Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Azerbaijan: Outbreak Subsides, Authorities Boost Vaccination Amid New Strain Threat
In recent months, Azerbaijani farms have been operating under heightened risk: the infection was spreading actively among large and small cattle, some markets were closed, animal movements were restricted, and veterinary services were put on high alert.
The Ministry of Agriculture reports that the main wave of infections is currently subsiding.
According to ministry representative Vugar Huseynov, most hotspots have already been localized, and in regions, the disease has 'practically come to an end.' In individual farms where cases are still being recorded, herd treatment and sanitary measures continue.
Despite the improvement in the domestic situation, authorities are focusing on the unfavorable international background. Veterinary services point to registered cases of the aggressive SAT-1 serotype of foot-and-mouth disease in Turkey and Iraq, previously mostly associated with southern African countries.
This strain belongs to the third epidemiological zone, which includes Azerbaijan, increasing potential risks for the national livestock.
In light of this, the country has decided to launch an unscheduled vaccination campaign.
The Agricultural Services Agency has already procured a SAT-1-specific vaccine, coordinated a comprehensive set of measures with relevant bodies, and commenced preventive immunization of animals. The additional vaccination campaign is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in Azerbaijan has been state-funded for many years and is a mandatory annual preventive measure. Occasional outbreaks of the disease have been recorded previously, so current actions are seen as an enhancement of the existing program rather than an emergency response.
The Ministry of Agriculture emphasizes that control over the situation is maintained: 'The epizootic situation is stable, vaccination continues, and additional measures are aimed solely at protecting the industry,' the ministry stated.
For farmers, the most significant consequences of the outbreak were the closure of markets and restrictions on animal movements, complicating product sales and farm planning activities.
