The current stage of transformation of the global healthcare architecture dictates the need to unite international efforts to create conditions for cooperation and building up the capacity to respond to various biological threats between all participants in the international arena. The paper demonstrates the advantages of Russian approaches to organizing the sanitary and epidemiological service to counteract biological threats. The most striking examples of the country’s participation in the emerging architecture of global healthcare are shown, which include the participation of the Russian Federation in the implementation of interstate programs aimed at eliminating dangerous infectious diseases. The strategy for countering modern biological threats implemented by the Russian Federation in the international arena is outlined, focused primarily on strengthening the methodological, technological, and human resources potential, enhan cing national capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and response to emergencies in the field of sanitary-epidemiological well-being of the population of partner countries. The main areas of cooperation with partner countries are considered. The key results of joint international projects both in the near and far abroad are presented, reflecting significant successes in strengthening the national potential of the partner countries of the Russian Federation in the field of rapid response to emerging threats in the field of biological safety and ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being. The achieved results of interstate cooperation in the field of ensuring global biological security and the active participation of the Russian Federation in the development and implementation of global instruments in the field of monitoring and responding to public health emergencies constitute the significant contribution of the Russian Federation to the current formation of the global healthcare architecture.

When working with infectious disease agents, personal protective equipment (PPE) is widely used, which is one of the significant elements of ensuring biological safety. A review and analysis of the current legal and regulatory framework for providing workers with work clothes, footwear and PPE, carrying out activities with infectious disease agents in the Russian Federation has been conducted. The issuance of PPE when working with hazardous biological factors - infectious disease agents - is determined by regulations in the field of occupational safety, technical regulation, biological safety and provision of medical care. Problems of applicability of certain provisions of current regulations in the field of labor protection and technical regulation in relation to the issuance of PPE when working with pathogenic microorganisms are identified. The main ones include: discrepancies in terminology in documents approved by various executive authorities; the need to clarify the quantitative standards for issuing some PPE depending on the specifics of the work process and biological safety requirements; confirmation of compliance with the protective effectiveness of PPE against hazardous effects of biological factors; selection of PPE against exposure to pathogenic biological agents depending on the properties of a specific product, its design features, modifications aimed at reducing the risk to personnel, population and environment; identifying the concept of “work clothing” when working with pathogens. The solution lies in the development of standardization and methodological support for biological safety.

The review presents the results of a study of the little souslik population, the main carrier of the plague pathogen, in the foci of the Northern and Northwestern Caspian Sea region. The influence of various factors on the abundance dynamics of this species in the Caspian Northwestern and Volga-Ural steppe natural plague foci is considered. The data of the annual density census of little souslik, the rates of species reproduction, and the average monthly air temperature at the weather stations of Elista for the period of 1960–2024 and Kharabali for the period of 1940–2024 are statistically processed and analyzed. It is emphasized that the population dynamics of the species is determined by a whole range of natural and anthropogenic factors. At the same time, in semi-desert conditions, the distribution of air temperature and precipitation by seasons and years is limiting for little souslik. The effect of temperatures in January and February, which provoke the animal to leave the burrows upon awakening from hibernation, is analyzed. It is noted that the main reason for the decrease in the number of the main plague carrier in the clay semi-desert is not absolute winter temperatures, but the alternation of warm and cold periods during these months. Therefore, if the temperatures of January and February are alike, the consequences of an increase in temperature can be of a different nature. The negative effect of an increase in winter temperatures on the physical condition of animals is manifested mainly in those years when January is “warm”, February is “cold” or when warm and cold periods alternate during the month. When warm and cold periods alternate, early awakened rodents die in large numbers due to lack of food and chills.

