In 2018, between June14 and July 15, final matches of the FIFA World Cup-2018 were held in 11 cities of the Russian Federation. That event was the biggest mass event with international participation in the history of Russia. During the period, in the process of sanitary-epidemiological welfare provision, developed earlier scintific-and-practical achievementds for prevention of emergency situations of sanitary-epidemiologoical character were implemented to the fullest extent. Objective of the study – analysis of evolution of the developed in Russia scientifically-substantiated approaches in the sphere of sanitary-epidemiological welfare provision of mass events and aggregation of the results of their implementation during preparation and holding of FIFA World-Cup-2018. Utilized were information-analytical materials from the Rospotrebnadzor Administrations by the constituent entities of the Russian Federatuion, Centers of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the entities of the Russian Federation, RusRAPI “Microbe” of the Rospotrebnadzor, data from Organizing Committee “Russia-2018”, Federal Turism Agency, information published in periodical press. Scientifically substantiated model of sanitary-epidemiological welfare provision during mass events was developed in the Russian Federation. It includes expert evaluation and quantification of potential epidemic hazard of mass event which allows for targeted prophylactic and anti-epidemic measures with rationalized loads and adequate frequency of repeat. The paper discusses the complex of measures carried out during preparation and holding of FIFA World Cup-2018 by the functional areas: sanitary protection of the territory; epidemiological surveillnace over relevant  anthropozoonotic, natural-focal zoonotic, sapronotic infectious diseaseas; sanitary surveillance over communal facilities, catering facilities, sites of accomodation of the participants and guests; sanitary-hygienic monitoring of ambient environment objects; provision of anti-epidemic preparadeness and readiness of the Rospotrebnadzor authorities and institutions and medical organizations; provision of readiness of laboratory facilities; involvement of additional forces and capacities and interagency cooperation in response to emergency situations of sanitary-epidemiological character. 

The epidemic rise in the incidence of West Nile fever (WNF) in the season of 2018 was observed in the countries of the European Union (EU) and bordering states and exceeded the values of all previously recorded epidemic rises of 2010–2012. An increase in the incidence rate was registered in the USA and Canada, however, it did not exceed the indicators of epidemic rises of 2007–2012. In the territory of the Russian Federation, the WNF epidemiological process became more intense mainly in the territory of the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts. In general, in Russia, the incidence rates were 2 times lower than the average annual rates, but significantly exceeded those of 2017. The epidemic process had a number of peculiarities in the seasonality, the structure of morbidity and the clinical manifestation of WNF. Genotyping of the isolated WNV RNA fragments from clinical and biological material showed that I, II and IV West Nile virus genotypes were circulating in the European part of Russia. Forecast of epidemic situation development in 2019 reveals further increase in the incidence and does not exclude the possibility of a significant local
increase of WNF incidence in certain regions of Russia. 

The review presents the analysis of epidemic and epizootic situation on Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHF)
in the Russian Federation in 2009–2018. Over the past decade, 980 CHF cases have been registered in Russia (2,8 %
lethal). In 2009–2018, there was a significant expansion of the epidemiologically active area of the natural CHF focus.
Epizootiological monitoring of the territory of natural CHF focus showed that in 2009–2018 the number of imago and
preimaginal phases of Hyalomma marginatum – the main vector of the CCHF virus in Russia, remained consistently high.
The average long-term rate of Ixodidae ticks infestation by the CCHF virus in 2013–2017 was 3,3 %. In 2009–2018 in the south of the European part of Russia CCHF virus variants belonging to the genetic lines Europe-1 (V), Europe-3 (VII) and Africa-3 (III) were detected. There were no significant changes in the ratio of circulating genetic variants of the virus in the regions of the Russian Federation, which confirms the relative stability of the CCHF virus population. In 2018, CHF morbidity rate in the Russian Federation retained downward trend, however, in some regions of South Federal District the number of CHF cases increased. One of the reasons for CHF morbidity rate decrement in the Russian Federation in 2018 was the well-timed acaricidal treatments of cattle and natural biotopes in most of CHF endemic regions. 

