Modern ecological, epizootological and epidemiological features of natural foci of rabies in the Omsk region

The aim of the work is to study modern ecological, epizootological and epidemiological features of rabies in the Omsk region at the beginning of the 21st century, as this region is traditionally considered a rabiesprone territory. The paper describes the cases of rabies infection in human in the Omsk region in 1962-2020 and determines the features of treatment-seeking behaviour after traumatic contacts with animals in 2001-2020. The features of the epizootic process within the period 2001-2020 were studied. The number of foxes and raccoon dogs, i.e., the main natural hosts and distributors of rabies was analyzed. The epizootic index and infection density in different districts of the region for 2001-2020 were revealed. A modern epidemiological zoning was carried out and the risk of rabies incidence in different districts of the Omsk region was determined. The epizootic process of rabies in the region was determined to undergo significant changes at the beginning of the 21st century. A pronounced downward trend was revealed in the number of detected animal diseases. Epizootics form persistent foci, localized during the study period mainly in the subzone of the northern forest steppe. This previously unobserved feature of the landscape confinement of foci to the northern forest-steppe zone is apparently associated with a change in the population structure of natural hosts of the infection and a significant increase in the number of raccoon dogs. Conclusions: to optimize preventive measures, it is necessary to pay attention to the vaccination of all groups of animals involved in the epizootic process, to continue oral vaccination of wild predators. There are conditions for the formation of persistent natural foci of infection and the possibility of epizootics to get activated. This determines the relevance of constant virological monitoring of the populations of foxes, raccoon dogs, corsacs and badgers, as well as monitoring the density of populations of these species.