Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Sanitation and Biosafety
Contact with the Head of the Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Sanitation and Biosafety, Prof. Dr. Oleh Kruchynenko, was established in February 2025 during a meeting held to sign a contract with another Department of the university. Prof. Kruchynenko took part in the meeting specifically to learn about the possibilities offered by our project.
At his department, experiments on infectious and pathological processes have so far been conducted primarily on animals, including mice, rats, and rabbits. For example, rabbits and mice are infected with viruses in order to collect samples, and anaphylactic shock is induced in guinea pigs and other animals. Prof. Kruchynenko made it clear that he wishes to end these animal experiments as soon as possible. The virtual pathophysiology programs presented by our Ukrainian project partner Dimitrij Leporskij were met with great interest, as they allow disease processes to be represented realistically — entirely without animal suffering.
The idea of replacing animal experiments with computer-based models is in line with the guidelines and objectives of the Bioethics Committee of Poltava State Agrarian University. Accordingly, during a follow-up visit in October 2025, a contract was signed between Doctors Against Animal Experiments, InterNICHE, and the Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Sanitation and Biosafety. Under this agreement, the department commits to completely discontinuing the use of live or killed animals in teaching as of 1 May 2026. As a result, the annual use and killing of 88 animals will be eliminated. To implement this transition, the department was equipped with a laptop, a projector, as well as various software programs and educational films.
With this decision, the Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Sanitation and Biosafety has become the fifth department at Poltava State Agrarian University to take a decisive step toward humane and future-oriented education together with Doctors Against Animal Experiments and InterNICHE.
Contract signing: Dean Dr. Sergey Kulinich (left) and Prof. Oleh Kruchynenko, Head of the Department of Infectious Pathology, Hygiene, Sanitation and Biosafety.
The new teaching materials in use: Dr. Maxim Petrenko, Vice Dean of the Institute (standing left), and Department Head Prof. Oleh Kruchynenko (standing right) now teach without animal experiments.