Epidemiological and Epizootiological Situation on Tularemia in Russia and Neighboring Countries in 2019, the Forecast for 2020

Abstract

The review provides the data on the epidemic condition of tularemia foci in countries neighboring Russia and ongoing preventive measures in these territories. The highest tularemia incidence in the stated countries and in the world as a whole is observed in Finland. In 2019, 42 cases of human infection with tularemia pathogen were recorded in the territory of the Russian Federation, 85 % of which occur in three Federal Districts: North-Western, Central, and Siberian. Epizootic manifestations of infection of varying degrees of intensity were detected in 51 entities of the Federation. Against this background, sporadic cases of tularemia are registered in 17 regions of the country. The most severe epidemic complications continue in Karelia – 9 patients. Seventeen Francisella tularensis cultures were isolated from environmental objects in the Tver, Yaroslavl, Vologda Regions, in the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic. The paper gives an opinion on the regions in which epidemic complications of tularemia are most likely to occur in 2020.