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Page No. : 33-42

ABSTRACT

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a highly contagious, acute and economically significant transboundary disease that affects cloven-hoofed domestic and wild animals. It is caused by a virus that belongs to the genus Aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae. There are seven recognized serotypes of FMD (O, A, C, Asia1, SAT1, SAT2 and SAT3) with varying distributions worldwide. In Ethiopia, FMD is endemic and poses a major economic threat to the livestock sector. This review paper explores the epidemiology and economic impact of Foot and Mouth Disease in Ethiopia, covering aspects such as seroprevalence, temporal and regional distribution, serotypes, topology and the direct and indirect losses associated with the disease. FMD outbreaks occur annually across all regions of Ethiopia, with higher incidences reported in the central, southern, and southeastern areas associated with the movement of animals for trade, agro-ecology, animal density and production system of the community. The disease outbreak leads to significant economic losses, directly through reduced productivity and indirectly due to trade restrictions, as well as costs related to prevention and control measures. Therefore, to mitigate the impact of FMD, detailed studies on the circulating serotypes in Ethiopia are essential for developing an effective vaccine. Additionally, stricter control of livestock movement is necessary to prevent the spread of the serotypes.

Key words: Distribution, Economic impact, Epidemiological spread, Ethiopia, Foot and mouth disease, Seroprevalence