Background
Ethiopia has the most abundant livestock population among African
countries with an estimated domestic animal number of 56.71 million
cattle, 29.33 million sheep, 29.11 million goats and 54.5 million
chickens are found in Ethiopia (CSA, 2016). The livestock sector plays a
crucial role in the livelihoods of majority of human population in the
country. The agricultural sector constitutes around 45-48% of the gross
domestic production (GDP) of the country and livestock sector accounts
an estimated 20% of the total GDP without considering other
contribution like traction power, fertilizing and mean of transport
(CSA, 2009; Gebreegziabhare, 2010). Even though the country is gifted
with huge livestock population, production and productivity is by far
underneath the expectation due to widespread of livestock diseases and
other constraints (Livestock Master Plan, 2015).
Livestock diseases are the major cause of economic losses to the peasant
farmers and pastoralists in Ethiopia amounting to hundreds of millions
of birr annually. These diseases are currently widespread in all
agro-ecological zones of the country and annual mortality rates due to
these diseases is estimated to be 8-10% for cattle herds, 15% and 12%
sheep and goat flocks respectively. It is expected that animal diseases
reduce production and productivity of livestock by 50-60% per year
(Ganeshkumar, 2012). Among the livestock diseases hampering productivity
of the sector and restrict Ethiopia’s ability to participate in
international trade, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is perceived as the
most economically important transboundary viral disease of cattle both
at national and house hold levels (OIE, 2010; Bayissa et al .,
2011; Asseged, 2005).
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is an extremely contagious and acute viral
disease of all cloven-hoofed animals and is considered as a bottleneck
for livestock production and productivity, and is prompting trade
embargos for livestock and livestock products (Mansley, 2011). According
to the office of international des epizootics, FMD ranks first among the
disease of animals (Mahy, 2005). It is caused by FMD virus (FMDV) which
belongs to the genus Aphthovirus within the family Picornaviridae
(Belsham, 2005). The disease is characterized by fever, loss of
appetite, salivation, vesicular eruptions in mucosa of the mouth, skin
of the inter-digital spaces and coronary bands of the feet and teats,
and sudden death of young stock (Quinn, 2005; OIE, 2009). Foot and mouth
disease virus (FMDV) exists as seven immunologically distinct serotypes;
namely, O, A, C, Asia 1, Southern African Territories (SAT)-1, SAT-2 and
SAT-3 (OIE, 2004) with distinct immunologic, antigenic and genetic
properties. The seven serotypes also differ in their distribution across
the globe (Rufael et al ., 2008; Ayelet et al ., 2009).
Currently, five FMDV serotypes (O, A, C, SAT-1 and SAT-2) are identified
in Ethiopia out of the seven serotypes of the virus (Ayelet et
al ., 2009; Negussie et al ., 2011). Within each serotype, there
are many bio typical strains and topotypes which can be identified by
genetic and immunological tests and infection with one serotype does not
confer immune protection against another (OIE, 2012). Type O and A are
the dominant serotypes responsible for substantial economic losses
(Negussie et al ., 2011). Generally, studies undertaken on FMD so
far revealed the existence of the disease in different parts of the
country, with seroprevalence varying from 8.18%-44.2% in different
part of the country (Mohamoud et al ., 2011; Jenbere et
al ., 2011).
The disease spreads rapidly by movement of infected animals or
mechanically via fomites such as clothing, shoes, vehicles, and
veterinary instruments (Jibat et al ., 2013). The reasons for the
rapid spread to fully susceptible population is due to its highly
infectious nature of the virus, production of high titer in respiratory
secretions and large volumes of droplets and aerosols of virus shed by
infected animals, stability of virus in such droplets, rapid replication
cycle with very high virus yields and short incubation period of the
virus (Rweyemamu et al., 2008). FMD is the major endemic disease
in Ethiopia with abundant socioeconomic importance as a result of
reduced production, deaths in newborn animals, huge cost of veterinary
services, restricted animal and meat movement locally and between
countries (Knight-Jones and Rushton, 2013). Moreover, livestock and
livestock product exports to the Middle East and African country has
been hampered because of the presence of FMD recently (Bayissa et
al ., 2011). The Egyptian ban of 2003 on Ethiopia’s livestock market
alone resulted in market loss of 14.36 million USD and it is a threat to
Ethiopia’s live animal export and export of animal products (MoARD, 2007
and MoARD, 2009).
In Ethiopia, outbreak of FMD frequently occurs in the pastoral herds of
the marginal low land areas of the country (Mesfin, 2011). Absences of
livestock movement control coupled with absence of systematic disease
surveillance contribute a lot for outbreak of FMD in the pastoral herds
of the marginal lowland areas of Ethiopia (Sahle et al ., 2004).
There is limited information regarding to FMD virus serological status
which may help to generate important baseline information about the
disease in the study areas. Hence, the present study was anticipated to
determine the seroprevalence and assess potential risk factors
associated with occurrence of FMD virus in selected districts of afar
region.