History
Kyrgyzstan became part of the Soviet Union in 1924 as the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast and in 1936 became the Kyrghiz Soviet Socialist Republic. Throughout history, Kyrgyzstan has suffered major plague outbreaks. Therefore, in 1897, the Russian Imperial authorities established an anti-plague (AP) system whose objectives were to prevent the spread of this disease and study its pathology. One of this system’s first AP stations opened in the same year in At-Bashi, in response to plague outbreaks in China, Afghanistan, and Iran. At that time, the epidemiology of plague was not known, and the Czar sought to protect the borders of Russia through quarantine measures. Other Kyrgyzstani AP stations opened in 1938 in Bishkek (Frunze) and, later, in Osh and Karakol (Przhevalsk).

The Soviet Union began its biological weapons program in 1928, eventually seeking to weaponize biological agents including those that cause plague, tularemia, glanders, anthrax, smallpox, and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union’s BW program enlisted several institutes belonging to the AP system to assist, first, in defensive BW research and, later, on offensive BW projects. Although Kyrgyzstan has four AP stations, there is no confirmation that they were involved in the Soviet BW program.

From 1969 to 1987 the Bishkek AP Station provided training to 268 persons, of whom 14 were affiliated with the Soviet military.[1] Most likely this training covered issues on how to monitor natural plague foci and collect and analyze specimens with the end goal of preventing the spread of plague to populated areas. Access to certain border areas of Kyrgyzstan was restricted to military personnel and inaccessible to civilians; thus the natural plague foci in those areas were monitored by military personnel who had been trained by AP scientists.

The Soviet Union maintained tough regulations regarding biosafety. To this end, the Soviet Ministry of Health directed all AP stations to send their collected samples and culture collections to the one of the six AP Institutes. This measure was meant to improve biosafety, since the distribution of dangerous pathogens was limited. From 1949 to 1991, the Kyrgyz AP stations fell under the jurisdiction of the AP Institute in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Thus all AP stations in Kyrgyzstan sent their biological cultures to Almaty for safekeeping. On achieving independence, Kyrgyzstan reorganized their AP stations under the jurisdiction of the Kyrgyzstani Ministry of Health, with the Republic Center for Quarantine and Especially Dangerous Infections in Bishkek as the supervisory authority for the AP system. The Kyrgyzstani AP stations continue their public health work and scientific research, collaborating with State Sanitary and Epidemiological Services.

Status
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, there was some confusion as to Kyrgyzstan’s status regarding the BWC. The Soviet Union had become a state party to the BWC in 1975. As an independent state, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan continued to abide by the principles of the BWC, even though it was not a state party to the convention. In 1993 it submitted confidence-building measures to the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs[2]. Kyrgyzstan acceded to the BWC in 2004.

Although there is no evidence indicating that Kyrgyzstan is involved in any BW-related activities, it remains a country of proliferation concern. Many Kyrgyzstani scientists live and work in severely reduced conditions due to a lack of funding. This may tempt some of them to augment their low income by selling pathogens or expertise to a potential BW proliferator. To lessen this risk, various international nonproliferation programs, both from government and non-profit sectors, have funded initiatives in Kyrgyzstan, focusing on securing culture collections, improving scientific infrastructure, and promoting collaborative international research efforts.

Key Sources:
[1] Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley, "Growth of the Anti-Plague System during the Soviet Period," Critical Reviews in Microbiology, 32, no.1 (January-March 2006): 33-46

[2] Richard Guthrie, John Hart and Frida Kuhlau,  "Chemical and biological warfare developments and arms control,"  in SIPRI Yearbook 2005: Armaments, Disarmament, and International Security, p. 604 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005)

	Updated March 2007