Anthrax is an acute infectious zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis that mostly affects grazing livestock and wildlife. Furthermore, B. anthracis is considered one of the most important biological agents of bioterrorism that could also be potentially misused in biological weapons. The distribution of anthrax in domestic animals and wildlife in Europe with a particular focus on Ukraine as a country of war was analyzed. Between 2005 and 2022, 267 anthrax cases were registered at the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) in animals in Europe, including 251 cases in domestic animals and 16 in wildlife. The highest numbers of cases were recorded in 2005 and 2016 followed by 2008, and the highest numbers of registered cases were reported from Albania, Russia, and Italy. In Ukraine, anthrax is currently a sporadic infection. Since 2007, 28 notifications were registered, with isolates mainly from soil samples. The highest number of confirmed anthrax cases was registered in 2018, and Odesa, which is close to Moldova, had the highest number of cases, followed by the Cherkasy region. The presence of thousands of biothermal pits and burial grounds of fallen cattle nationwide favors the re-emergence of new foci. Most confirmed cases were in cattle; however, single cases were confirmed in dogs, horses, and pigs. Further investigation of the disease in wildlife and in environmental samples is needed. The genetic analysis of isolates, investigation of susceptibility to antimicrobial compounds, and determination of virulence and pathogenicity factors are required in this volatile region of the world for awareness raising and preparedness.

One of the most actual problems of modern poultry farming is to increase the preservation of chickens and ensure high intensity of their growth at all stages of rearing. The development of alternative methods of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases of poultry involves the use of preparations of natural or organic origin, which have antagonistic properties against infectious agents and are able to balance the immune response. A prominent place in the system of disease prevention and increasing the resistance of animals and poultry is the development of modern probiotic and bactericidal preparations. In view of this, we studied the influence of the synbiotic preparations “Biomagn” in combination with the disinfectant “Diolide” on the state of the T- and B-cell links of the specific immunity of broiler chickens during the period of their rearing. The preparation “Biomagn” is based on representatives of the normal commensal microflora - non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria with antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties and additional components: magnesium chloride, chitosan, xylanase, protease, cellulase, milk thistle meal, acidity regulator, betaine and emulsifier. The specified remedy is used to ensure optimal level of metabolism, increase immune function, growth, safety of animals and poultry. The results of the research showed that the use of the synbiotic preparation “Biomagn” in combination with the disinfectant “Diolide” had a positive influence on the activity of T- and B-cell links of specific defense of broiler chickens organism during the period of their rearing. This is evidenced by an increase in the amount of T-lymphocytes (total, active and theophylline-resistant) and B-lymphocytes in the blood and an increase in their functional activity due to the redistribution of the receptor apparatus of immunocompetent cells. In particular, a decrease in the number of functionally inactive T- and B-lymphocytes in the blood and an increase in the number of cells with low and medium degree of avidity. Therefore, the use of a set of studied immunotropic preparations is a promising direction in increasing the resistance and productivity of poultry. This allows in industrial conditions of maintenance, without loss of productivity, to respond to technological factors that can lead to immunodeficiency, disease and death of poultry.

In the industrial production of broiler meat, the productivity and quality of meat are important. To increase their productivity and meat quality, they create optimal housing conditions. It depends on many factors, especially the technology of poultry farming. The main way to maintain the natural resistance of poultry in production conditions – the use of quality and safe disinfectants. Experimental laboratory investigations have found modes of disinfection of poultry air in the presence of broiler chickens, when using a disinfectant “Biolaid” based on hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid and lactic acid. The reduction of microbial indoor air pollution and the increase of poultry productivity have been set up, which has made it possible to get economic efficiency of production. According to the results of research, the optimal regime of aerosol disinfection of poultry houses with the use of 0.2 % disinfectant “Biolaid” – 50 ml/m3 of the room at an exposure of 60 minutes is recommended. Disinfection of the premises in the presence of poultry during the rearing of broilers in the period before planting and processing every 6 days in the period from 6 to 41 days of age reduces the microbial background of indoor air. It was found that before the experiment the total bacterial air pollution in the experimental group was 191.0 ± 12.7 thousand CFU/cm3. After disinfection with Biolaid disinfectant, the bacterial air pollution of the room was 320.0 ± 7.1 CFU/cm3, which is almost 100 % and confirms its effectiveness. It was found that the body weight of chickens at 6 weeks of age increased by 225 g compared to the control group. Aerosol treatment of air is non-toxic and has no negative influence on the physiological state, which is confirmed by researches of morphological indices of poultry blood.

