TASS, December 8. /TASS/. Experts of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch will study populations of rodents that spread dangerous diseases and bring into Russia tropical parasites and viruses, the Academy's biodiversity expedition's press service told TASS.

"Communities of small mammals, including rodents, are of great importance in many aspects. First of all, in biodiversity. Another aspect that concerns human health is as follows: all these small mammals are feeders for ticks and they are reservoirs containing a number of diseases. This is a component of natural focal infections, tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. A number of interesting diseases have been coming to us, including tropical ones. Those are diseases like microfillariasis, and further on - various viral diseases," the press service quoted Viktor Glupov, director of the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals (ISEA, Novosibirsk).

According to the scientist, rodents are the chain link, where such diseases will live, and thus it is most important to watch how the species' compositions are changing in different locations.

The basic biodiversity survey continues the work, which the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch began in 2020. Since the Great Norilsk Expedition, this work has extended into another three regions. The survey’s purpose is to identify Nornickel’s impact zones and to assess biodiversity in areas of Nornickel’s operations. The research results will be used in building out a corporate biodiversity management system and biodiversity monitoring and conservation programs.