Abstract
Participatory epidemiology (PE) was used on the Borana plateau of southern Ethiopia to understand pastoralist’s perceptions of the clinical and epidemiological features of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle. Matrix scoring showed good agreement between informant groups on the clinical signs of acute and chronic FMD, and findings were cross-checked by clinical examination of cattle and assessment of previous clinical FMD at herd level by detection of antibody to non structural proteins of FMD virus. The positive predictive value of pastoralist’s diagnosis of FMD at herd level was 93.1%. The annual age-specific incidence and mortality of acute FMD in 50 herds was estimated using proportional piling. The estimated mean incidence of acute FMD varied from in 18.5% in cattle less than two years of age to 14.0% in cattle three to four years of age. The estimated mean mortality due to acute FMD varied from 2.8% in cattle less than two years of age to 0.3% in cattle three of age or older. Pearson correlation coefficients for acute FMD by age group were −0.12 (p > 0.05) for incidence and −0.59 (p < 0.001) for mortality. Estimates of the annual incidence of chronic FMD varied from 0.2% in cattle less than two years of age to 1.8% in cattle three to four years of age. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the incidence of chronic FMD by age group was 0.47 (p < 0.001). Outbreaks of FMD peaked in Borana cattle during the two dry seasons and were attributed to increased cattle movement to dry season grazing areas. The mean seroprevalence of FMD was estimated at 21% (n = 920) and 55.2% of herds (n = 116) tested seropositive. Serotyping of 120 seropositive samples indicated serotypes O (99.2%), A (95.8%), SAT 2 (80%) and C (67.5%). The endemic nature of FMD in Borana pastoral herds is discussed in terms of the direct household-level impact of the disease, and the increasing export of cattle and chilled beef from Ethiopia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aklilu, Y., 2006. A review of policies and their impact on livestock trade in Ethiopia during three regimes (1965–2005). In: J.G. McPeak and P.D. Little (eds), Pastoral Livestock Marketing in Eastern Africa: Research and Policy Challenges, (Intermediate Technology Publications, Rugby), 187–202
Altman, D.G., Machin, D., Bryant, T.N. and Gardner, M.J. (eds), 2002. Statistics with Confidence, second edition (BMJ Books, London)
Bronsvoort, B.M.de C., Nfon, C., Hamman, S.M., Tanya, V.N., Kitching, R.P., Morgan, K.L., 2004. Risk factors for herdsman-reported foot-and-mouth disease in the Adawa Province of Cameroon. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 66, 127–139
Bruckner, G., 2004. An evaluation of the alternatives and possibilities for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to meet the sanitary standards for entry into the international trade in animals and animal products. African Union/Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi http://community.eldis.org/webx?50@248.F55ha1vGmG5.0@.ee9c4dd accessed 20th May 2005.
Catley, A., 2006. The use of participatory epidemiology to compare the clinical and veterinary knowledge of pastoralists and veterinarians in East Africa. Tropical Animal Health and Production 38, 171–184
Catley, A., 2005. Participatory Epidemiology: A Guide for Trainers. African Union/Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi http://www.participatoryepidemiology.info/PE%20Guide%20electronic%20copy.pdf accessed May 2005
Catley, A., Chibunda, R. T., Ranga, E., Makungu, S., Magayane, F. T., Magoma, G., Madege, M. J., Vosloo, W., 2004. Participatory diagnosis of a heat intolerance syndrome in cattle in Tanzania and association with foot and mouth disease. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 65, 17–30
Coppock, D. L., 1994. The Borana Plateau of Southern Ethiopia: Synthesis of Pastoral Research Development and Change, 1980-91. (International Livestock Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa)
Cossins, N.J. and Upton, M., 1988. The impact of climatic variation on the Borana pastoral system. Agricultural Systems 25, 199–218