Salmonellosis is a zoonotic infection of humans and animals. In recent years, an increase in the number of resistant strains of Salmonella from animals and animal products have been recorded. We conducted microbiological testing and antibiotic resistance profile of 34 Salmonella strains isolated from foods of animal origin between 2018 to 2021 in Ukraine. Twenty isolates were successfully assigned to six different serovars [S. Enteritidis (n=13, S. Infantis (n=2), S. Schwarzengrund (n=1), S. Livingstone (n=2), S. Vuadens (n=1) and S. Hadar (n=1)], and 14 isolates remained untyped. Most of the isolated strains were recovered from poultry products. The strains were tested for six antibacterial groups: quinolones, aminoglycosides, β-lactams, cephalosporins, phenols, and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors by disc diffusion method. The highest level of resistance was recorded to 4th generation cephalosporins, e.g., cefepime (88.2%). The lowest level of resistance was to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone (5.9%). No resistance was found to imipenem and aminoglycoside antibiotics, particularly gentamicin and amikacin. The study results are of concern because antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their genes can cause human infections by penetration and transmission at any stage of the food production cycle. Further research is required to monitor the contamination of food products of animal origin with salmonellosis pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains.

Modern animal husbandry and poultry farming is developing very rapidly compared to the possibilities of previous years. Obtaining high economic indicators is possible with balanced feeding and strict observance of veterinary and sanitary measures. Failure to comply with the technology of cultivation leads to the activation of opportunistic pathogens. During the industrial rearing of animals, microflora accumulates both indoors and in the environment. Fattening animals with pelleted feed indoors and the lack of contact with donors of typical microorganisms available in nature (soil, insects, plants) lead to the intestine's colonization by enterobacteria. As a result, probiotics have become very popular in animal husbandry and poultry to normalize the intestinal microflora and disinfect humus, treat animal housing, and eliminate odors: probiotics – microbial drugs which are stabilized cultures of microorganisms that have antagonistic activity against pathogenic microflora. Today, the sources of probiotic strains are nine species of microorganisms. However, probiotics' antimicrobial and stimulating potential based on safe and effective strains of B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens bacilli is much higher than probiotics based on Lacto- and bifidobacteria. The study aimed to investigate the safety and cute toxicity of the probiotic drug “Biozapin” based on a mixture of probiotic bacteria Bacillus sybtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and aluminosilicate with a single injection into animals and to establish the maximum therapeutic, toxic and lethal doses. The article presents information on the study results of acute toxicity and safety of the drug “Biozapin”. At intragastric administration of this drug to white mice at a dose of 5000 mg/kg of body weight, it does not cause their death; therefore, it is possible to draw a conclusion that this drug is nontoxic. Dilution of the drug “Biozapin” in various concentrations are harmless to the simplest tetrachimene piriformis. The increase in live weight of one head of mice with forced administration of the drug “Biozapin” intragastrically in different concentrations was: sample № 1 – 11.5 %, sample № 2 – 10.0 %, sample № 3 – 13.5 %, sample № 4 – 11.7 %, sample № 5 – 11.1 %, in the control group – 13.9 %. At pathological autopsy of animals, no visible pathological changes were found. The results of toxicological studies have shown that the drug “Biozapin” is harmless and non-toxic.

The production of ecologically clean poultry meat with high biological value to meet the needs of public demand is the primary goal of the poultry industry. Poultry meat is a good product for a healthy human diet due to its nutritional, dietary, and sensory properties, economic availability, and quick cooking. At the same time, using the latest, effective symbiotic and biocidal drugs to increase the productivity of poultry requires more in-depth research and evaluation of their impact on the final product. Based on the analysis of the results obtained by us, it has been proven that the use of the complex of symbiotic drugs “Biomagn” and “Biozapin” and in combination with the biocidal agents “Diolaid” and “Biolaid” to broiler chickens of the Cobb 500 cross throughout the entire breeding cycle allows obtaining high-quality and safe poultry products (chicken meat), with improved quality indicators and higher biological value. An increase in the protein content in the muscles of experimental groups of birds and a decrease in moisture in them was established, which is a consequence of an increase in dry matter content in this tissue. As a result, in the muscles of broiler chickens of the II research group, an increase in energy value was recorded to a greater extent and markedly, along with an increase in the content of essential bioelements (Calcium, Ferrum, Copper, Cobalt, and Selenium (Р ≤ 0.05)) and the content of vitamins A and B1, which indicates a higher biological (nutritional) value of poultry meat compared to such indicators in poultry I of the experimental and control groups. When determining the safety indicators of the chicken meat of the research groups, it was established that there were no residual amounts of veterinary drugs, pesticides, and aflatoxin B1, and the regulated indicators of toxic elements did not exceed the PAI specified in the regulatory documents. Therefore, the proposed complex of drugs in the scheme of the growing cycle of broiler chickens does not hurt the quality and safety of the obtained products (chicken meat). On the contrary, according to sensory and organoleptic studies, higher organoleptic qualities of the muscle samples of chickens of the I and II experimental groups were proven under the conditions of the use of a complex of symbiotic and biocidal drugs: the values of the highest overall score for tasting the meat broth are higher (Р ≤ 0.05) compared with the indicator in the control group.

