Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Veterinary and Livestock Development Committee of Uzbekistan, an extensive active seromonitoring project has been launched to detect the presence of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) virus in small ruminants in the all Uzbekistan's border regions. This initiative is a critical step toward preventing the spread of the disease and enhancing food security across the country.

PPR, also known as " sheep and goat plague" is a highly contagious disease that poses a serious threat to small ruminant populations, including sheep and goats. The virus, PPRV, belongs to the Morbillivirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family. Infected animals display symptoms such as fever, mouth sores, diarrhea, and pneumonia, often leading to death. The disease spreads rapidly through direct contact with infected animals, contaminated materials, or aerosols, with mortality rates potentially reaching up to 90%.

As part of the project’s initial phase, specialized training sessions are being conducted for veterinary professionals in border districts across Uzbekistan. During these seminars, veterinarians are trained in proper blood sample collection techniques using vacuum tubes, as well as how to safely transport samples to the laboratory. This seromonitoring effort will cover 117 villages in border areas across the country.

Training veterinary specialists in border areas is a crucial step in combating the disease where the risk of PPR transmission is high. Through these seminars and followed seromonitoring, the project aims to undertake initial steps to detect, control, and ultimately mitigate the risk of future outbreaks.

This seromonitoring project, along with the training sessions in border regions conducted by FAO and the Veterinary and Livestock Development Committee, contributes significantly to protecting Uzbekistan’s livestock sector and enhancing food security. It also supports Uzbekistan's efforts to achieve internationally recognized PPR-free status, adding to the global initiative to eradicate the disease.