Epidemiology and economic impact of goat pox on small holder small ruminant farmers in kanam local government area, plateau state, nigeria

In this study, participatory rural appraisal techniques (group discussion) and participatory active disease follow-ups were employed to investigate GTP outbreaks in Kanam LGA with the objective of understanding the epidemiology and estimating the financial impact of the disease amongst the farmers. Skin scabs were collected from goats with nodular pox-like lesions during field observation. All the respondents that participated in this study had at one point or another had cases of goat pox in their flock; only about 33% of them sought veterinary services and had tried to manage the disease medically. Morbidity and mortality rates were estimated to be 47% and 33%, with mortality rates relatively higher in younger animals. From figures given by respondents, the annual cost of treating goat pox amongst them ranged from 538 to 1,307 USD; the annual losses due to mortality amounts to about 2,730 USD and the annual financial losses estimated at about 6,455USD. GTPV was detected in twenty percent (n = 10) of the samples analyzed using Real time polymerase chain reaction, confirming GTP in the study area. The implications of available veterinary services, prevailing husbandry systems and other farm management practices amongst the respondents on the incidence and severity of goat pox disease in the LGA were discussed with the farmers. Findings of this study reaffirm that participatory rural appraisal is a reliable tool for the determination of incidence of diseases and informs re...
Source: Small Ruminant Research - Category: Zoology Source Type: research