Specific prevention of plague in small ruminants in the Kyrgyz Republic

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a particularly dangerous, infectious and transboundary disease of domestic and wild sheep and goats, causing significant economic losses in livestock farming. The spread of PPR between countries requires coordinated preventive measures and constant epizootic monitoring to prevent the introduction and emergence of disease outbreaks. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures against PPR after mass vaccination of susceptible animals in the Kyrgyz Republic. To analyse the level of post-vaccination immunity, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the antibody titre against the PPR virus. Between 2018 and 2023, 19.35 million sheep and goats were vaccinated with a lyophilised live attenuated vaccine of the Nig.75/1 strain. The results showed that in the northern regions of the republic in 2018, immunity was detected in 42% of vaccinated animals, indicating an insufficient level of protection. However, in subsequent years (2019-2023), the proportion of immune animals increased to an average of 79%. In the southern regions, the average rate of immune animals over six years was 83%, indicating the formation of high antibody levels and a reduced risk of infection. The results confirmed the high effectiveness of vaccination against PPR and its role in preventing the spread of infection. The study data can be used by veterinary services when planning preventive measures, especially in regions bordering China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan