[Role of laboratory methods in epidemic control of brucellosis outbreaks in Moscow zoo nursery].

Aim: Evaluation of the role of contemporary methods in epidemic control of brucellosis outbreaks among employees of auxiliary facilities in Moscow zoo nursery.

Materials And Methods: During 2003-2013, biannually, sera from more than 200 employees of the nursery, that work during periods of epizootics of small and large cattle in nursery auxiliary facilities, were studied. A complex of laboratory methods for brucellosis was used: variations of traditional serologic agglutination method in tubes--Wright's reaction (WR), on glass--Huddleston's reaction, Coombs' anti-globulin reaction; enzyme immunoassay with immune-dominant S-LPS; realtime polymerase chain reaction with primers based on genus target of BCSP31 protein gene.

Epidemiology chapter.

This chapter outlines the epidemiology of brucellosis in the Russian Federation and in five countries bordering Russia. Since the Soviet Union's dissolution, Russia and the newly formed independent republics have failed to maintain policies to control brucellosis and other zoonotic diseases. Many of these republics, due to weak animal control and prevention systems and dangerous food preparation practices, are still burdened with the human cost of brucellosis.