Newcastle disease (ND) is a serious infectious disease of poultry caused by virulent strains of Avian Paramyxovirus-1 and has a substantial impact on villages where people's livelihood depends upon poultry farming in several developing countries including Ethiopia. In the district of the study area, no previous studies have been conducted. Thus, the aim of the present study was to estimate individual and household flock level seroprevalence and risk factors for ND in unvaccinated backyard chickens in Kindo Koisha district, Wolaita zone, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was conducted. For the study, household flocks were sampled as a cluster, and backyard chickens within the cluster with an age of more than 3 months were sampled. A total of 598 blood samples were collected from 86 household flocks during the study period. Serum samples were tested for ND antibodies using an Indirect-Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay. The overall seroprevalence of ND virus at individual and flock level was 17.06% (95% CI: 14.25–20.29%) and 73.26% (95% CI: 62.79–81.64%), respectively. The ND seropositivity and associated risk factors were assessed at the individual bird and flock level by using ordinary and mixed effect logistic regression, respectively. Ordinary logistic regression revealed that crossbreed chickens had significantly higher odds of ND seropositivity than local breeds, with an odds ratio of 2.15 (95% CI: 1.54–3.00; p < 0.001). The odds of ND seropositivity was significantly higher in backyard chickens which belongs flock size >9 in comparison to <9 with an odds ratio of 3.7 (95% CI: 1.12–12.30; p < 0.031). The potential flock level risk factors related to ND seropositivity in this study were flock size, chicken house cleaning frequency, water source for chickens, dead chicken disposal practice, and distance to the next neighbor household, mixing with wild birds and owning pets. In conclusion, the current study generates significant information on the seroprevalence and the potential risk factors associated with ND at individual and flock level in Kindo Koisha district, Wolaita zone. Consequently, ND vaccination campaigns should be launched, and effective extension programs should also be provided to raise awareness about the disease.

Calf morbidity and mortality are serious constraints in the success of dairy calf production. Thus, the current study was carried out with the objective to estimate the incidence of calf morbidity and mortality and associated risk factors in milk-shed districts of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A prospective cohort and cross-sectional survey were employed from November 2019 to April 2020. A total of 196 calves were recruited by simple random sampling. Recruitment of calves was deployed by both the concurrent and prospective cohorts in calves aged below three months in study herds. The crude incidence of calf morbidity and mortality was 30.9% and 8.64%, respectively. The most frequently encountered disorder was calf diarrhea (10.17%), followed by pneumonia (6.5%). The other disorders were septicemia, omphalitis, arthritis, eye problem and miscellaneous cases. Multivariable Cox regression was revealed significant association for the calf vigor status, colostrum ingestion time, colostrum feeding status, dam parity, age at first calving, and related disorders were found risk factors of calf morbidity; likewise, calf vigor status at birth, time of colostrum ingestion and weaning were risk factors determining calf mortality. Calf morbidity and mortality rates recorded in this study were marginally higher than economically tolerable level, therefore, could affect the productivity of smallholder dairying by decreasing the obtainability of replacement heifers. Among significant explanatory factors investigated, colostrum ingestion time, method and amount were found important determinant factors of calf mortality and morbidity under the small-holder farming in the milk-shed districts of the Gamo zone. Therefore, rigorous calf husbandry practice is a need to manipulate the aforementioned calf determinants with subsequent application of tailor-made interventions.

