Role of cross-border epizootic risks in ensuring veterinary safety and sustainable livestock development in Central Asia

Authors

1 National Veterinary Reference Center, Astana, Kazakhstan

2 Lleaf Pty Ltd, Eveleigh, NSW, 2015, Australia

3 LLP Scientific Production Technological Center Zhalyn, Almaty, Kazakhstan

4 LLP "AnDa Company" Shymkent, Kazakhstan

10.22124/cjes.2026.9636

Abstract

Biosecurity and productivity issues involving porous borders, weak biosurveillance, and land changes challenge Central Asia’s livestock sector. Kazakhstan, the region’s largest livestock producer and trade hub, exemplifies these. This study integrates epidemiological data from the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), land-cover data from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and national statistics to assess relationships between grazing-land change, livestock productivity, and disease. Evaluation of WAHIS reports within a 200-km region around Kazakhstan from 2004 to 2024 identify epizootic threats including; Potential under-reporting of African swine fever for farms in Kostanay, North Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar (55% of swine stock); Highly pathogenic avian influenza risk along the north-south corridor of North Kazakhstan, Akmola, Karagandy, and Almaty (55% of poultry stock) with Lake Balkash migratory sites; Potential under-reported lumpy skin disease in Batys and Aktobe regions (~20% of cattle stock) given reports from Russia’s Astrakan and Volga River basin; Potential foot-and-mouth vulnerability for ruminants between Almaty and Shymkent, complicated by transboundary practices, requiring joint biosurveillance with Kyrgyzstan. Grazing-land degradation observed by MODIS correlated with milk yield for household (r = 0.66, p = 0.005) and smallholder farms (r = 0.60, p = 0.013), but not for large enterprises (r = –0.07, p = 0.79). National calving-rate data, not available by industry level, showed a similar association (r = 0.69, p = 0.003).

Keywords

References

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Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 2
April 2026
Pages 531-547

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