Epizootic situation in Russia in 2021

In 2021, the epizootic situation was quite tense. The mass incidence of African swine fever and avian influenza in animals caused significant damage to MEAT producers. 

The table summarizes all animal diseases reported in 2021 and describes their signs, the main vectors of the disease, the availability of a vaccine, and whether they pose a danger to humans.

Animal diseases reported in 2021

animal disease

signs

carriers

Availability of a vaccine

Human danger

African swine fever (ASF)

Increased body temperature, depression, redness or blueness of the skin, diarrhea, bloody discharge from the nasal cavity, convulsions

Sick pigs and wild boars

-

Not dangerous to humans

Bird flu

Reduced productivity, depression, refusal of food and water, impaired coordination of movements, respiratory diseases, intestinal disorders, swelling in the HEAD, blue skin and mucous tissues, hemorrhages of internal organs.

sick birds

+

The causative agents of avian influenza have become much more aggressive and pose a danger to humans

Lumpy dermatitis (contagious nodular dermatitis of cattle)

Fever, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, swelling, lacrimation, serous-mucous discharge from the nose, dense nodules form on the skin

Sick animals, blood-sucking insects, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, flies, birds, in particular herons.

+

Not dangerous to humans

Pox of sheep and goats

Swelling of the eyelids, fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, the formation of smallpox rash on the skin and mucous membranes

Blood-sucking insects and mites, sick animals of other species and humans

+

Dangerous for all mammals, including humans.

Newcastle disease (pseudo-fowl plague or Asian bird plague)

Pneumonia, encephalitis, multiple pinpoint hemorrhages of internal organs

Wild birds, infected domestic birds, from humans, as well as through inventory

+

Causes conjunctivitis and flu-like symptoms, but does not pose a risk to human HEALTH.

foot and mouth disease

Temperature up to 41˚С, state of prostration, increased heart rate, redness of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, conjunctiva, decreased MILK secretion, dryness of the nasal cavity, swelling of the rim of the hooves. The animal groans, profuse salivation begins, thirst and lameness occur. Painful ulcers appear in the oral cavity, on the tongue.

Sick and sick animals. The virus is excreted with the contents of aft, milk, saliva, exhaled air, urine and feces.

+

it is transmitted to humans and is manifested by severe intoxication of the body and the appearance of painful ulcers on the mucous membranes and various parts of the body.

The current epizootic situation in the Russian Federation at the end of 2021 is characterized by the following indicators.

The epizootic situation in the Russian Federation at the end of 2021

(number of settlements)

Name of animal disease

Infection of pets

Infection of wild animals

Total infections in 2021

Remained unfavorable on 01/10/22

African swine fever

175

93

268

33

Highly pathogenic avian influenza

54

fourteen

68

38

Infectious nodular bovine dermatitis

42

42

26

Pox of sheep and goats

13

13

1

Newcastle disease

four

four

1

foot and mouth disease

1

1

1

African swine fever - 268 unfavorable points (175 - in the population of domestic pigs, 93 - in the population of wild boars) in 39 subjects of the Russian Federation. As of the reporting date, 33 foci remain unhealed;

Newcastle disease - 4 outbreaks were registered in the poultry population in 4 subjects of the Russian Federation. As of the reporting date, one focus remains unhealed;

Highly pathogenic avian influenza - 64 outbreaks of HPAI (including 51 among domestic birds, 13 among wild birds) were detected in 21 constituent entities of the Russian Federation (HAI type A, three subtypes H5N8, H5N5, H5N1 - 1 were identified). There are 38 outbreaks in quarantine mode.

Infectious nodular dermatitis of cattle - 42 disadvantaged areas 34 settlements of the Trans-Baikal Territory, 4 settlements Bashkortostan, 3 b.p. Buryatia and 1 settlement Chelyabinsk region. As of the reporting date, 26 outbreaks remain in quarantine mode.

Smallpox of sheep and goats - 13 outbreaks were registered in 4 regions of the Russian Federation (Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions). As of the reporting date, one focus remains unhealed.

Foot and mouth disease - in December 2021, in the Orenburg region, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was detected in a personal subsidiary plot in the village of Karagach, Belyaevsky district. Quarantine has been imposed on the unfavorable point.

Let's consider these diseases in more detail.