Bovine trypanosomosis is a parasitic disease causing serious economic losses in livestock productivity and agricultural development. The disease has been reported in different parts of Ethiopia. However, seasonal pattern of trypanosomosis, tsetse fly apparent density, and infection are very limited in the southern rift valley of the country, particularly in Gamo Zone. Therefore, the objective of this cross-sectional study design was to estimate seasonal prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis, assessing tsetse fly apparent density and its infection by trypanosomes. For the parasitological study, a total of 600 cattle (300 in each season) were sampled and assayed using the buffy coat technique. A total of 80 standard NGU traps were deployed around the watering and grazing areas for the entomological survey. An overall prevalence of trypanosomosis was 10.17% (61/600), of which 7.33% (22/300) and 13% (39/300) accounted for the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The prevalence of trypanosomosis was significantly higher during the wet season (OR = 2.47; p < 0.05), in black coat color (OR = 7.2, p < 0.05), and poor body-conditioned (OR = 3.15; p < 0.05) animals. Two species of trypanosomes, Trypanosoma congolense, 68.85% (42/61), and Trypanosoma vivax, 31.15% (19/61), were circulating in the area. The mean PCV value in infected animals (22.56 ± 4.61) was significantly lower than in non-infected animals (25.3 ± 4.75). Entomological result indicated that Glossina pallidipes (G. pallidipes) was the only species of tsetse found in the study area. Totally, 3,789 flies were caught of which 81.42% (3,085/3,789) belong to G. pallidipes and 18.58% (704/3,789) were other biting flies. The overall apparent density of G. pallidipes was 12.85 flies/trap/day (FTD). Relatively higher G. pallidipes/trap/day were caught in the wet season (13.64 F/T/D) than in the dry season (12.07F/T/D). Of the flies caught, 342 G. pallidipes were randomly selected and dissected. The overall proportion of G. pallidipes infection was 18.42% (63/342) of which 12.28% (21/171) and 24.56% (42/171) were accounted in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Infection in G. pallidipes was significantly higher during the wet season (OR = 2.32; p < 0.05) and in park grazing areas (OR = 2.45; p < 0.05). In conclusion, trypanosomosis is the major challenge for cattle productivity in the district. So this study warrants the need for strengthening the vector and parasite control interventions in the area.

BackgroundFoot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, which hampers livestock production and productivity in Ethiopia. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2021 to estimate the seroprevalence of FMD in cattle and to assess farmers' knowledge about the disease in selected districts of the Gamo zone. Three districts and two kebeles (smallest administrative division) from each district were purposively sampled using a simple random sampling technique to select individual animals from each kebeles. A total of 384 sera samples were collected, and concurrently, 100 farmers were interviewed. The samples were tested for antibodies against nonstructural proteins of the FMD virus using a 3ABC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze FMD-associated risk factors.ResultThe questionnaire survey result revealed that among the interviewed farmers, 66% of farmers had knowledge about the disease, and 28% of farmers reported having a case of FMD in at least one cattle in their farm in the previous 6 months. The overall seroprevalence of FMD in cattle was 26.8%. The multivariable logistic regression revealed that age, breed, and agroecology had a significant association with seropositivity. Higher seroprevalence (64.57%) was observed in lowland, followed by midland (9.30%) and highland (5.88%). Study animals from lowland areas were 9.26 times more likely to be seropositive (OR = 9.26, CI = 2.22–38.62) for FMD than highland animals. Also, adult animals were 9.01 times (OR = 9.01, CI = 3.18–25.53) more likely to be seropositive for the disease than young animals. The multivariable logistic regression revealed that crossbreeds have an 84.7% (OR = 0.153, CI = 0.028–0.82) lower likelihood to be seropositive to FMD than local breeds.ConclusionThis study result confirms that FMD is highly prevalent in the study area, and farmers' knowledge regarding disease transmission and vaccine availability is minimal. Hence the regional concerned bodies should implement FMD vaccination campaigns and create awareness for smallholder farmers regarding the disease transmission, FMD vaccine schedule, and vaccination importance.

Purpose Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is infectious chronic disease of animals mainly caused by bacillus Mycobacterium bovis. It is known endemic disease of cattle in Ethiopia. In the current study sites, there is little information on bovine tuberculosis. Thus, this study was aimed to assess public awareness; and estimate prevalence and potential a risk factors of bovine tuberculosis. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, November 2018 to May 2019, on dairy cattle randomly selected from smallholder farms of Arba Minch Zuria and Chencha districts. Comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT) was used in the diagnosis of bTB in dairy animals. CIDT was administered to 221 dairy cattle. Questionnaire survey was performed on 110 smallholders to assess risk factors accountable for the event of bTB in human population. Results 8.2% animal level prevalence of bTB was documented in the study sites. Dairy cattle with age of 4 to 8 eight years were 34% more likely to be affected by bTB less than 4 years age cattle (OR=1.34). However, factors like housing, body condition, herd size and parity were not significantly related with the event of bTB. The assessment of bTB awareness was shown 29.7% participants knew that cattle could be infected, and 13.4% of the respondents believed that it can spread from animal to human and vice versa. Besides, 66.1% of participants had habit for consumption of raw milk and soured milk products. Moreover, respondent’s attitude about zoonoses and consequences of bTB was risky. Conclusion Present study discloses that bTB is animal health problem affecting dairy cattle in Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Based on the current findings, public awareness creation, bovine tuberculosis test and segregation strategy should be applied to minimize the public health hazards and risk factors for bovine origin tuberculosis.