of the 4th International Research-to-Practice Conference on

Infectious Disease Control: New Challenges

December 11-12, 2025 St. Petersburg

The 6th International Research-to-Practice Conference on Infectious Disease Control: New Challenges (hereinafter referred to as the Conference), organized by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), brought together more than 350 participants from 27 countries, including representatives of government authorities, the scientific community, epidemiologists, virologists, bacteriologists, immunologists, biologists, physicians, information technology specialists, and others. Delegations from the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eastern Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America took part in the Conference, along with representatives of international organizations.

The natural evolution of infectious disease pathogens, the expansion of their geographic ranges and the overcoming of interspecies barriers, as well as the potential creation of new “artificial” pathogens using synthetic biology methods and artificial intelligence technologies, increase biological security risks in the modern world. These challenges necessitate the consolidation of efforts by specialists from various fields and enhanced flexibility and responsiveness of systems for detection and response to public health emergencies. Modern epidemiological surveillance, which involves the analysis of vast volumes of data obtained from diverse sources, including genomic and immunological surveillance, requires the use of specialized digital tools and mathematical modeling to forecast outbreaks and to support informed decision-making in emergency response.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of infectious diseases in both the development and progression of somatic pathologies, as well as the growing resistance of pathogens to antibacterial and antiviral drugs. This highlights the need to integrate the scientific and practical expertise of infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists, and other medical specialists.

During two plenary sessions, 12 sectional meetings, and two round tables, a total of 139 presentations were delivered. Specialists from various disciplines presented the latest advances in genomic and immunological research, information technologies, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology, as well as their active application as tools in epidemiological surveillance.

Delegates from participating countries shared their experience in counteracting emerging and re-emerging infectious threats and discussed achievements and challenges in combating natural focal diseases, vaccine-preventable and respiratory infections, viral hepatitis, HIV infection, and antimicrobial resistance. Specialists from the Republic of the Congo and Uganda expressed their gratitude to Rospotrebnadzor for timely assistance in combating cholera and Ebola virus disease in 2025 and presented the results of joint mobile response teams.

As part of the Conference, the first Russian-Chinese Symposium was held, dedicated to cooperation between the two countries in ensuring the epidemiological well-being of the population. Heads of leading Rospotrebnadzor institutes presented the emergency response system for sanitary and epidemiological threats and addressed issues of genomic and immunological surveillance conducted in the Russian Federation and abroad. Representatives of the National Administration for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases of China shared achievements in plague research and experience in responding to outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers. Staff members of the Beijing Institute of Genomics and the China National Center for Bioinformation described the activities of their institutions and their contribution to infectious disease surveillance in China. The symposium outlined key areas for further cooperation in protecting public health in both countries.

Within the framework of a round table and an exhibition, Russian innovative developments in the field of sanitary and epidemiological well-being – including test systems, mobile equipment, and information products – were presented. These developments are being shared by the Russian Federation with international partners.

The participants of the Conference:

1. Emphasized the need to use information technologies, digital platforms, mathematical models, and statistical approaches in epidemiological analysis and in forecasting various aspects of infectious diseases, as well as in assessing the effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures; they also highlighted the importance of continuous information exchange on external and internal threats to the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population.
2. Stated that genomic epidemiological surveillance enables the timely identification of risks of adverse developments in the epidemiological situation and of emerging infectious threats, and also serves as a fundamental basis for studying pathogen evolution.
3. Noted the importance of immunological surveillance in identifying the causes of increasing morbidity, as well as the role of population immunity in maintaining epidemiological well-being with regard to vaccine-preventable infections; they presented modern organizational and methodological approaches to conducting large-scale immunological surveys.
4. Pointed out the danger of increasing biological threat risks associated with viral evolution toward enhanced pathogenicity, the overcoming of interspecies barriers and expansion beyond traditional “ecological niches,” and changes in antigenic structure that enable pathogens to evade the antiviral effects of therapeutic and vaccine products.
5. Stated that HIV infection remains a global challenge for all countries and requires the medical community to address numerous issues, including the prevention of intrauterine transmission, the improvement of preventive measures, and the vaccination of people living with HIV.
6. Confirmed the effectiveness of international cooperation in combating infectious diseases, including rapid response to public health emergencies, as demonstrated by the work of joint international centers operating under the federal project “Sanitary Shield.”
7. Noted that modern mobile technologies provided by Rospotrebnadzor to partner countries to ensure biological security enable specialists to work directly at sites of infectious disease outbreaks, significantly accelerating etiological identification and increasing the scope and capacity of laboratory investigations.
8. Once again emphasized the high burden of antimicrobial resistance, noting its global nature and its critical impact on the course of infectious diseases, including wound infections.
9. While recognizing the undeniable achievements in the development of synthetic biology, pointed to the need for a comprehensive assessment of the potential consequences of its implementation across various areas of life, including medicine.
10. Emphasized that the 6th Conference serves as an effective open platform for the exchange of experience aimed at protecting the life and health of populations in different regions of the world and at adopting consolidated decisions on joint efforts to combat infectious diseases.