African swine fever is a very dangerous and contagious disease. In animals, it is diagnosed by elevated body temperature, depression, may be accompanied by redness or blueness of the skin, diarrhea, bloody discharge from the nasal cavity, convulsions.

ASF is not dangerous for humans, but for pigs this disease is detrimental. To date, no vaccine has been developed for ASF. This virus is very stable in the environment, so all outbreaks of this disease require an immediate response - the destruction of sick individuals and sanitization.

The source of the pathogen are sick pigs and wild boars. The pathogen is transmitted through the secrets and excretions of sick animals, products of slaughter / extraction of such animals and their processing products, as well as through objects that the sick animal has come into contact with (food, water, manure, bedding, equipment, etc.)

In 2021, outbreaks of ASF were registered among domestic and wild pigs in the Khabarovsk, Primorsky and Zabaikalsky regions, the Republic of Komi and the Republic of Tatarstan, Amur, Arkhangelsk, Tver, Magadan, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Kaluga, Bryansk, Kursk, Tambov, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod , Samara, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Volgograd and Rostov regions, in the Khanty-Mansiysk a.o. and Jewish a.oblast.

At present, active outbreaks of ASF have been registered in 33 settlements of the Amur, Belgorod, Kaluga, Kostroma, Lipetsk, Novgorod, Orenburg, Penza, Pskov, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Yaroslavl regions, in Perm, Primorsky, Stavropol and Khabarovsk regions and in Khanty -Mansky Autonomous Okrug.

On a positive note, no cases of classical swine fever have been reported in 2021.

Avian influenza is a viral disease of birds, characterized by a decrease in productivity, depression, refusal of food and water, impaired coordination of movements, diseases of the organs of vision and respiration, intestinal disorders, swelling in the head, blue skin and mucous tissues, hemorrhages.

The avian influenza virus is released into the environment with droppings, secretions from the respiratory tract, through the meat of sick birds and eggs, contaminated objects, when using reusable containers for transportation. The influenza virus remains viable in water for a long time. The avian influenza virus usually survives at low temperatures. At high temperatures, the virus dies.

All domestic and wild birds are susceptible to avian influenza. The source of infection is sick birds or birds carrying the virus. Bird flu is not treated, in the event of an outbreak of bird flu, quarantine is established, sick birds are destroyed.

According to the World Health Organization, in recent years, avian influenza pathogens have become much more aggressive and pose a danger to humans.

Outbreaks of avian influenza in 2021 were registered in 68 settlements of the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Kaliningrad, Kirov, Kurgan, Kursk, Orenburg, Rostov, Samara, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Kalmykia, Crimea, Tatarstan, Tyva and Udmurtia.

Lumpy dermatitis (contagious nodular dermatitis of cattle) has such clinical signs as fever, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, swelling. Animals develop lacrimation and serous-mucous discharge from the nose. Then, on the 2-3rd day, dense nodules 0.5-7 cm in diameter, up to 0.5 cm high, which are easy to identify by touch, form on the skin of the animal. A few hours after the appearance of the nodules, the skin begins to separate along their edges, and a characteristic depression forms in the center and tissue necrosis begins.

The source of the virus are sick animals and virus carriers, mainly blood-sucking insects, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and flies. Birds, in particular herons, can also carry the virus. A person is not susceptible to this disease.

At the end of the outgoing year, 4 outbreaks of lumpy dermatitis in cattle were registered in the Russian Federation. It was identified in Buryatia, in the Kyakhtinsky district in the villages of Ust-Kiran, Burduny, Bilyutai and in the village of Urgaza, Baimaksky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

In total, according to the data of the Veterinary Supervision Department, as of December 30, 2021, forty-two points unfavorable for infectious nodular dermatitis of cattle were registered in the Russian Federation. These are 34 settlements of the Trans-Baikal Territory, 4 settlements. Bashkortostan, 3 b.p. Buryatia and 1 settlement Chelyabinsk region.

In total, in the Russian Federation, as of the current date, quarantine for this disease is maintained in 11 settlements.

Sheep and goat pox is a dangerous disease that begins with swelling of the eyelids, accompanied by fever and discharge from the eyes and nose, as well as the formation of a smallpox rash on the skin and mucous membranes.

Sheep of all breeds and ages are susceptible to the disease.