Objective of the study – assessment of epizootic and epidemic situation on tularemia in 2018 and forecasting the risk of infection in the territory of the Russian Federation in 2019. Analysis of epidemiological situation was carried out on the basis of the data from monitoring activities performed by the Rospotrebnadzor institutions and the data contained in the reports of the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and Far East, Plague Control Center, Federal Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, as well as federal statistical survey forms No 5 “Information on preventive vaccination” and No 2 “Information on infectious and parasitic  diseases” over the period of January-December 2018 in eight Federal Districts including 85 constituent entities. Given are the retrospective data on tularemia epidemic situation in the territory of the Russian Federation over the past decade. 1944 human tularemia cases were registered in Russia between 2009 and 2018, 1005 out of which occurred during epidemic outbreak in 2013 in Khanty-Manssiysk Autonomous Region. High sporadic and small cluster incidence was mainly observed in the territories of the North-estern and Siberian Federal Districts over the recent years. In 2018, 71 cases of human infection with tularemia agent were reported. Epizootic manifestations of varying degree of intensity were detected in 52 entities of Russia. Against that background, sporadic cases of human infection were registered in 19 regions of the country. For three years epidemic complications expressed to the maximum were observed in the Omsk Region – 18 cases of tularemia infection, and Karelia – 14 cases, respectively. 15 Francisella tularensis cultures were isolated from ambient  environment objects in Pskov, Leningrad Regions, Altai Territory, Republics of Altai and Tuva. Conclusions have been drawn in relation to the regions where epidemic complications associated with tularemia are most likely to emerge in 2019. 

Analyzed was modern epidemiological situation on highly pathogenic avian flu in 2018. Prognosis for possible further distribution of viruses in the territory of Russia was made. In 2018, the situation on highly pathogenic avian flu in Russia was challenging. This was due to the spread of the viruses clade 2.3.4.4, which caused multiple outbreaks among wild birds and poultry in European part of Russia. In addition, A/H5N6 avian influenza virus circulation was for the first time detected in the Saratov Region during routine avian influenza virus surveillance. In May, 2018 two different lineages of avian influenza A/H9N2 were isolated during the outbreaks that occurred at several poultry plants in Primorsk Territory and Amur Region of Russia. Subsequently, that virus subtype continued spreading in Russia, which was recorded by detection of the A/H9N2 influenza virus in wild birds in the Khabarovsk and Tomsk Regions of Russia. Thus, it is shown yet again that the territory of Russia plays an  important geographical role in the spread of avian influenza viruses.

Emergence of large-scale plague outbreaks in Africa and South America countries in the modern period, characterized by high frequency of pneumonic plague development (including with lethal outcome) keeps up the interest of scientists to the matters of development and testing of means for specific prophylaxis of this particularly dangerous infectious disease. WHO workshop that was held in 2018 identified the general principles of optimization of design and testing of new-generation vaccines effectively protecting the population from plague infection. Application of the achievements of biological and medical sciences for outlining rational strategy for construction of immunobiological preparations led to a certain progress in the creation of not only sub-unit vaccines based on recombinant antigens, but also live and vector preparations on the platform of safe bacterial strains and replicating and non-replicating viruses in recent years. The review comprehensively considers the relevant trends in vaccine construction for plague  prevention, describes advantages of the state-of-the art methodologies for their safety and efficiency enhancement.

Analysis of cholera incidence for the period of 2009–2018 was performed. The upward tendency in the morbidity rate dynamics around the world (compared to 2009) with an average annual growth rate of 5,352 % was revealed. For the first time during the 7th pandemic caused by V. cholerae O1 El Tor, WHO reported 1227391 cases of cholera world-wide in 2017, out of which 1032481 (84.1%) were registered in Yemen, where the war continues and one of the largest epidemics in the world. There have been cross-border epidemiological complications in several African countries. Endemic foci continue to exist and spread in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Under the epidemiological surveillance in Russia, 744 strains of V. cholerae El Tor – ctxA– tcpA–, ctxA– tcpA+ and V. cholerae О139 ctxA– and tcpA– were isolated from the surface water bodies, as well as single strains of El Tor ctxA+ tcpA+. As a result of INDEL- and  PCR-genotyping, the isolation of strains with identical genotypes and new ones was established. To make the prognosis for 2019, the risk of activation (continuation) of the cholera epidemic process in the world was assessed, taking into account emergencies of different origin and risk factors. The cholera forecast at the global level and in  Russia for 2019 is unfavorable.

