Contemporary issues in ensuring biological safety during disposal of biological wastes of animal origin by incineration in the Russian Federation

Animal management and breeding as well production, transportation, preparation, and processing of animal products and raw material result in generation of a considerable amount of biological wastes being a source of biological contamination of the environment and a clear threat to human and animal health. The animal biowaste incineration units are high threat facilities and require constant surveillance and control. Collection and analysis of data provided by the RF veterinary executive authorities were performed to objectively reflect the actual situation of the biological waste incineration facilities in the RF Subjects and to create a holistic view on the problem of interest in the country. The following parameters were analyzed: their number, type (stationary and mobile), type of ownership, location, availability of the certificate and highly-qualified specialists serving the biological waste incineration equipment as well as the availability of such facilities in the RF Subjects as for January 1, 2021. The analysis demonstrated that 4,459 biowaste incinerators were registered in the country. Most of these units are stationary and they belong to establishments involved in farm animal keeping, animal product processing, production and storing. Such equipment is mostly serviced by non-qualified staff ignorant of the technical characteristics and operating principles of this equipment. Almost one third of these units in the country are home made that is why their use does not guarantee complete destruction of biological wastes and pathogen inactivation. It was also revealed that the procedure for the incineration of biological waste of animal origin using home made incinerators is not legally fixed in the country. The results obtained show that the situation of the animal biowaste incineration in the Russian Federation is quite complicated

Organization of live animal transportation process in the Russian Federation

The paper covers the issues of organization of live animal transportation process in the Russian Federation as one of the factors of epidemiological risk associated with the spread of infectious animal disease pathogens. The legal framework, regulating the organization of live animal transportation using different vehicles, as well as quantitative data on live animal movements, taken from state veterinary information system “VetIS” (“Mercury” and “Cerberus” components) were analyzed. The analysis showed that live farmed animals are moved using all transportation means available, motor vehicles, planes, trains, ships as well as by driving. It was established that the major means of transport used to move live animals in the territory of the Russian Federation are motor vehicles. According to the analysis results 4.49 billion animals, including 4.41 billion poultry, 79.8 million large and small ruminants, pigs, horses, fur animals and bees were moved within the country in 2021. At the same time the number of issued veterinary accompanying documents for movements of cattle, poultry and pigs (i.e. in fact the transportations themselves) is much higher than the number of movements of other species. It was revealed that today only the movement of animals by railway is regulated in one way or another. The paper presents the suggestions to introduce the procedures aimed at improvement of biological safety and animal welfare during transportation. The results of the analysis performed can be used to optimize the control of animal transportation in the territory of the Russian Federation by competent authorities

Semi-quantitative risk assessment of peste des petits ruminants introduction with wild animals into Russian Federation

The Russian Federation was officially recognized free from peste des petitts ruminants (PPR). As far as the disease infects both domestic and wild small ruminants, it is important to identify the level of the threat associated with the wild fauna diversity in the neighboring countries, where PPR outbreaks were reported. For that reason, habitats of various disease susceptible animal species were examined. Habitats of the wild susceptible animals were mapped for further examination of the interactions between different animal species using zoological research data; PPR outbreaks in wild animals were also designated in the map thus allowing for the detection of the potential routes of the infection spread in the population and introduction to the country. Analysis of the PPR epidemic situation in the country demonstrated that the disease cases were reported in wild mountain animals (ibices and moufflons) and migratory steppe animals (gazelles and saigas). Risk of this highly contagious viral disease spread in wild small ruminants in Mongolia was reported (probability 0.77). Expert survey was carried out for the determination of possible trends and factors of the infection introduction with the wild susceptible animals, through which small ruminant epizootologists assessed the risk probability. During the survey it was determined that PPR was expected to be introduced from Mongolia (probability 0.81), and of major significance were seasonal migrations of wild animal populations. The resulted semi-quantitative parameters of the potential risk can be recommended for the arrangement and implementation of measures aimed at prevention of PPR introduction and spread in the intact domestic and wild small ruminant populations inhabiting the territory of the Russian Federation

Classical swine fever: a retrospective analysis of the epizootic situation in the Russian Federation (2007–2021) and forecast for 2022

