Experience in the eradication of enzootic plague in the north-west part of the Caspian region of the USSR.

The writer recounts the history of plague control in the north-west part of the Caspian lowlands from 1924 to 1956. Plague has long been enzootic in this area, the main rodent involved being the little sisel. Until 1932, sisels were exterminated only in small areas where epizootics occurred, but from 1933 to 1941 an extensive extermination campaign was waged, covering up to 7 million hectares annually. The excellent results achieved by these wholesale measures suffered a setback during the Second World War, but effective rodent control was re-established in 1947 and it is thought that complete eradication of enzootic plague from the area can now be expected.