The wave of livestock deaths in Central Kazakhstan has been blamed on a lack of vaccines from Ukraine and Russia, supplies of which were disrupted after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of its neighbor on February 24.
In recent days, an infectious disease killed 76 cows and calves in the Shet district of Kazakhstan's central Qaraghandy region, while 150 more cows are suspected of being infected with the illness.
Qaiyrbek Tursynbekov, head of the Veterinary Directorate in the Qaraghandy region, said in a televised interview late on June 13 that the sudden wave of cattle mortality was caused by a shortage of vaccines against anaerobic infection. The medicines are usually supplied by Ukraine and Russia.
"Our plan was to vaccinate 3,000 livestock in that village. However, we were able to vaccinate only 25 percent of them because we did not have enough vaccines," Tursynbekov said, adding that his region lacks 350,000 doses to fight anaerobic infection and other diseases.
"Our vaccine suppliers are Ukraine and Russia. The equipment to diagnose the disease also comes from Ukraine. We failed to get enough vaccines for our planned vaccinations this season,” he said.
Authorities in the village of Aqshoqy intensified sanitary controls and established areas to burn animals that have died from what local veterinary experts determined were anaerobic infections.
Tursynbekov emphasized that vaccine deliveries need to resume as soon as possible to avoid the wider spread of infections in the region and across the country.