Epidemiological situation on tick-borne viral encephalitis in the Russian Federation in 2018 was analyzed. Dynamics of the incidence, medical aid appealability among persons who suffered from tick suction, virus carriage of the vector; vaccination volumes, seroprophylaxis; acaricide treatment are reported in the paper. Utilized were the data on operative monitoring performed by the Rospotrebnadzor Institutions in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and form data from the Federal statistical survey «Data on Infectious and Parasitic Diseases» over the period of 2009–2017, and also information from the operative monitoring, 2018. The increase in medical aid appealability among the population due to tick suctions was observed in all endemic Federal Districts (FD) of the European part of the Russian Federation during the epidemic season, 2018. The total of 1508 cases in 46 constituent entities of the country was registered: Siberian FD – 44.3 % of the cases, Privolzhsky FD – 22 %, Ural FD – 14.7 %, Northwest FD – 12.6 %,
Central FD – 3.7 % , and Far Eastern FD – 1.7 %. Twenty two cases had lethal outcomes. Nation average infection rate of ticks taken off from humans was 1.38 %, from environment objects – 0.61 %. General level of tick infectivity was 1.5 times lower in 2018 as compared to 2017. The forecast of the incidence for 2019, taking into account the presence or absence of the trend fluctuations in the constituent entities in 2009–2018 and the values of the 95 % confidential interval of the possible parameter variations, is presented. The further gradual improvement of the epidemiological conditions for tick-borne viral encephalitis is expected. According to estimates, in 2019, morbidity rates will be 0.19 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ in Central
FD, with value fluctuations ranging between 0.128 to 0.247 cases, in Northwest FD – 1.12 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ (0.112 to 2.122 ⁰/₀₀₀₀), Privolzhsky FD – 0.67 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ (0↔1.649), Ural FD – 1.2 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ (0↔4.590), Siberian FD – 3.4 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ (1.319↔5.471), and Far Eastern – 0.65 ⁰/₀₀₀₀ (0.522↔0.770).

The paper presents the analysis of epidemic activity of natural plague foci around the world, including in CIS and the Russian Federation, over the period of 2000–2018. It was established that in 2010–2018, epidemic manifestations took place in natural plague foci where the main carriers are synanthropic (black, multinippled rats) and commercial (marmots, souslik, ground squirrels) species of rodents. Retaining of low epizootic activity of lowland natural plague foci in the territory of the Russian Federation is observed. In 2018, plague epizooties were detected in the territory of the Gorno-Altai high-mountain and Tuva mountain natural foci, the total coverage area being 2641 km². 13 strains of the main subspecies and 6 strains of Altaic subspecies of plague microbe were isolated. Demonstrated were the prospects of GIS-technology usage for the enhancement of epidemiological surveillance over plague in Russia. Epizootiological forecast for persisting challenging epidemiological situation in Kosh-Agach district of the Republic of Altai and Mongun-
Taiginsky, Ovyursky and Tes-Khemsky Kozhuuns of the Republic of Tuva was substantiated. Recorded was high probability of retention of strained epizootic and epidemiological situation in the south and central parts of the desert zone in the Republic of Kazakhstan, high-mountain areas of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. Also conservation of epidemic risks for the territories of the countries in Africa (Republic of Madagascar), South (Peru, Bolivia), and North (USA) America, China, and Mongolia was noted. 

The review presents an analysis of the epidemic situation on infections of rickettsial etiology, the causative agents of which are transmitted by Ixodidae ticks in the territory of the Russian Federation. The data obtained through molecular-biological verification allow to unite under the name of “tick-borne ricketsioses” a group of infections caused by R. sibirica subsp. sibirica, R. conorii, R. heilongjiangensis and other species of rickettsiae circulating in natural foci of various regions of Russia. Cases of tick-borne rickettsioses in Siberia and the Far East, caused by various species of rickettsiae, are registered under the name of “Siberian tick-borne typhus” due to the lack of available methods of differential laboratory diagnostics. The paper presents the assessment of the incidence of Siberian tick-borne typhus, indicating not only the varying degrees of epidemic hazard of endemic regions, but also changes in the distribution of risk areas, including the identification of new, epidemically significant foci. In accordance with the risk-oriented approach to prophylaxis, forecasting of epidemic situation on tick-borne rickettsioses was given and differentiation of the endemic territories of the Russian Federation as regards Siberian tick-borne typhus was carried out with distinguishing of epidemiological zones of low, medium, above average, high and very high risk of population infection.

Analysis of the anthrax incidence in the Russian Federation over the period of 2009–2018 showed that the infections among the population were recorded in 14 regions of 6 Federal Districts. 23 anthrax outbreaks among people were revealed, where 90 people got sick with 3 lethal outcomes. In comparison to the previous ten-year period (1999–2008), the number of cases of the disease was reduced by 1.6 times. Three cases of cutaneous anthrax were registered in two constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2018 – the Republic of Dagestan (1) and the Republic of Tyva (2). Outbreaks of infection among livestock animals and people were recorded in such neighboring states as Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. Epizootiological and epidemiological instability as regards anthrax was observed in several countries of Asia and Africa. Human infection occurred as a result of contact with sick and dead animals in the process of slaughter and cutting of carcasses, consuming infected meat. Anthrax morbidity rates among animals and people in the Russian Federation in 2019 will depend on the comprehensiveness of implementation of the plans for anthrax prevention, and in case those plans will be realized at the maximum scale incidence will be limited to single cases.