The paper presents trends in the epizootic situation on classical swine fever (CSF) in the Russian Federation, for 2007–2021. Most likely, a drop in the number of CSF outbreaks throughout the country results from two factors: a geographical shift of the disease outbreaks from the European part of Russia to the eastern regions bordering on China (into the wild boar population), as documented between 2015 and 2021, and a large-scale vaccination of domestic pigs practiced in the recent years. The introduction and spread of CSF in the Russian Federation are, most likely, associated with the internal risk factors (i.e. quality of anti-epizootic measures, mainly vaccination) and with the territories, where the virus circulates in wild boars. Expansion of vaccination coverage since 2011 is one of the factors contributing to a decrease in the number of clinical CSF cases registered in domestic pigs of the Russian Federation. The infection spread in domestic pigs is still on a downward trend. For purposes of analysis, current trends of CSF spread in domestic pigs and wild boars in the Russian Federation, as well as the volume of the vaccine used, were visualized in relative numbers (taking into account total number of pigs in the country) used to build a regression model. Currently, vaccination against classical swine fever in the Russian Federation (and its good quality) is an essential prerequisite to contain the infection spread in the country

Classical swine fever: retrospective analysis of epidemic situation in Russian Federation (1996-2015)

Progress trends in classical swine fever (CSF) epidemic situation in the Russian Federation in 1996-2015 are discussed in the paper. Spatial shift of CSF outbreaks from the central regions of the country (2007-2012) to the western and eastern border regions of the Russian Federation (2013-2015) has been confirmed. Based on the analysis, a short-term prognosis for 2016 has been made as well as recommendations on DIVA-based measures for CSF eradication in domestic pigs and wild boars in the RF have been provided

Preliminary results from the Russian-American Gallium Experiment Cr-neutrino source measurement

The Russian-American Gallium Experiment has been collecting solar neutrino data since early 1990. The flux measurement of solar neutrinos is well below that expected from solar models. We discuss the initial results of a measurement of experimental efficiencies by exposing the gallium target to neutrinos from an artificial source. The capture rate of neutrinos from this source is very close to that which is expected. The result can be expressed as a ratio of the measured capture rate to the anticipated rate from the source activity. This ratio is 0.93 + 0.15, - 0.17 where the systematic and statistical errors have been combined. To first order the experimental efficiencies are in agreement with those determined during solar neutrino measurements and in previous auxiliary measurements. One must conclude that the discrepancy between the measured solar neutrino flux and that predicted by the solar models can not arise from an experimental artifact

Measurement of the response of a gallium metal solar neutrino experiment to neutrinos from a [Formula Presented] source

The neutrino capture rate measured by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment is well below that predicted by solar models. To check the response of this experiment to low-energy neutrinos, a 517 kCi source of [Formula Presented]Cr was produced by irradiating 512.7 g of 92.4%-enriched [Formula Presented]Cr in a high-flux fast neutron reactor. This source, which mainly emits monoenergetic 747-keV neutrinos, was placed at the center of a 13.1 ton target of liquid gallium and the cross section for the production of [Formula Presented]Ge by the inverse beta decay [Formula Presented] was measured to be [Formula Presented] The ratio of this cross section to the theoretical cross section of Bahcall for this reaction is 0.95 ±0.12 [Formula Presented] (theor) and to the cross section of Haxton is 0.87±0.11 (expt)±0.09 (theor). This good agreement between prediction and observation implies that the overall experimental efficiency is correctly determined and provides considerable evidence for the reliability of the solar neutrino measurement. © 1999 The American Physical Society

The russian-american gallium experiment (sage) cr neutrino source measurement

The solar neutrino capture rate measured by SAGE is well below that predicted by solar models. To check the overall experimental efficiency, we exposed 13 tonnes of Ga metal to a reactor-produced 517 kCi source of 51Cr. The ratio of the measured production rate to that predicted from the source activity is 0.95+/-0.11$stat$+0.05/-0.08$syst$. This agreement verifies that the experimental efficiency is measured correctly, establishes that there are no unknown systematic errors at the 10% level, and provides considerable evidence for the reliability of the solar neutrino measurement. © 1996 The American Physical Society