Seroprevalence, Serotype, and Associated Risk Factors of Foot and Mouth Disease in Selected Districts of East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted with aim to estimate the seroprevalence of foot and mouth disease (FMD), identify serotypes of FMD virus circulating in the study areas, and assess potential risk factors associated with occurrence of the disease in cattle in Diga, Guto Gida and Nekemte districts of East Wollega zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected through questionnaire survey and laboratory testing of a total of 266 bovine sera samples collected from study animals using simple random sampling technique. Managing cattle under an extensive management system and sharing common watering points and pasture land with no vaccination were commonly practiced in the study areas. Farmers in the study areas were aware of the symptoms, seasonality, and economic impact of the FMD virus but lacked knowledge of the risk factors of the disease transmission. The current study showed that high prevalence of FMD and serotypes O, SAT-2, and A were circulating in the study areas even though there was no recent history of foot and mouth disease outbreaks.