Seroepidemiological investigation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Northern Amhara, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia's livestock resource is one of the largest in the world. However, it has been downgraded due to animal mortalities associated with higher prevalence of infectious diseases. These constraints are worse in Lalibela, Sekota and Ziquala districts where this study was carried out. Despite the availability of scanty animal health services in these areas, information on animal health, especially cattle, was never a significant research focus. Many transboundary infectious diseases are prevalent in Ethiopia, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is among the country's primary animal health challenges. Hence, to understand the epidemiology of FMD in these areas, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 to estimate its seroprevalence of the disease and understand associated risk factors. Three hundred eighty-three randomly selected cattle from the three districts were included for the seroepidemiological analysis. The overall seroprevalence of FMD with a 3ABC ELISA test was estimated 3.4%, with no significant association with risk factors like study districts (agroecology), age, sex, and body condition score. The level of occurrence of FMD in the study areas may seem low. However, it needs attention from responsible bodies because of its transmission speed and economic impact. Besides, further studies involving serotyping with advanced diagnostic techniques are needed to understand the circulating serotypes in the study area.