Prevalence and Risk Factors of Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle in Selected Districts of Fafan Zone, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2021 to August 2022, to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in selected districts of Fafan zone. The prevalence was 11.24% (95% CI, 8.61–14.35) and 43.3% (95% CI, 33.27–53.75) at individual and herd level respectively. There were statistically significant differences in proportions of positive reactor animals among body condition score (χ2 = 47.9, P = 0.000), Age (χ2 = 6.0937, P = 0.048), Seasonal migration (χ2 = 4.320, P = 0.038), parity number (χ2 = 10.62, P = 0.005), reproductive status (χ2 = 4.36, P = 0.037). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that animal with poor body condition score was more likely to react positive than those in good body condition score adjusted (OR = 0.163; CI = 0.0679 -0.390). Moreover, seasonally migrating cattle had 2.787 times the odds of being tuberculin reactors compared with those non migrating cattle (adjusted OR = 2.787; CI = 1.221–6.358). According to questionnaire, 14.2% (17 of 120) and 13.3% (16 of 120) of the respondents were knowledgeable about bovine tuberculosis and its transmission from animal to human and vice versa, respectively. The general judgment of herders' understanding of BTB transmission methods to humans was very low. This finding provides relatively high prevalence of BTB in cattle at the study area and highlights the need for a practicable control strategy of the disease in the region.