Biosafety and Genomic Epidemiological Surveillance

Abstract

The problem of biological safety is extremely relevant today for all countries of the world because of the real and potential threats caused by biological agents that are dangerous to public health and the environment. Modern microorganisms are becoming increasingly aggressive towards humans, as clearly demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected all aspects of people's lives and exposed the vulnerability of the healthcare system. According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation «On the Fundamentals of the State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of chemical and biological safety for the period up to 2025 and beyond» and the Federal Law «On Biological Safety in the Russian Federation», the main objectives of state policy are to reduce the risks of negative effects of biological factors on the population and the environment. Antimicrobial resistance, the emergence of new infections and the overcoming of interspecific barriers by microorganisms are of particular concern. Infectious disease agents with epidemic potential, such as Ebola, Zika, Marburg, Lassa, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV viruses, continue to pose a high threat. To counteract new biological threats, Russia has created a scientific concept of future biosafety, focusing on the development of genomic epidemiological surveillance, digital transformation and mobile technologies. Effective management of epidemic processes requires constant monitoring of genetic changes in infectious agents and prompt response to new threats, which allows the VGARus platform created in Russia to monitor virus mutations. Thus, genomic epidemiological surveillance is becoming a key element of ensuring biological safety and scientific and technological development in Russia.