News

On 22 July, the FGBI “ARRIAH” in Vladimir hosted representatives of the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency. During the meeting, the foreign specialists were introduced to the Centre’s scientific developments in the production of veterinary medicinal products, diagnosis of infectious diseases, and safeguarding animal health.

Ruslan Kobernik, Deputy Director of the FGBI “ARRIAH”, outlined the key areas of the Centre’s activities—the study of pathogens of highly dangerous animal diseases, the development of vaccines based on current strains, and the scientific support for their application.

Particular attention was given to the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), one of the most significant transboundary diseases of livestock. The specialists noted that the FMD virus exists in seven serotypes, and immunity to one serotype does not confer protection against the others. This is precisely why continuous monitoring of virus circulation, investigation of new variants of the pathogen, and the rapid development of vaccines remain among the Centre’s most critical priorities.

At present, the FGBI “ARRIAH” maintains a bank of vaccine strains covering all known FMD virus serotypes. The Centre manufactures a wide range of FMD vaccines, including polyvalent vaccines, with production carried out in accordance with international Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

The foreign colleagues were also introduced to the Centre’s capabilities in laboratory diagnosis. The FGBI “ARRIAH” employs state-of-the-art highly sensitive testing methods, including PCR diagnostics, viral genome sequencing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and virology testing, enabling rapid detection of highly dangerous pathogens.

A separate segment of the meeting was dedicated to the Centre’s developments in the prevention and diagnosis of sheep and goat pox, as well as peste des petits ruminants (PPR). Specialists of the FGBI “ARRIAH” presented a range of domestically produced vaccines, including combined vaccines providing protection against multiple infections, as well as modern PCR test systems for the rapid detection of the causative agents of these diseases. This integrated approach, combining specific prevention tools and laboratory diagnostics, enables an effective response to the spread of highly dangerous transboundary infections.

It was noted during the meeting that cooperation between the FGBI “ARRIAH” and Azerbaijan is progressing successfully. The Centre already supplies veterinary vaccines against poultry diseases, and the latest visit represents another step towards expanding scientific and technical collaboration between Russian and Azerbaijani specialists.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties confirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation, including the exchange of expertise, conducting consultations, and the implementation of joint projects in veterinary medicine and biological safety.