Applied and Theoretical Aspects of the Ecology of Pathogens of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome and Tick-Borne Encephalitis

Relevance. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are the most common natural focal diseases of viral etiology In Russia. The medical and social significance of these two infections is determined by the extensive fociof their spread, high annual morbidity rates in the population, and the possibility of developing severe forms of the disease leading to permanent disability and death. The causative agents of HFRS In Russia are 6 types of hantaviruses Hantaan, Amur, Seoul, Puumala, Kurkino and Sochi, which, immunologically and genetically significantly different from each other, support their existence in nature through six different species of small mammals, which are sources of infection in humans. TBE virus strains that cause disease in humans belong to five phylogenetically distinct subtypes, including: Far Eastern, European, Siberian, “178-79” and Baikal. Aim . Analysis of the role of small mammals and ticks in the ecology of HFRS and TBE pathogens. Conclusions . Small mammals retain and transmit hantaviruses to uninfected animals and ticks. At the same time, ticks retain and transmit to ticks and mammals not only the TBE virus, but also hantaviruses. Despite the taxonomic difference between the viruses that cause HFRS and TBE, some of their ecological properties are similar.