Results Of Monitoring Conducted On African Horse Sickness

It is well known that in recent years infectious diseases have not only caused significant damage to the global economy, but in some cases are also considered capable of threatening other sectors (trade, tourism, social sphere). Among such diseases, African horse sickness (AHS) occupies a special place due to its aggressiveness (mortality rate 90–95%). This disease is transmissible and is spread to equids (horses, donkeys, mules, zebras) through blood-sucking insects. In addition, Culicoides species—C. imicola and C. bolitinos—have been identified as the main vectors (biting midges), which requires a comprehensive approach involving epizootologists, virologists, and entomologists. African horse sickness has not been reported in our country, nor in CIS member states, but due to its high risk, the disease deserves special attention. This article presents data on the global distribution and existing risks of AHS, as well as the results of the first seromonitoring conducted in the country to prevent the disease in equine species. As a result of the conducted studies, all samples obtained from a total of 2,687 horses and donkeys showed negative results in the ELISA test.