The Results of Monitoring of Death Places of Animals, Died from Anthrax during the Epizootic 2016 in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District

The article presents the results of the study of samples taken in 2017 by the specialists from the «48 Central Scientific Research Institute» of the Ministry of Defence of Russia in the course of the survey of deathplaces of animals in the territories of Yamal region of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, contaminated by the Bacillus anthracis agent. Thirty two samples have been taken during the survey. Realtime PCR identified specific fragments of B. anthracis DNA in two of them – in the ash, taken at the spot of the cremation of the reindeer`s corpse and in the biological material from one of the unburned corpses. Pure microbial cultures of B. anthracis agent have been obtained from these samples. They all possessed the biological properties, typical for high virulent B. anthracis strains. The lethal dose (LD₅₀) for white mice turned out to be 5.8 and 6.2 spores for No 3 and No 13 isolates consequently, and the average lifetime of animals since the moment of contamination till death did not exceed 3.5 days. The genetic typing of the isolated isolates for 18 VNTR-loci of the chromosomal localization showed that their genotypes were identic to the B. anthracis strain Yamal-1, obtained by the experts from the branch offfice of the «48 Central Scientific Research Institute» of the Ministry of Defence of Russia (Kirov) from the corpse of a reindeer during the liquidation of the anthrax epizootic in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District in summer 2016. The coincidence of the genetic profiles of the isolated microbial cultures and B. anthracis strain Yamal-1 indicated one common source of their origin and the presence of the stable focus of B. anthracis at the territory of Yamal District. This fact needs more attention from local authorities and requires concerted attention to the epizootic and epidemiological situation in the region.

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