Abstract:
A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2011 to February 2012 in selected districts of
Afar and Tigray regional states to determine the herd level prevalence of LSD and its associated risk
factors, and to assess financial impacts of the disease and the benefits from its control. A
retrospective questionnaires survey was used to collect data on epidemiology of the disease and
production losses. Multistage sampling technique was used for the selection of study groups.
Households and their respective herds were selected based on the willingness of the respondents to
participate in the study. Financial estimation was done within the same study districts and PA with the
former one based on purposive sampling of clinically affected animals. A total of 660 questionnaires
were collected from the four study districts of which 393 questionnaire were administered to the
selected herd owners and the remaining 267 questionnaires were administered to herd owners for
financial impact estimations. Out of the collected 393 herds, 173 were found to be infected with LSD
with the overall average herd prevalence of 44% (95%CI: 37-50). From 267 herds which comprise
3442 animals collected for financial estimations, 379 animals were affected by the disease. There was
significant difference in the prevalence between regions and among the districts with (χ
2 = 8, p<0.05
and χ
2
=9.9, p<0.05) respectively. Introduction of new animal to the herd, herd size and communal
grazing and watering points were among the herds risk factors significantly associated with the
prevalence of the disease. The cumulative incidence and mortality rate from the 267 herds selected for
financial impacts assessments were found to be 11% (95% CI: 9.9-12) and 2 %( 95% CI: 1.5-
2.3) respectively. The estimated percentage production losses were 3.26%, 2.56% and 0.9% of milk
loss, draft power and beef loss respectively and the losses associated with these diseases per head of
cattle was birr 193.00 (10.9926 USD) and the net benefit obtained from the control of the
disease was birr70.00 (3.98695 USD). Awareness should be created in herd owners to use vaccines
and on the isolation of infected animals from the rest of the herds as well as in economic impact of the
disease