Cullis, A., Mekonnen, G., Abebe, D., Gebrechirstos, Y., Aklilu, Y., Catley, A., 2007. Case study 1: Livelihoods impact of a commercial de-stocking relief intervention in Moyale Woreda, Oromia Region. In: Catley, A. (ed.), Livestock and Pastoral Livelihoods in Ethiopia: Impact assessments of livelihoods-based drought interventions in Moyale and Dire Woredas. Feinstein International Center, CARE International and Save the Children US, USAID Pastoral Livelihoods Initiative, Addis Ababa. http://fic.tufts.edu/downloads/ImpactAssessmentsofLivelihoods-basedDroughtInterventionsinMoyaleandDireWoredas.pdf accessed March 2007
Desta, S., 1999. Diversification of livestock assets for risk management in the Borana pastoral system of Southern Ethiopia, (PhD thesis, Utah State University)
Dejene, A., 2004. Foot and mouth disease outbreak investigation in smallholder and commercial dairy farms in and around Addis Ababa, (DVM thesis, University of Addis Ababa)
Eshetu, T., 2003. Participatory studies on heat intolerance syndrome associated with FMD in indigenous cattle of the Somali pastoral area in Shinille Zone, Ethiopia, (DVM thesis, University of Addis Ababa)
Ferris, N.P., 2004. FMD ELISA kit bench protocol: liquid phase blocking ELISA for detection of FMD virus serotypes O, A, C and SAT2 for Ethiopia, (Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright)
Gelaye, E., Beyene, B. and Ayelet, G., 2001. Foot and mouth disease virus serotypes identified in Ethiopia, (National Veterinary Institute, Debre Zeit)
Hamblin, C., Barnett, I. and Crowther, J.R. (1986). A new enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies against foot and mouth disease virus. Journal of Immunological Methods 93, 123–129
Kitching, R.P., 2002. Identification of foot and mouth disease virus carrier and subclinically infected animals and their differentiation from vaccinated animals. Revue Scientifique et Technique Office International des Epizooties 21(2), 531–538.
Kitching, R.P., 1999. Foot and mouth disease: current world situation. Vaccine 17, 1772–1774
Mackay, D.K.J., Forsyth, M.A., Davies, P.R., Berlinzani, A., Belsham, G.J., Flint, M. and Ryan, M.D., 1998. Differentiating infection from vaccination in foot-and-mouth disease using a panel of recombinant non-structural proteins in ELISA. Vaccine 16(5), 446–459
Moonen, P., van der Linde, E., Chenard, G. and Dekker, A., 2004. Comparable sensitivity and specificity in three commercially available ELISAs to differentiate between cattle infected with or vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease. Veterinary Microbiology 99, 93–101
Radostits, O. M., Blood, D. C., Gay, C. C., 1994. Veterinary Medicine, eighth edition, (Bailliere Tindall, London)
Sahle, M., 2004. An epidemiological study on the genetic relationships of foot and mouth disease viruses in east Africa, (PhD thesis, University of Pretoria)
Scoones, I. (ed.), 1995. Living With Uncertainty: New Directions For Pastoral Development in Africa, (ITDG Publishing, London)
Siegal, S. and Castellan, N.J., 1988. Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences, second edition,(McGraw-Hill, New York)
SPSS, 2002. SPSS Base 11.0 User’s Guide, (SPSS Inc., Chicago)
Tadesse, G., 2003. Participatory studies on heat intolerance syndromes associated with FMD in indigenous cattle in Afar pastoral area of Ethiopia. DVM thesis, University of Addis Ababa
Thomson, G.R. and Bastos, A.D.S. (2005). Foot-and-mouth disease. In: J.A.W. Coetzer and R.C. Tustin (eds), Infectious Diseases of Livestock, (Oxford University Press, New York), 1324–1366
Thomson, G.R., Tambi, E.N., Hargreaves, S.J., Leyland, T.J., Catley, A.P., Van’t Klooster, G.G.M., Penrith, M-L., 2004. International trade in livestock and livestock products: the need for a commodity-based approach. The Veterinary Record 155, 429–433
Thrusfield, M. (2005). Veterinary Epidemiology, third edition, (Blackwell Science, Oxford)
Vosloo, W., Bastos, A.D.S., Sangare, O., Hargreaves, S.K., Thomson, G.R., 2002. Review of the status and control of foot and mouth disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Revue Scientifique et Technique Office International des Epizooties 21, 437–449
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rufael, T., Catley, A., Bogale, A. et al. Foot and mouth disease in the Borana pastoral system, southern Ethiopia and implications for livelihoods and international trade. Trop Anim Health Prod 40, 29–38 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9049-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-007-9049-6