The obtained results of the epidemiological, epizootiological, and phylogenetic data analysis suggest that the territory of the East African plateau is a one natural mega-focus of Yersinia pestis belonging to antique biovar 1.ANT of the main subspecies. The circulation of various genovariants (1.ANT1, 1.ANT2, 1.ANT3) of Y. pestis, antique biovar of the main subspecies, occurs in populations of various species of wild-living and semi-synanthropic rats and their specific ectoparasites. Within the boundaries of the established areal of antique biovar 1.ANT of the main subspecies of Y. pestis epizootic manifestations are confined to densely populated areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Potentially plague enzootic regions should include the territories of Rwanda and Burundi, as well as the northern regions of Mozambique. In 2000–2024, more than 15.5 thousand cases of plague infection were registered in East African countries (DRC, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda), which is 54 % of the total number of cases on the African continent. The maximum epidemic activity (on average 1,326 people per year) of the East African megafocus was noted in 2000–2009. In 2010–2019, the incidence rates in the DRC, Uganda, and Tanzania decreased significantly (to an average of 103 people per year), and no cases of plague infection were detected in Zambia and Malawi. In 2020–2024, epidemic complications of plague continued to be recorded only in the territory of the DRC. The persistence of constant risks of infection is determined by the high population density and intensity of contacts between the rural population and the natural-focal complexes of the East African plateau. The high incidence of plague is also due to the development of outbreaks of anthroponotic bubonic plague associated with the abundance of Pulex irritans fleas in rural areas.

Viruses that affect cholera vibrio, or cholera bacteriophages, were discovered in early twentieth century, when the sixth cholera pandemic was raging in Southeast Asia, the Far and Middle East and Europe. This discovery marked the beginning of intensive study of cholera bacteriophages as a promising means in the fight against cholera. The review highlights issues related to the history of the discovery and study of cholera bacteriophages and describes the features of their structure and life cycle. A co-evolutionary strategy for the interaction of cholera bacteriophages with Vibrio cholerae cells, called the “Red Queen dynamics”, is presented. According to this strategy, strains of V. cholerae and cholera bacteriophages, in order to survive, must constantly evolve and adapt, acquiring more and more new systems for defense from each other. The review also provides information about the main currently known anti-phage systems of V. cholerae (mutational changes in the receptor apparatus, release of outer membrane vesicles, restriction-modification system, PLE element, SXT elements, BREX bacteriophage exclusion system and CRISPR/Cas systems, Abi-strategy). Phage counter-defense systems are presented (CRISPR/Cas system, Odn nuclease, epigenetic modification by methylase, BREX countermeasures system). The papaer analyzes the practical application of cholera bacteriophages in the diagnosis of cholera (for identification, determination of the biovar of the pathogen, its virulence and epidemic significance), and outlines the most well-known phage typing schemes. Promising strategies for the use of cholera bacteriophages in phage therapy and phage prevention of cholera are characterized. The effects of combined use of phages and antibiotics in complex therapy are considered separately.

The aim of our work was to assess the occurrence of serological and molecular-biological markers of HIV, HBV and HCV among medical workers from St. Petersburg. Materials and methods. The study material included 171 blood plasma samples from medical workers from St. Petersburg. The ELISA method was used to qualitatively determine HIV antigen/antibodies (Ag/Ab), HBsAg, antibodies to HBs and HBcore proteins (anti-HBs IgG, anti-HBcore total), and anti-HCV IgG. HIV RNA, HCV RNA and HBV DNA were detected by PCR. For all identified HBV samples, sequencing and subsequent analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the Pre-S1/Pre-S2/S region were performed. Results and discussion. The surveyed group was ranked by age into the following subgroups: 21–35 years (28.07 %), 36–50 years (26.90 %), 51–65 years (31 %) and over 66 years (13.45 %). Serological markers of HBV were detected in 91 (53.22 %) subjects, HCV – in 2 (1.17 %). No markers of HIV were detected. At the same time, markers for HBV and HCV were found in 1 (0.58 %) person. HBV DNA was detected in 4 (2.34 %) medical workers; HCV RNA and HIV were not detected. Significant differences in the prevalence and distribution of the analyzed serological markers between age groups were determined. All HBV isolates belong to genotype D, subgenotypes D1 (50 %) and D2 (50 %). High variability of the Pre-S1/Pre-S2/S region of HBV in the examined group has been shown. The results obtained indicate a relatively low prevalence of HBV and HCV in the examined group. Monitoring of the prevalence of blood-borne infections among medical workers remains an urgent task, primarily in relation to HBV.

