Mongolia declared free of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia

Ulan Bator: The World Organization for Animal Health has officially granted Mongolia a certification of being free of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), local media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's foreign affairs ministry.

Mongolia was declared free of CBPP in May, and the Embassy of Mongolia in France has recently received the certification, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry.

The CBPP caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides is a highly contagious bacterial disease that afflicts the lungs of cattle, buffalo, zebu, and yaks. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, cough, extended necks, labored breathing and loss of appetite.

Mongolia is one of the last nomadic countries in the world. The country's livestock number totaled 67.3 million at the end of 2021, and 7.5 per cent of them were cattle, according to the National Statistics Office.