Objective of this study was to determine the risk factors of brucellosis morbidity in the Jalal-Abad Region of Kyrgyzstan. Materials and methods. A case-control study was conducted in the process of field epidemiological survey of risk factors of brucellosis incidence that lasted for 6 month in the year 2018 in the Jalal-Abad Region. The study involved 180 respondents (90 cases and 90 controls). Cases of brucellosis were identified on the basis of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory criteria. Respondents were interviewed using the developed questionnaire to obtain information on the risk factors. To determine the exposure/ disease ratio, the odds ratio (OR) was calculated for each factor. Results and discussion. It was revealed that the intake of unpasteurized homemade cream (OR = 2.8; CI = 1.5–5.2; p = 0.0001), grilled meat (shish-kebabs) (OR = 5.1; CI = 2.5–10.4; p = 0.0001); cases of abortion or stillbirth among animals in households (OR = 11.3; CI = 4.2–30.6; p = 0.0001), stall cleaning (OR = 2.5; CI = 1.3–4.626; p = 0.0001), shearing of sheep (OR = 2.6; CI = 1.2–5.6; p = 0.01) and animal slaughter (OR = 2.9; CI = 1.2–6.5; p = 0.01) are statistically significant in relation to the risk of infection with brucellosis. To that end, the listed factors are the  key risk factors for brucellosis infection. The livestock keeping in private households (OR = 7.1; CI = 3.0–16.5; p = 0.0001) is also of great importance as a risk factor. For implementation of any preventive measures against brucellosis the value of the OR indicator (OR = 0.8, CI = 0.04–0.18; p = 0.0001) proves their reasonability. 

Objective. Optimization of vaccine virus cultivation in the suspended cell culture BHK-21 for infectious activity increment of virus-containing suspension as the base material for smallpox vaccine preparations. Materials and methods. We used suspended culture line of the cells BHK-21 of 72-hour age and nutrient medium of the MEM type in accordance with the guidelines on preparation in our studies. For challenging of the cells, vaccine virus (strain B-51) was used. The virus was adapted through three consequent passages on horion-allantois shell of developing chicken embryos of commercial dermovaccine series 449а at the premises of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “the 48th Central Research Institute” of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Information on its genetic features is absent. Cultivation and precipitation of infected cells BHK-21 was carried out in bioreactor with priming volume of 1 liter at (36.5±0.5) °C and aeration with air mixture with varying content of CO₂. Results and conclusions. Gas  massexchange intensity was enhanced alongside simultaneous maintaining of sparing hydrodynamic conditions for mixing suspended cell cultures in bioreactor. Two-fold increase (up to (4.48±0.63)·10⁹ cell/l) in suspended BHK-21 cell culture concentration at the end of reproduction cycle was achieved. Concentration of the vaccine virus was 3–5 times raised, from (8.1±0.3) lg PFU (plaque forming unit)/ml up to the level of infectious activity – (8.8±0.3) lg PFU/ml. Specific multiplicity of cell infection in recalculation per a cell was 1–5 PFU/cell and by virus yield – 20–100 PFU/cell. Enhanced infectious activity of the virus in concentrated suspension of infected BHK-21 cells substantiates the perspectives of the proposed method for improvement of vaccine virus accumulation phase in the development of anti-smallpox preparations based on cell cultures.

Objective – assessment of effectiveness of the measures for biological safety provision at potentially hazardous facilities in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan in the process of preparation and holding of FIFA World Cup-2018 in Kazan. Materials and methods. Regulatory-legal acts covering the requirements to the provision of biological safety during the work with pathogenic biological agents, international guidelines and documents determining inter-agency collaboration between the Rospotrebnadzor Administration in the Republic of Tatarstan and other departments and inter-agency task forces (Office of the Federal Security Bureau of Russia in the Republic of Tatarstan, Counter-Terrorism Commission in the Republic of Tatarstan, etc) were studied. Results and discussion. Considered were managerial-methodological approaches and matters of inter-agency cooperation on biological safety provision during preparation and holding of FIFA World Cup-2018 in Kazan. Biological safety was examined through the prism of its provision while working with pathogenic biological agents at potentially hazardous biological facilities and  counterterrorism integrity of the objects. The guiding, directive document in the performance of the complex of measures on biological safety provision and inter-agency collaboration was the Order of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 09, 2017 No 202 “On peculiarities of application of reinforced security measures during holding of FIFA World Cup-2018 and FIFA Confederations Cup-2017 in Russia”. As the result of the measures conducted, biological safety, including counter-terrorism security of potentially hazardous biological objects and sanitary-epidemiological welfare, was fully provided.