Ecology of microorganisms in the conditions of permafrost

Abstract

The results of research into the ecology of pathogens of infectious diseases in permafrost conditions are presented. The work was carried out in laboratory conditions and horse breeding farms of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), located in the permafrost zone. Isolation and identification of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microorganisms were carried out by generally accepted methods used in microbiological practice. The survival rate of microorganisms was studied by methods of veterinary sanitation. The studies conducted showed that the survival time of some microorganisms on the objects of the environment in permafrost conditions is 2-3 times longer than the survival time of similar microorganisms in the southern and European territories of Russia and abroad. When studying microbial contamination and the survival time of microorganisms, a significant content of aerobic spore-forming bacteria (more than 2 x 106 CFU/g) in permafrost soils of Central Yakutia was established. Isolation of viable bacteria of the genus Bacillus from representatives of mammoth fauna preserved in permafrost soils (age 30-40 thousand years) proves the role of permafrost in the preservation of bacteria of the Pleistocene period. Permafrost contributes to the long-term preservation of foci and transmission factors of pathogens of infectious diseases. Isolation of pathogens of yersiniosis from the surfaces of glaciers and from wild animals indicates the danger of contamination of food during storage and consumption. The establishment of the circulation of pathogens of viral diseases among reindeer suggests the role of migratory birds in the spread of infectious diseases. The study of the epizootology of anthrax remains relevant. Knowledge of the survival time of microorganisms on the objects of the environment in the extreme conditions of the Far North and the study of the microbiota of wild animals and migratory birds are necessary to optimize antiepizootic and epidemiological measures in the prevention or elimination of infectious diseases in humans and animals.