Serological investigation of foot and mouth disease in cattle in East Bale Zone, Ethiopia.

backgroundFoot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hooved animals, including cattle, that reduces production and causes significant economic losses. Despite its importance, limited information about the epidemiology of FMD in East Bale Zone, Ethiopia.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to June 2025 to estimate the seroprevalence of FMD, identify circulating serotypes, evaluate associated risk factors, and assess the community’s knowledge and perceptions of farmers regarding the disease. A total of 384 blood samples were randomly collected from cattle and screened for antibodies against FMDV-NSP using the 3ABC ELISA ID screen competition kit (ID-VET, Grabels, France). Twenty-two individual animal serum samples with strongly positive (competition percentage value < 20%) were further examined to determine the circulating FMDV serotypes using a solid-phase competitive ELISA (SPCE) commercially available kit (IZSLER, Brescia, Italy). In addition, a questionnaire survey was administered to 110 livestock owners to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward FMD. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify significant associations with FMD seropositivity.

resultsAn overall seroprevalence of 27.08% (95% CI: 22.88–31.74) was recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between seroprevalence and age, body condition, and herding practice. Adults (> 3 years) were 2.33 times more likely to be seropositive than younger cattle (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.401–3.894; P = 0.001), and cattle with poor body condition had significantly higher seropositivity than those in good condition (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.220–4.440; P = 0.010). Cattle kept with sheep and goats were 2.9 times more likely to be seropositive than cattle kept alone (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.178–7.111; P = 0.020). The dominant circulating serotypes were SAT-2 (22.72%), O (18.18%), and SAT-1 (4.54%). Furthermore, mixed serotypes A and SAT-2, O and SAT-2, O, SAT-2 and SAT-1, and serotypes O, SAT-1, and SAT-2 were observed. Although 84.6% of respondents recognized FMD by its local name, “Okkolchiisaa,” their understanding of disease transmission and prevention practices was limited.

conclusionThe current investigation revealed that exposure to FMDV is widespread in East Bale Zone, with circulating serotypes O, SAT-1, SAT-2, and mixed serotypes. Therefore, the implementation of targeted trivalent vaccination and enhanced farmer education on FMD transmission and prevention is essential for effective disease management.