The aim of this work was to clarify the orographic and edaphic parameters of the spatial distribution of epizootic sites in the Central Caucasian high-mountain natural plague focus for electronic certification within the framework of the State Program “Ensuring chemical and biological safety of the Russian Federation, 2021–2024”, R&D “Electronic certification of natural plague and CHF foci in the south of the Russian Federation”. Materials and methods. Data on the spatial and temporal distribution of epizootic sites were obtained from the archive of the Stavropol Anti-Plague Institute of the Rospotrebnadzor. They include 318 points of detection of plague epizootics between 1984 and 2021 with spatial reference in the form of geographical coordinates. The analysis covered four landscape-epizootiological regions (LER): Verkhne-Kubansky, Kubano-Malkinsky, Malko-Baksansky and Baksan-Chegemsky. The Chegem-Chereksky LER was excluded, since no plague strains have been detected from its territory. Edaphic and orographic factors were obtained from the web-sites https://www.fao.org/ (soil data, including names), https://neo.gsfc.nasa.gov/, https://dwtkns.com/srtm30m/ (digital relief model) and from the archive of the Stavropol Anti-Plague Institute of the Rospotrebnadzor. Results and discussion. The epizootic sites have a pronounced confinement to altitudes from 2000 to 2711 meters above sea level. In the mountain-steppe belt, epizootic areas are more often found on the slopes of the North-North-East – South exposures, in the alpine and subalpine belts – the North-North-West exposure. The favorable level of landscape illumination is medium, closer to high; relatively flat or not heavily dissected areas, with soils: dystric and mollic leptosols and dystric cambisols predominate. Epizootic sites are absent on eutric cambisols, although this may be a random phenomenon.

The aim of the work was to study the composition of vesicle preparations (OMV) in Vibrio cholerae strains O1 El Tor (ctxAB^– tcpA^– ; ctxAB^– tcpA⁺ ) and O139 (ctxAB^– tcpA^– ) isolated from various sources. Materials and methods. V. cholerae strains O1 and O139 serogroups were used in the work, from which OMV preparations were obtained. The structure of OMV preparations was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Genome-wide DNA sequencing was performed on the MiSeq platform. The nucleotide and corresponding amino acid sequences of the genes were studied using bioinformatics analysis. Protein profiling was conducted using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Enzymatic activities were detected using appropriate media and substrates. Determination of (surface determinants) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membrane proteins in the composition of OMV was carried out by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). The analysis of the spectrum of fatty acids was performed by gas-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results and discussion. OMV preparations have been obtained from non-toxigenic strains of cholera vibrios. TEM has revealed that OMVs are represented by spherical structures of about 40–200 nm. Genome-wide sequencing has shown that fragments of chromosomes containing genes of V. cholerae strains, O1 and O139 serogroups, from which they were isolated are present in the OMV. The bioinformatic analysis revealed differences in the structure of the ompT gene in the initial strains and in OMV obtained from V. cholerae strains O1 and O139 serogroups. The ΔompT gene of the OMV preparation from V. cholerae O139 serogroup was trunked and formed a peptide of 17 amino acid residues (-LENHHQKNREPDKEFPY-). Analysis of the OMV composition has revealed the presence of enzymes (N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase and DNAazes), proteins of outer membranes (ompT and OmpU), LPS, saturated, сis/trans isomers of unsaturated fatty acids and branched fatty acids. Differences in the composition of OMV obtained from non-toxigenic strains of V. cholerae O1 and O139 serogroups have been identified.

