Assessment of the epizootic situation of dourine in horses in the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts of the Russian Federation from 2020 to 2022

Relevance.  Accidental disease is an actual disease of horses in many countries, including Russia, where cases  of  the  disease  have  been  registered  in  16  administrative  territories.  In  the  Russian  Federation,  the proportion  of  accidental  illness  is  about  47%  in  the  general  infectious  and  parasitic  pathology  of  horses. The mortality rate is high, up to 30–50%, sometimes higher. The treatment of sick animals is prohibited.

The purpose of the study is to study the epizootic situation of accidental illness in the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts, where a high density of horse population is registered.

Methods. The epizootic situation of accidental equine disease from 2020 to 2022 was studied based on the materials of annual reports submitted by the state veterinary laboratories of the Russian Federation.The complement binding reaction (CFT) is the main method of lifetime diagnosis of accidental illness.

Results.  Serological  studies  for  accidental  equine  disease  from  2020  to  2022  were  performed  in  all subjects of the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts. It has been established that the epizootic situation of accidental illness in the territory of the Southern Federal District is prosperous, and in a number of regions of the North Caucasus Federal District it is tense. Thus, specific antibodies to the causative agent of  accidental  disease  were  detected  in  the  North  Caucasus  Federal  District  in  36  cases,  including  in  the Republic of Dagestan — 27, in the Chechen Republic — 4, in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic — 3, in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic — 2. Thus, the epizootic situation in the South of Russia is different.

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