EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LUMPY SKIN DISEASE IN WESTERN AMAHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease is one of the major infectious diseases of cattle that threaten livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers, livestock international trade resulting in high economic losses in Ethiopia. Cross-sectional and retrospective studies were undertaken from February 2016 to May 2017 with the objectives of estimating the seroprevalence, identifying associated risk factors, assessing the perception and awareness of farmers towards the disease and demonstrating the spatial and temporal distribution of the disease in the Amhara region. Systematic random sampling was used to sample individual animals for serological investigation. Five years outbreak reports of Amhara region obtained from the national data base was analysed for the retrospective study. A total of 672 cattle serum samples were collected from 10 districts of western Amhara. The overall antibody prevalence of Lumpy skin disease was 14.9% (95% confidence interval 12.2-17.6%). Age of animals, agro-climate and livestock management was found important risk factors associated with the occurrence of Lumpy skin disease in the study region. The questionnaire survey revealed that Lumpy skin disease is well known by farmers and top ranked infectious disease of cattle in the study area. According to farmer respondents; season, communal grazing and watering points and animal movement were factors for the occurrence and wide spread of lumpy skin disease. The temporal and spatial distribution showed that Lumpy skin disease has been occurred widely in every year with increased trend from year 2010 to 2014 in the Amhara region. The highest number of outbreaks was observed at the end of main rainy season and peak in November. In conclusion, the present study findings indicated that Lumpy skin disease is widely distributed and endemic in Amhara region. Hence, appropriate control measures including regular surveillance and vaccination should be implemented to mitigate the problem.