The Aksai high-mountain focus is part of the Tien Shan focus, which has recently shown constant epizootic activity. In 2024, Yersinia pestis cultures were isolated from the Aksai focus for the first time in the 21st century. The aim of the study was molecular identification of Y. pestis strains collected in the Aksai focus in 2024, their phylogenetic analysis to establish their origin and obtain whole-genome sequences that are reference ones for this focus in the mo dern period. Materials and methods. The genomes of Y. pestis strains were sequenced on a MinIon genetic analyzer (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, UK). Sequencing libraries were prepared using the Native Barcoding Kit 24 v14 (SQKNBD114.24) and sequenced on an R10.4.1 flow cell. Core SNPs were identified applying pair wise alignment of the obtained whole-genome sequences to the genome of Y. pestis CO92 strain using Snippy v4.6.0 software. The Maximum Likelihood dendrogram was constructed using PhyML 3.1. Results and discussion. According to the phylogenetic analysis of whole-genome sequences, it has been established that the Y. pestis strains isolated in the Aksai focus in 2024 belong to the phylogenetic branch 0.ANT3 of antique biovar. The Y. pestis strains of 2024 fall under the 0.ANT3 polytomy, which also includes all 0.ANT3 strains of the 20th century from the Aksai, Upper Naryn and Alai high-mountain foci and strains from the Xinjiang province in China. The genetic differences between the 0.ANT3 strains of the current and last centuries are small, which proves the continuity of the preservation of this population in the 20th–21st centuries and the local origin of the 2024-strains. Strains 0.ANT3 were previously isolated across large areas of the Upper Naryn, Aksai, Alai plague foci and on the adjacent territories of China, which indicates the existence of a mega-focus of 0.ANT3 Y. pestis there. Strains 0.ANT3 are highly virulent and epidemically significant. The activation of the Aksai natural plague focus requires increased epidemiological surveillance of this autonomous plague focus in the Tien Shan.

Population immunity is a determining factor in relation to the spread of various variants of the influenza virus, and therefore is of great importance for predicting epidemics, characterizing the epidemic process and assessing the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. The aim of the work was to monitor markers of seasonal influenza viruses and avian influenza viruses in the blood serum of residents of the Russian Federation in 2023–2024. Materials and methods. Blood serum samples from healthy donors were collected in the Siberian Federal District of the Russian Federation in October-November 2023. In addition, blood sera from people who had had contact with sick and/or dead birds and from residents of regions located on migration routes of wild waterfowl were studied in HI-test (hemagglutination inhibition) and virus neutralization. Results and discussion. It is shown that ahead of the epidemic season of 2023/2024, population immunity to influenza in the Siberian Federal District was at the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) – at least 50 % of the immune population. However, among individuals who had had contact with sick and/or dead birds, humoral immunity to seasonal influenza was significantly lower – from 5 % to 30 % seropositive, depending on the region. HI-test on avian influenza viruses A/H5Nx and A/H9N2 has revealed 0 and 3.7 % of positive samples, respectively. The risk of a pandemic influenza virus emergence can be reduced by 75–100 % vaccination against seasonal influenza and monitoring antibody levels in poultry farm workers and employees of other organizations directly involved in poultry breeding and processing.

