Anthrax remains a significant zoonotic disease because its spores can persist in soil for decades, creating long-term biosecurity risks associated with historical animal burial sites. Administrative-territorial reform in Ukraine (2015-2020) has substantially changed the spatial units used for land management and spatial planning, creating a need to reassess biosecurity risks under the new administrative structure. This study investigates how spatial aggregation influences the assessment of land-use biosecurity risks related to anthrax burial sites before and after the reform. The research was based on archival records of anthrax burial sites geocoded by settlement names and integrated with geographic information on administrative districts and territorial communities. A GIS-based spatial analysis was performed using normalized indicators calculated per 10,000 hectares to ensure the comparability of administrative units with different areas. The results demonstrate that aggregation at the district level, both before and after the administrative reform, substantially reduces spatial variability and conceals local high-risk areas. In contrast, analysis at the territorial community level reveals considerably greater spatial differentiation and enables the identification of localized biosecurity hotspots that are not detectable at coarser administrative scales. The findings confirm that the territorial community represents the most appropriate spatial unit for assessing anthrax-related land-use biosecurity risks. The proposed GIS-based approach provides a practical decision-support tool for land management, spatial planning, and environmental risk assessment. Integrating detailed information on hazardous animal burial sites into spatial development plans can improve biosecurity management, support evidence-based land-use restrictions, and reduce potential environmental and public health risks.
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