameters. The time period until the culture reached the stationary growth phase was maximal with aeration at 1.0 l/min; herewith, the O2 partial pressure in the nutrient medium did not exceed 25%. The period of the intense decrease of medium’s pH was accompanied with the exponential phase of the bacterial growth. The nutrient medium’s pH ranging from 7.30 ± 0.02 to 7.90 ± 0.06 had no significant impact on the specific growth rate of the strain and the lag phase duration was minimal – 0.36–0.45 h. The strain cultivation in the nutrient medium with pH 7.90 ± 0.06 demonstrated maximal aggregation of the bacteria (9.76 ± 0.04 lg CFU/cm3). 40% glucose solution added at 0.6-0.8 g/l during cultivation facilitated the decrease of the suspension’s pH. Minimal redox value (–75 mV) was indicative of the completion of the exponential phase of the strain growth.  

Wild animals can be a potential source of livestock infectious diseases. This problem is particularly relevant in the areas of distant-pasture cattle rearing where wild and domestic animals often contact on pastures and near watering places. Therefore, dzerens (or Mon­golian gazelles) migrating from the border areas of Mongolia and China to the Russian Federation can be the source of infection in wildlife. In this connection, the determination of the role of wild dzeren gazelles in the spread of foot and mouth disease is an urgent task. The paper presents information collection and epizootological data analysis with regard to dzeren migration from Mongolia to the the Zabaykalsky Krai (the Russian Federation) for the period of 1992–2018. The FMD epidemic situation in the the Zabaykalsky Krai (the Russian Federation), Mongolia, and China in 2005–2018 is given. FMD virus serotypes that caused outbreaks in the the Zabaykalsky Krai of the Russian Federation from 2006 to 2018 were correlated with the serotypes identified in Mongolia. Biomaterial samples from 20 dzerens were tested in the FGBI “ARRIAH” Laboratory and Diagnosis Center. The labora­tory testing results have confirmed FMD virus circulation in the population of dzerens migrating to the border areas of the Russian Federation from the adjacent areas of Mongolia. The potential threat of the FMD virus introduction into the territory of the Zabaykalsky Krai of the Russian Federation by wild animals is specified. The necessity of arranging FMD surveillance system in the population of susceptible wild migratory animals is also justified.  

Due to the lack of effective tools of ASF specific prevention it is evident that early diagnosis is one of the most important and resultative ways of the disease control. However, contemporary diagnosis is a complex component of any effective surveillance system. Latest scientific achievements facilitated not only highly specific and sensitive but also rapid methods of laboratory diagnosis. Nevertheless, further development, improvement and expansion of ASF diagnosis techniques including rapid tests is a topical task of a great concern. The research is devoted to development of rapid test methods for rapid detection of antibodies to ASFV in blood sera of infected animals as well as to analysis of their use effectiveness. The following methods were suggested: immunoperoxidase monolayer assay using fixed cell line (ASFV permissive CV-1 cell-line infected with the virus strain ASF/ARRIAH/CV-1) and latex agglutination test using ASFV p30 recombinant protein. The performed research demonstrated the effectiveness of the applied techniques for ASF serological diagnosis. Latex agglutination test and immunoperoxidase monolayer assay give rapid and high quality test results (within 1–2 hours). The advantage of the specified methods as compared to ELISA is their simplicity and the possibility of use in conditions of limited technical support.  

Results of tests of sheep and goat poxviruses for their reproduction in primary and subcultured cell cultures derived from lamb and goat kid kidneys and testicles are presented. Monolayer cultures were subcultured by 5 passages in plastic vials and infected with sheep and goat poxviruses. It was shown that production ARRIAH strain of sheep pox virus and ARRIAH 2003 strain of goat pox virus successfully propagated both in primary lamb and goat kid kidney and testicle cell cultures and lamb and goat kid kidney and testicle cell subcultures. Activity of sheep and goat poxviruses passaged 5 times was 5.5–6.0 lg TCID50/cm3. Taking into account that modern cell cultivation conditions allow primary trypsinized cell populations subcultivation up to 25–30th passage, subcultures together with continuous cell lines can be used for large-scale sheep and goat poxvirus production and research purposes.

The paper presents experimental study results of the cytopathic effect of peste de petits ruminants virus on a goat gonad continuous cell line (YaDK-04). The interaction of peste de petits ruminants virus with cells at different stages of its reproduction was shown using a combination of phase-contrast and luminescent microscopy. It was found that at the initial stage of interaction (20–24 hours) the cells became rounded and de-adhered, and the monolayer was partially loosened. On day 2 post reproduction the most part of the culture monolayer affected by the virus began to destruct, and the cell nuclei were displaced to periphery. At the terminal stage (72 hours) the destruction of monolayer cells and cytoplasmic matrix, deformation and partial lysis of the nuclei and cytoplasm, aggregation of detritus occurred. At the final stage of reproduction (96 hours) the peste de petits ruminants virus diffused into the culture medium, the fluorescence in the yellow spectrum decreased significantly, but the virus titer reached 6.89 lg TCD50/cm3.