The aim of the work is a retrospective molecular examination of plague outbreaks that occurred on the northern coast of the Aral Sea in the middle of the past century, and a phylogenetic analysis of the Yersinia pestis strains that caused them. Materials and methods. Whole-genome sequences of 39 Y. pestis strains from foci of the Northern Aral Sea region, isolated in 1945–1974, were used. Whole-genome sequencing was performed in the Ion S5 XL System (Thermo Fischer Scientific, USA). Data processing and sequence assembly were carried out using the Ion Torrent Suite software package, v5.12, FastQC v0.12.0, unicycler v0.5.0. Phylogenetic reconstruction was carried out using the wholegenome SNP analysis method, the dendrogram was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm using the PhyML v3.1 program. Molecular typing of strains was performed using the MLVA25 method. Results and discussion. Y. pestis strains isolated in the Northern Aral Sea region between 1945 and 1974 belong to the phylogenetic branch 2.MED1 of the medieval biovar of the main subspecies. Plague outbreaks in the Northern Aral Sea region in 1945, 1955, 1966, and 1969 were caused by strains of the Caspian subbranch 2.MED1, and the outbreak of 1967 – by strains of the Central Asian subbranch, which successively reached this region from the Northern Caspian and Balkhash regions. It is shown that the sources of human infection were epizootics occurring on the northern coast of the Aral Sea. It is established that in the 1960s, Y. pestis strains of the Caspian and Central Asian subbranches 2.MED1 medieval biovar circulated simultaneously in the Northern Aral Sea region. A characteristic feature of the plague outbreak of 1945 was the presence of a large number of SNPs specific to each strain, possibly due to the process of rapid adaptation of the Caspian subbranche 2.MED1 strains to the conditions of the natural biocenosis of the Northern Aral Sea region. Subsequently, the rate of evolution of the emerging Northern Aral population 2.MED1 significantly decreased, which was accompanied by the formation of individual clusters of strains with a small number of individual SNPs.

The aim of this study was the genotyping of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains isolated in Russia using multilocus sequence typing (MLST), a comparative analysis of MLST results with INDEL typing results. Materials and methods. 348 strains of various serotypes isolated in different regions of the world, including 59 Russian strains, were analyzed. 302 strains from the NCBI database were used. The nucleotide sequences of the strains were determined using the MiSeq technology platform. The author MLSTtyper program was used for MLST analysis. Results and discussion. It has been found out that strains of at least, 2, 9, 19, 26, 32, 42, 43 ST-types circulate in Russia. The majority of the studied Russian strains belong to the ST2 type (58 %). Phylogenetic analysis conducted using MLST data showed that a number of clusters contains strains that have been circulating in Russia for a long time, and strains of these genotypes are not found abroad. Some of the Russian strains are included in clusters containing strains isolated in various regions of the world and can be attributed to strains of either “Asian” or “European” types. The data obtained using the MLSTtyper program coincided with the data of foreign authors when analyzing the same strains using the MLST method. Comparison of the results of genetic differentiation of Y. pseudotuberculosis strains using MLST and INDEL typing indicates that MLST has a greater discriminatory ability; however, in some cases INDEL genotyping allows differentiating those strains that had the same ST genotype.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of biological safety of patients and staff of medical organizations has reached a new level. The peculiarities of the functioning of infectious diseases hospitals for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 led to the formation of an artificial ecosystem in which conditions for the active circulation of viral and bacterial pathogens were formed. The aim of the study was to analyze monitoring data on compliance with sanitary legislation requirements in infectious disease hospitals of the Russian Federation where patients with COVID-19 are treated over a two-year period. Materials and methods. A retrospective epidemiological analysis of the Microsoft Office Excel database with a volume of 8.73 MB was carried out, based on the results of weekly monitoring of compliance with sanitary legislation in infectious diseases hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the Russian Federation in the system report.gsen.ru for the period from week 42 of 2021 to week 42 of 2023. The analysis includes information on compliance with the requirements of sanitary legislation in 614 infectious diseases hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with a total bed capacity of 37,270, including 5,961 in intensive care units. Results and discussion. The inspection of infectious diseases hospitals by the Rospotrebnadzor bodies was carried out mainly within the framework of sanitary and epidemiological investigations. The main violations of sanitary legislation related to disinfection (27.7 %), provision of personnel with personal protective equipment (13.4 %) and separation of flows of varying degrees of epidemiological significance (12.3 %). The level of contamination of hospital facilities in infectious diseases hospitals with SARS-CoV-2 and opportunistic micro-flora was 0.3 % and 0.6 %, respectively. The opportunistic micro-flora isolated from the biological material of patients and from the objects of the hospital environment of infectious hospitals was comparable to each other, and represented by the families Staphylococcus, Enterobacterales (Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Escherichia coli) and gram-negative non-fermenting bacteria (Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Thus, in the context of the pandemic and the increased burden on infectious diseases hospitals, conditions are formed that increase the risks of the spread of HAIs among staff and patients. The results of this study should be taken into account when conducting control and supervisory measures, epidemiological investigations and organizing training sessions to prepare medical organizations to work in conditions of mass spread of infectious diseases.

