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An outbreak of Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), a highly infectious and potentially devastating disease affecting goats, has been reported in the southeastern Dornogovi province of Mongolia. The country’s General Authority for Veterinary Services announced the outbreak on Tuesday, marking the first occurrence of the disease in the region in over 70 years. CCPP is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae and primarily targets goats.
According to the report, approximately 15,000 goats belonging to more than 70 herding families in the Khatanbulag soum of Dornogovi province have been infected. Authorities have begun implementing stringent measures to curb the spread, including culling infected goats and restricting animal movement.
The disease is highly contagious and spreads through close contact between animals via respiratory droplets. Infected goats typically exhibit symptoms such as loss of appetite, fever, and severe respiratory problems, including coughing, nasal discharge, and labored breathing.
The resurgence of CCPP after a long absence poses a significant threat to Mongolia’s agricultural sector. Livestock husbandry is a critical part of the nation’s economy, serving as an important livelihood for many nomadic herding families. In a country where 38.1% of the total livestock population of 64.7 million are goats, the impact of the outbreak could be far-reaching. Mongolia has been making efforts to diversify its mining-dependent economy, with animal husbandry playing a key role in these efforts.
Veterinary officials are closely monitoring the situation, taking proactive measures to control the outbreak and prevent further spread across the province. The General Authority for Veterinary Services has emphasized the need for regional cooperation to tackle the issue, given the potential risk of CCPP spreading to neighboring areas.
Mongolia’s last reported outbreak of CCPP occurred in the 1950s, making this resurgence a serious concern for the nation’s agricultural and veterinary sectors. With the livelihoods of thousands of herding families at stake, authorities are working swiftly to mitigate the damage caused by this outbreak.