The index of nidality is the value quantitatively characterizing the activity of the animal infection nidus and grounded on the contagiousness, which is an immanent property of a contagious disease. A detailed statistical analysis of the number of animals being exposed in anthrax nidi globally, based on ProMED and WAHIS summarized data for 2007–2017, is given in the paper. 195 anthrax nidi/outbreaks with n = 12,423 animals (64 animal per outbreak in average) and the largest range of limits from min 1 to max 2600 were taken into consideration. The highest incidence (p) of anthrax (from 27 to 7) accounts for outbreaks, where minimum animals (from 1 to 7) were exposed. The indices of anthrax nidality, which are closest to reality and calculated using statistically reliable sample of average variants (number of outbreaks, exposed animals, mortality) for basic animal species, taken as a percentage of infected animals per one outbreak in average are 11% (from 0,6 to 19) for cattle; 4% (from 1 to 20) for small ruminants; 7% (from 6 to 33) for horses.

A retrospective assessment of control results with regard to completeness and quality of the implementation by state authorities of the Subjects of the Russian Federation of the powers of the Russian Federation in the field of veterinary medicine transferred to them has been carried out. It was shown that in the period from 2014 to 2016 the veterinary services of the RF subjects implemented 21,337 measures on establishment and lifting of restrictive measures/quarantine based on the occurrence of animal diseases. The study revealed that in quite a significant number of cases on establishment and lifting of restrictive measures and quarantine the veterinary services of the subjects of the Russian Federation violated the legislation of the Russian Federation. Based on the criterion “quality indicator of measures implemented by the veterinary service during the establishment/lifting of restrictive measures (quarantine) in the territory of the subject of the Russian Federation” introduced in this study, the estimated levels were determined and the quality levels of the performance of veterinary services of the subjects of the Russian Federation with regard to implementation of powers transferred to them on establishment and lifting of restrictive measures/quarantine were determined. After summarizing the results it was found that only in 37 out of 74 analyzed RF Subjects the implementation of restriction /quarantine measures was carried out at an acceptable level, and the veterinary services in 59 subjects of the country (out of 70 analyzed) showed an incompliant level of performance quality during lifting restrictions/quarantine. The retrospective analysis shows that the situation regarding quality of the implementation by government authorities of the Subjects of the Russian Federationof the powers of the Russian Federation transferred to them in the field of veterinary medicine is quite tense and causes concern. The conducted research led to understanding that the aim of the inspections should not only be assessment of compliance of the veterinary service’s activities with the regulatory acts, but systematization and analysis of violation types, as well as development and implementation of corrective measures.

Multiple researches demonstrate that both invasive diseases and use of anthelmintcs adversely affect horse immunity harming the gut flora. Macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics are proved to be highly effective agents but there is insufficient knowledge of their effect on the horse antibody immunity. The issue of immune system correction by the probiotic agents is also underreported. The paper demonstrates the results of the effect made by parascaridosis and strongylidosis invasion and deworming using the macrocyclic lactone drug on some parameters of antibody response in horses. Data on effect of probiotic Bioxymin horse on blood serum bacteriocidal and lysozyme activity were reported for the first time. The research was performed from December 2018 to January 2019. The results demonstrated that helminthic invasion and anthelmintic drug Univerm make depressive effect on some parameters of antibody response in horses. It also has an impact on the extensive efficacy of the anthelmintic agent. Probiotic Bioxymin horse makes a stimulating effect on the antibody response in horses.

Upward trend in the number of human yersiniosis cases, caused by bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica, is globally observed nowadays. This microorganism is widely spread in the environment, able to persist for prolonged periods in animal products and propagate under low temperatures. Basic infection sources are meat and meat products. In order to isolate Yersinia enterocolitica from food and feed samples horizontal method for the detection pursuant to GOST ISO 10273-2013 was used. It was noted, that Yersinia enterocolitica isolation is associated with certain difficulties, because the sample contains only small quantities of the agent and only the use of special techniques allows removing the concurrent microflora. It was proposed to use cold enrich­ment (4 ± 1) °C of the test material before conventional technique is started. The technique was validated pursuant to GOST ISO 16140-2011. As a result, it was established that validated method for Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria detection in food products, performed at the Microbiology Laboratory, is specific. The method sensitivity is 10 CFU/cm3. Intralaboratory reproducibility and repeatability were confirmed by relevant tests. Additional culture step at (4 ± 1) °C allows complete inhibition of non-psychrophilic microorganisms’ growth.