The paper presents the results of monitoring of compound feeds for different types of chickens for the period 2017–2021 by the indicators of the content of vitamins (A, E, B2) and trace elements (Zn, Cu, Se). Vitamin A content did not show significant deviations from the norm in compound feeds for productive chickens and for reproductive meat poultry, and in compound feeds for reproductive egg hens, samples with low vitamin A content (5.7%) were found. By the content of vitamin E in compound feeds for commercial chickens, the percentage of samples with reduced content was 75.2%, in compound feeds for reproductive egg hens — 63.9%, and in compound feeds for reproductive meat hens — 12.7%. By the content of vitamin B2 in compound feeds for reproductive egg chickens, samples with reduced content of vitamin B2 were not observed, while in compound feeds for reproductive meat chickens, reduction of vitamin B2 was found in 4.0% of samples, and in compound feeds for commercial laying hens in 5.1%. The average zinc content in compound feeds for productive laying hens and reproductive egg and meat hens was within normal limits, but reduced zinc levels were observed in 11.0, 2.5, and 17.3% of samples, and above the MAL — in 11.1, 16.9, and 47.1% of the samples, respectively. The average content of copper in compound feeds for commercial laying hens and reproductive egg and meat hens was within the norm, but the reduced level of the element was registered in 1.4, 0.0, and 18.0% of samples, and above the MAL — in 1.4, 8.3, and 16.9% of samples, respectively. The average content of selenium in compound feeds for commercial laying hens and reproductive egg and meat hens was within the norm, but the reduced level of the element was registered in 52.8, 29.3, and 26.8% of samples, the exceeding of the maximum allowable level was not detected

The article presents the results of the study of toxic and virucidal action of the disinfectant ‘Biolaid’, which includes hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, and supralactic acid. The research was conducted following the ‘Methodical Approaches to the Control of Disinfectants for Veterinary Medicine’ (Kovalenko and Nedosiekov, 2011). Toxicity of the disinfectant ‘Biolaid’ was characterized in SPEV and BHK-21/C13 cell cultures (ATCC CCL-10). Determination of virucidal activity of the disinfectant ‘Biolaid’ was performed on models of Aujeszky’s disease virus (strain ‘Arsky’) and rabies virus (strain CVS-11, ATCC VR 959). The toxic effect of the drug ‘Biolaid’ was determined for concentrations of 2.0%, 1.5%, 1.0%, 0.5%, and 0.25% at exposures of 30 and 60 min in an incubator at 37°С. The virucidal effect of ‘Biolaid’ was determined for similar concentrations using working dilutions of viral suspensions: for Aujeszky’s disease virus — 4.0 CPE50/cm3, for rabies virus — 4.0 TCID50/cm3. The results of the study showed that the disinfectant ‘Biolaid’ is not toxic to SPEV and BHK-21/C13 cells in all test concentrations (2.0%, 1.5%, 1.0%, 0.5%, and 0.25%) at exposures of 30 and 60 min. Disinfectant ‘Biolaid’ has 100% virucidal activity against Aujeszky’s disease virus (strain ‘Arsky’) and rabies virus (strain CVS-11, ATCC VR 959) in all tested concentrations (2.0%, 1.5%, 1.0%, 0.5%, and 0.25%). The virucidal effect of these viruses was manifested at exposures of both 30 and 60 min. The obtained results give grounds to recommend disinfectant ‘Biolaid’ for disinfection of various livestock and poultry farms in case of detection of viral infections