CIS countries to exchange biological material to combat animal diseases

The Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament, has ratified the agreement originally signed by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in May 2022 to collaborate in combating the spread of infectious animal diseases. The agreement includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Belarus.

«Ratifying this agreement will allow the parties to pool resources, enhancing laboratory diagnostics for highly dangerous animal diseases and expanding national collections of microorganisms (strains),» stated the Mazhilis press service.

Through joint research, the participating countries aim to develop medicines, diagnostics and treatments for animal diseases. Additionally, the collaboration is expected to advance the knowledge and skills of specialists in the field.

«Moreover, a preventive approach to avert the spread of infectious and highly dangerous animal diseases and to protect member states from epizootics will be implemented under the agreement,» the Mazhilis added.

Recently, new confirmed cases of anthrax were detected in the Uygur district of the Almaty region. The village of Ulken Aksu has already been quarantined and 16 people have been hospitalized. Eleven of them have been diagnosed with anthrax.

More than 11,000 domestic animals and birds were lost due to spring floods in Kazakhstan. The state compensated their owners with $5.4 million.