Prevention of human infections with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in the Saratov region

Abstract

The territory of the Saratov Region is situated predominantly in steppe area and is not among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation characterized by consistently high human infections with hemorrhagic fever (HFRS) incidence rates among the population. In certain years, extreme weather events in combination with good feeding and protective conditions result in hard to forecast outbreaks of the red vole numbers – main carrier of the hantavirus Puumala. Risk territories for intensive and extensive epizooty development are intra-zonal and azonal forest biotopes, to which recreation, residential areas and dacha settlements adjust. Epidemic complications on HFRS have been registered since 1960s. The outbreaks of the disease occurred in 1986, 1992, 1999, and 2014. Record-breaking as regards the number of cases outbreak was reported in 2019, associated with intensive sub-snow reproduction of the red vole during winter season. Intensive morbidity rate was 109.7 per 100 thousand of the population, which is tens of times higher than the long term average annual values (7.2). Under the given circumstances, a broad range of preventive measures was implemented, including additional monitoring investigations, restrictive, and sanitary-technical activities, outreach campaign, disinfection and deratization. As a result of the measures performed, incidence rates in the first half of 2020 was reduced to 5.7 per 100 thousand of the population. The lessons learned can help to avoid similar events in the region, other constituent entities that are enzootic in terms of this zoonosis. The results obtained should also be taken into account when monitoring other zoonoses relevant to the region, as well as on the territories of other subjects of the Russian Federation.