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‘Siberian plague is an acute infectious disease of farm animals. All herbivorous animals are infected with the disease, rarely, dogs and cats’, said the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the RA Grisha Baghiyan, adding that a human being can also be infected by this disease.

Almost every year 1 or 2 cases are recorded in the republic. The virus of the Siberian Plague acts in two ways: when inside the organism the virus acts as a bacillus and in the open field interacting with the air it becomes a spore.

The fight against bacillus is easy to organize, since it is sensitive towards temperature, but a spore is heat-resistant, can resist both heat and freezing. The spore is a cell covered with a thick membrane, which serves to the reproduction of the organism.

‘Already in September an animal blood parasite disease was observed in Tsovak village of Vardenis, actions were taken against the disease, treatments were made, of course not all animals were cured’ said Grisha Baghiyan, adding that probably some animals had blood parasite disease, as a result of which the sensitivity weakened and Siberian plague bacillus was detected inside one animal’s meet.

The Ministry of Agriculture takes preventive measures against 12 diseases on the whole territory of the republic: vaccination.

As G. Baghiyan said, already in May all of the animals of the Gegharqunik region were vaccinated against the Siberian plague, however, taking into account that the Siberian Plague bacillus was detected in one of the animals, the whole stock was vaccinated again.

Taking into account the fact that 10 days is necessary to gain immunity, the village is set in quarantine and the use of meat products is banned. ‘At this moment, there are no animals infected by the Siberian Plague in Vardenis’  assured the First Deputy Minister, noting that the animals are exposed to a veterinary inspection every morning and evening.

According to G. Baghiyan 15 people referred to the Ministry of Healthcare to know if they have the disease, as a result of which Siberian Plague bacillus was detected at one person, though the situation is under control and there is nothing to worry about.

It is possible that some animals were missed during vaccination or were not appropriately vaccinated, G. Baghiyan said, that ‘a criminal case was initiated in this respect and appropriate bodies do inspections and research’.