Fikru Gizaw, Olana Merera, Fikre Zeru, Hailegabriel Bedada, Mu’uz Gebru2and Reta Duguma Abdi
The aim of this study was to estimate the sero-prevalence of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goat and its direct socio-economic impact on pastoral community in Afar region, Ethiopia. We sampled sera of 229 of sheep (n=94) and goats (n=135) from two districts and tested the sera for anti-PPR antibody positivity by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). We also conducted interview with 45 pastorals pertaining to PPR mortality, production losses, costs incurred and impact on animal. The respondents indicated that communal use of available resources (feed, water) and practices of animal gift, flock migration and admixture is common in the area, which could facilitate the spread PPR. They indicated that migration for searching of grazing and water during drought season, contact with wildlife and unknown factors within-flock was associated with the serious PPR disease outbreaks. The serological result showed that the prevalence of anti-PPR virus antibody in sheep and goats was 41.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 31.4, 52.1) and 39.3 % (95% CI: 31 to 48), respectively. The overall prevalence of PPR was 40.2% (95% CI: 33.8 to 46.8). The total financial losses due to PPR varied during drought and nondrought periods as the monitory value of animals decreases during drought time due to emaciation. Accordingly, the financial loss of PPR was 652, 595 birr (drought time) and 1,683,120 birr (without drought) in a shoat population of 3905 heads in the study area. A systematic intensive surveillance and timely vaccination along the route of migration via herders' participation could be the best and low-cost preventive measure to control such deadly preventable disease outbreaks.
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