Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia: Global Eradication Remains a Challenging and Distant Goal.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is one of the six high impact diseases for which currently World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has established an official procedure for recognition of disease-free status for trade purposes. Although its exact distribution, incidence, and impact have not been well established, the disease is known to be endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where it has a severe socio-economic impact on people's livelihoods. Control or elimination of the disease can be achieved by various strategies including vaccination, movement control, and stamping-out.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (lung sickness) in Africa.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) or lung sickness, is an insidious pneumonic disease of cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony variant (MmmSC) and it is one of the major diseases affecting cattle in Africa. With the imminent eradication of rinderpest from Africa (Somali ecosystem) CBPP has become the disease of prime concern in terms of epizootics that affect cattle on the continent. The control and/or eradication of the disease have suffered from unsustained control actions due to lack of operational funds to support such actions and deterioration in the quality of veterinary services in many countries affected by the disease.

Survey of the seroprevalence of brucellosis in ruminants in Tajikistan.

A cross-sectional serological survey of the prevalence of brucellosis in ruminants in the Region of Republican Subordination and Khatlon oblasts (provinces) in Tajikistan was conducted in May 2003. Sera from 13,625 ruminants involving 3513 households in 172 kishlaks (villages) were collected and screened by the rose bengal test. Doubtful and positive results were further tested with competitive and indirect elisas.

Veterinary vaccines and their use in developing countries.

The burden of infectious diseases in livestock and other animals continues to be a major constraint to sustained agricultural development, food security, and participation of developing and in-transition countries in the economic benefits of international trade in livestock commodities. Targeted measures must be instituted in those countries to reduce the occurrence of infectious diseases. Quality veterinary vaccines used strategically can and should be part of government sanctioned-programmes.

The situation of tuberculosis and tuberculosis control in animals of economic interest.

The need to focus international attention on the continuing problem of tuberculosis in animals of economic interest, can hardly be over-emphasized. Mycobacterium bovis, is the most universal pathogen among the mycobacteria and produces progressive disease in most domestic animals (especially those of economic interest) and in humans. The prevalence of animal tuberculosis therefore, has relevance for both human and veterinary medical practitioners and decision makers on the strategic approach to be adopted in the control of the disease.