Currently, cholera remains a relevant infectious disease that requires new alternative antimicrobial agents for treatment and prevention, which can be bacteriophages. The aim of the study was to obtain a new bacteriophage from a culture of cholera vibrios isolated from a patient in Moscow in 2023, and characterize its biological and genetic properties. Materials and methods. The toxigenic strain Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa 21197 was used in the work. A two-layer agar Grazia method was applied to study biological properties of the bacteriophage (morphology of negative colonies, sensitivity to high and low temperatures and chloroform, lytic activity and specificity). The morphology of phage particles was studied under an electron microscope. The genetic characterization was carried out on the basis of genomewide sequencing using the programs “SeqAnalyzer”, “PhageAnalyzer 2.0”, as well as the algorithms BLASTN 2.2.29 and BLASTX 2.12.0+. Results and discussion. Isolated bacteriophage forms transparent negative colonies with an uneven edge without secondary growth and halo on nutrient media. Electron microscopy revealed that the isolated bacteriophage has a multifaceted head and a short tail. The phage is specific and has high lytic activity against cholera vibrios isolated from humans, is sensitive to heat and resistant to chloroform and freezing. Analysis of the sequencing results has shown that the phage belongs to the Caudoviricetes class of the Zobellviridae family, the genome size is 48,074 bp with a G+C content=42.7 %. The resulting genome was checked for nucleotide sequence homology with DNA sequences of other bacteriophages. 9 Vibrio phage genomes of the Zobellviridae family of the Caudoviricetes class were found, having a high percentage of overlap, isolated out of the water in India.

The aim of the study was to conduct spatio-temporal retrospective and operational genetic analysis of the tularemia agent population in the Rostov Region, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Lugansk PR and Ukraine in the period of 1943–2023. Materials and methods. We used Francisella tularensis strains isolated in the Rostov Region (RR), DPR, LPR and Ukraine between 1943 and 2023. VNTR genotyping was performed by 5 loci. Cluster analysis and construction of a phylogenetic tree were carried out using the GrapeTree software (NJ and MST algorithms). Whole-genome sequencing was performed on the MiSeq Illumina platform. The assembly of genomes in the form of reads was carried out using the Spades program. Results and discussion. A comparative analysis of the VNTR genotypes in 72 F. tularensis strains has been conducted: 35 strains isolated from various natural foci of Russia and the Rostov Region in particular from 1928 to 2023, 11 strains from the DPR and LPR (2022–2023) and 26 strains from the collection of the Rostov-on-Don Anti-Plague Institute, isolated on the territory of Ukraine from 1949 to 1990. In the studied strains, 20 individual genotypes have been identified, distributed among three clonal complexes (CC1 – CC3). Molecular-genetic analysis of F. tularensis strains has made it possible to identify three clonal complexes of tularemia agent (CC1 – CC3), circula ting in the studied areas. All of them are present on the territory of the RR and only complex CC2 shows a geographic confidedness to the southern areas of the RR. Strains isolated in western Ukraine before the 1990s belong exclusively to the CC3 complex. Judging by the range of distribution and diversity of genotypes, the population of strains of the CC3 and CC1 complexes has been existing for a long time in the studied areas. Strains of the same genotype can be found in endemic areas for up to 80 years and at a distance of about 1000 km from each other. On the contrary, the population of the CC2 complex is the most recent in time of origin and is geographically limited to the territory of RR. Geographic data on the origin of the CC1 and CC3 progenitor clones of the tularemia agent clonal complexes suggest an expansion of the genetic diversity of tularemia agent population from east to west.

