Sheep and Goat Plague Outbreak Confirmed in Western Mongolia
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Ulan Bator, Dec 16 (NationPress) Reports indicate a significant outbreak of a highly infectious disease impacting sheep and goats in the western province of Khovd, as per local media coverage on Monday.
The governor's office of Bulgan soum (an administrative division) announced that several instances of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), widely referred to as sheep and goat plague, have been authenticated.
Consequently, the soum has been enforced with a quarantine that will last for an unspecified duration, as stated in the report from Xinhua news agency.
The livestock industry is a vital part of Mongolia's economy; however, frequent outbreaks of animal diseases present considerable challenges to the sector.
Mongolia is recognized as one of the last remaining nomadic nations globally, where livestock husbandry plays a critical role in diversifying the economy, which primarily relies on mining. By the close of 2023, the nation reported having 64.7 million livestock, with goats accounting for 38.1 percent of this total, according to the National Statistics Office.
Earlier in October, the southeastern province of Dornogovi was also placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), as detailed by the country's General Authority for Veterinary Services on Thursday.
CCPP, a serious ailment affecting goats, is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma Capricolum Subsp. Capripneumoniae.
An estimated 15,000 goats in the Khatanbulag and Khuvsgul soums of the province are believed to be affected. The authority has indicated that actions are underway to control the disease, which includes culling infected goats and disinfecting contaminated areas.
Remarkably, CCPP had not been documented in Mongolia since the 1950s, marking a gap of 70 years, according to statements from the authority.
This highly infectious disease transmits among animals that are in close proximity through respiratory droplets from infected individuals. Symptoms observed in goats include anorexia, fever, and respiratory complications such as dyspnea, polypnea, coughing, and nasal discharge.
