Epidemiological, clinical and financial characterization of 2018 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Burkina Faso has experienced several epizootics of foot and mouth disease (FMD), of which the most recent was in 2018. The province of Kenedougou in the Upper-Basins region is among the most affected localities. The objective of this study was to characterize the epidemiological, clinical and financial aspects of the 2018 FMD outbreak in cattle farms in Kenedougou province. For this study, an interview survey was conducted with 253 cattle farmers using a questionnaire. The study showed that the onset of the disease started at the beginning of the rainy season (May and June). Cases were reported every month until November. The most common clinical signs described by the farmers were foot sores (94%) and mouth sores (93%) and hyper salivation (90%). According to farmers, 433 cattle died of the disease and among them 63.7% were calves. The financial losses associated with this outbreak were estimated at 99 653 230 FCFA (167 460 USD).

Keywords: Cattle, Burkina Faso, Foot and mouth disease, Financial losses