Serological monitoring as a component of the epidemiological surveillance, serves as a method for asses sing the intensity of possible contacts of the population with the natural-focal disease pathogen. The aim of the study was to analyze possible contacts of the population with the causative agent of tularemia, based on the results of serological study of blood sera of the healthy population conducted in 2023 on the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Zaporozhe and Kherson Regions. Materials and methods. Applying IHR/IHIR serological methods, we have tested 829 blood sera obtained in 2023, from individuals living in areas at increased risk of aggravation of epidemiological situation on tularemia, who had not previously participated in specific prevention measures against tularemia. Results and discussion. Positive results on the presence of anti-tularemia antibodies in IHR/IHIR in the four studied territories ranged from 18.5 to 40.0 %. The analysis of questionnaires, that were filled out by donors has made it possible to determine the conditions of possible human contact with the pathogen in the foci of infection. According to the results of the study, the contacts of the population with the components of the natural tularemia focus in the surveyed territories can be assessed as intense, since the presence of specific antibodies to the causative agent of tularemia in donors of all the studied regions, on average, amounted to 24.4 %. Analysis of the data from the survey showed that all samples, in which antibodies to tularemia causative agent were detected, were registered from donors who may have had contact with carriers and vectors of the pathogen. According to the results of the study, small mammals contribute the most to the possible contact of the population with the causative agent of tularemia.

The development and implementation of biological drugs based on bacteriophages is one of the elements of the “Strategy for Preventing the Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Russian Federation for the Period of up to 2030”, approved by the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, dated September 25, 2017 No. 2045-r. A prerequisite for the implementation of the objectives of the Strategy is the creation of banks of hospital strains of microorganisms and banks of relevant bacteriophages. The aim of the work was to determine the basic requirements for the procedure for maintaining a collection of industrial strains of bacteriophages. Materials and methods. An analysis of regulatory documents has been carried out, where goals, objectives, rules for the creation and use of collections of pathogenic microorganisms and viruses are stated, and the requirements for the quality of therapeutic and prophylactic preparations of bacteriophages are set. Information materials containing up-to-date information on the biological properties of bacteriophages that are important for their therapeutic use are considered. Results and discussion. Maintaining a production collection of bacteriophages is characterized by certain features that must be taken into account when crea ting therapeutic and prophylactic preparations of bacteriophages that correspond to the current dynamics of variability of clinical bacterial strains. To ensure the clinical efficacy and genetic safety of phage therapy, bacteriophage preparations should contain bacteriophages that are identified and characterized by morphological, biological, and genetic features. Bacteriophage preparations should be adapted to epidemiologically significant pathogens of purulent-inflammatory and intestinal infections.

The paper presents brief information on the organization, evolvement and modernization of the Department of Educational Programs and Training of Specialists at the Russian Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” of the Rospotrebnadzor, the first specialized unit in the country to train personnel to work with pathogens of particularly dangerous infections, participate in research activities and anti-epidemic measures in Russia and abroad. The accumulated experience has made it possible to create an effective system for training specialists in microbiology, epidemiology, and laboratory diagnostics of particularly dangerous infections, combining traditional principles of developing skills and abilities in safely handling pathogens with modern information, methodological, and material-technical bases, minimizing the bio risk of educational technologies. Over the past decade, the department’s staff has been actively involved in international activities to train personnel for the CIS and foreign countries, including within the framework of the WHO Collaborating Center on responding to sanitary and epidemiological emergencies at the Russian Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” of the Rospotrebnadzor. An analysis of the current stage of the department’s activities has made it possible to draw plans and outline the prospects for improvement.