The infection is transmitted through contact with sick animals. The causative agents of infection are present on corpses, meat, nasal mucus, wool, equipment, food that a sick animal ate, in the air exhaled by sick animals, in milk from infected animals. Mechanical carriers of the disease are blood-sucking insects and mites. Also, carriers of the pathogen can be animals of other species and people. Unlike other animal diseases, sheep pox and goat pox are dangerous to all mammals, including humans.

In 2021, this disease was detected in the Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions. So far, quarantine has been maintained in only one settlement of the Ivanovo region in the village of Ivantsevo.

Newcastle disease (pseudoplague of birds or Asian bird plague) is characterized by the development of pneumonia, encephalitis and multiple petechial hemorrhages of internal organs.

The disease is transmitted through wild birds and already infected domestic birds, from humans, as well as through inventory. Once on the mucous membrane, the virus enters the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract. The percentage of bird death from this disease is about 15-30%. Animals that have been ill acquire long-term stable immunity.

Human contact with infected birds, such as in poultry farms, can cause mild conjunctivitis and flu-like symptoms, but Newcastle virus does not pose a risk to human health.

In 2021, outbreaks of Newcastle disease were registered in the Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir regions, in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk and the village. Romanovka, Primorsky Krai, where a tense situation still persists.

Foot and mouth disease is a disease that affects pigs, goats, sheep, deer and cows. It can also infect domestic dogs and cats. This disease can cause a mass fall of livestock.

The particular danger of foot-and-mouth disease is that this viral disease is transmitted to humans and is manifested by severe intoxication of the body and the appearance of painful ulcers on the mucous membranes and various parts of the body. A distinctive feature of foot-and-mouth disease from other diseases similar in symptoms are ulcerative rashes between the fingers and in the folds of the legs and arms.

You can become infected with foot-and-mouth disease if you consume unpasteurized milk, cottage cheese, kefir or raw meat from infected animals. Also, the transmission of infection is possible through contact with a sick animal. Children are very sensitive to the pathogen. A sick person is not dangerous to others.

The source of the disease are sick animals. The virus is released into the environment with the contents of aft, milk, saliva, exhaled air, urine and feces. Individual animals that have been ill with foot and mouth disease are virus carriers and potential sources of infection for a long time.

The main symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease are a high temperature up to 41 ° C, the animals have a state of prostration, increased heart rate, reddening of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and conjunctiva, a decrease in milk secretion, dryness of the nasal cavity, and swelling of the corolla of the hooves. The animal groans, profuse salivation begins, thirst, lameness arise. Painful ulcers appear in the oral cavity, on the tongue. Large walnut-sized lesions occur on the nasal planum and interhoof gap. The udder swells and becomes painful. Damage to the nasopharynx and tracheal mucosa makes breathing and swallowing difficult. FMD virus can cause abortions, dead or weak fetuses in pregnant animals.

In pigs, foot-and-mouth disease occurs with the formation of aphthae on the patch, tongue (with exfoliation of the epithelium), corolla of the hooves, udder; with lameness. Suckling pigs are seriously ill (without the formation of aphthae) and most often die in the first 2-3 days.

In sheep, a characteristic symptom is lameness, more often the limbs are affected, less often the oral cavity.

In calves, piglets, lambs, foot and mouth disease occurs without the development of aphthae with symptoms of gastroenteritis and intoxication. When the heart is damaged, sudden death occurs, mortality is more than 60%.

In December 2021, in the Orenburg region, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was detected in a personal subsidiary plot in the village of Karagach, Belyaevsky district. By decree of the Governor of the Orenburg region, quarantine was imposed on the unfavorable point. In order to prevent the occurrence and spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the region, cattle and small cattle are vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease.

Thus, the epizootic situation continues to be quite tense. Identification of such a dangerous disease as foot-and-mouth disease requires an immediate response in order to prevent the spread of this disease. The situation with ASF and bird flu also remains quite tense. These two diseases cause significant damage to the agricultural enterprises of the meat industry. At the same time, a vaccine against ASF has not yet been developed, and the use of a vaccine against avian influenza is considered not economically effective. Therefore, the basis for the prevention of animal diseases is the observance of all standards and norms for their maintenance and the immediate elimination of all violations.