VORONEZH, November 16. /TASS/. Regions of the Central Federal District should pay attention to the threat of anthrax spreading due to burial mishaps, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev told a meeting in Voronezh.

"The risk of the sanitary and epidemiological situation deteriorating persists in the District due to a potential rise in infectious diseases, including measles and coronavirus, as well as risks of infection with natural focal infectious diseases such as tularemia and hemorrhagic fever," he warned.

"Threats due to improper maintenance of anthrax burial sites have been identified in certain regions of the District," Patrushev said. "In 2023, an anthrax outbreak was recorded in the Tambov, Voronezh and Ryazan regions," he added.

In addition, episodes were reported in the Voronezh Region when accompanying veterinary documents went missing, vaccination of animals against anthrax was skipped, and infected meat was sold, causing infections among the population, Patrushev stressed.

However, "despite all the listed risks and threats, the situation with ensuring biological security in the [federal] district is controllable," the top security official assured.

"Public authorities ensure the protection of citizens and the environment against the impact of dangerous biological factors. The epidemiological situation is analyzed and appropriate response measures are taken. Plans for immunization of the population are implemented in a timely manner, prophylactic measures are taken to prevent diseases common to humans and animals," he said.

According to Patrushev, a network for monitoring and lab control is in place in the region to detect and identify various types of contamination and pollution.