ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7107-3464
Current Organisation
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-07-2021
DOI: 10.3390/ANI11082188
Abstract: This study was performed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of farmers, animal traders, and veterinary professionals on FMD in Baghlan province, Afghanistan. Four structured questionnaires were administered to the respondents. Almost half (48.5%) of the farmers had heard of the occurrence of FMD in their neighbourhood or knew the name of the disease. The majority of farmers could recognise the clinical signs of FMD in their animals (salivation, 85.9% tongue ulcers, 78.8% gum lesions, 78.2% hoof lesions, 76.8%). Most farmers stated that the “introduction of new animals” was the primary cause of FMD appearing on their farms and to control the spread of the disease, over half of the farmers (56%) preferred not to buy cattle from unknown or potentially infected sources. Animal traders’ knowledge was limited to recognising some clinical signs of the disease such as: salivation, and lesions in the mouth and on the feet. No animals were directly imported by the traders from outside Afghanistan. Over half of the local veterinary professionals (65%) kept record books of the animal diseases seen and/or treatment plans undertaken, and 80% of them reported the occurrence of FMD to the provincial, regional, and central veterinary authorities. No regular vaccination programme against FMD was implemented in the province. Poor import controls and quarantine were considered to be the main barriers to the control of FMD in the study area and the surrounding provinces. It can be concluded that, despite relatively good knowledge about FMD in the study area, there are gaps in farmers’ and traders’ knowledge that need to be addressed to overcome the burden of the disease in the province. These should focus on strengthening interprovincial quarantine measures and implementation of regular vaccination c aigns against the circulating FMDV within the area.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-10-2019
DOI: 10.1186/S12917-019-2119-Y
Abstract: Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Afghanistan with serotypes O, A and Asia 1 being prevalent. A retrospective study of data collected through passive surveillance of outbreaks of FMD in Afghanistan from 1995 to 2016 was undertaken to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of FMD in the country. A total of 4171 outbreaks were reported between 1995 and 2008 with a strong correlation between the number of outbreaks and the number of provinces ( r = 0.85, s = 68.2, p 0.001) and between the number of outbreaks and the number of districts containing infected animals ( r = 0.68, s = 147.8, p = 0.008). Of 7558 s les collected from livestock originating from 34 provinces in 2009, 2011 and 2013–2015, 54.1% were test positive (FMDV 3ABC-trapping ELISA) and the prevalence varied significantly between years (χ 2 = 263.98, df = 4, P 0.001). Clinically suspected cases were reported in 2016 with a substantial positive correlation ( r = 0.70, P 0.001) between the number of districts with cases and the number of reported cases. Serotype O was the predominant serotype detected during the study period, although serotypes A and Asia1 were also detected. Cattle were involved in all outbreaks in the study period and infections were detected in all years of the study in Hirat province in the north-west (bordering Iran), Nangarhar province in the east (bordering Pakistan) and Kabul province in the centre of the country. The current paper was the first analysis of existing data focusing on the spatiotemporal distribution of FMD in Afghanistan. The findings from this study provide valuable direction for further research to understand the epidemiology of FMD and its control in Afghanistan.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-03-2021
DOI: 10.1002/VMS3.477
Abstract: A serological study of 376 cattle from 198 herds and a concurrent survey of farmers were undertaken in 53 villages in Khinjan, Doshi and Puli Khumri districts of Baghlan province, Afghanistan to determine the seroprevalence of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and to identify risk factors for seropositive herds. A total of 419 cases of FMD were reported by the farmers in the year preceding the survey. The animal‐level population seroprevalence was estimated at 42.0% (95% CI, 37.0–47.2). The seroprevalence increased with age in the s led cattle ( years ‐ 30.4%, 2–6 years ‐ 40.3% and years ‐ 52.2%). Herds were more likely to be seropositive if the farmers: had purchased cattle in the year prior to the survey (OR = 2.6 95% CI, 1.37–4.97) purchased ruminants from unknown (potentially risky) sources (OR = 2.13 95% CI, 1.13–4.03) and sold milk to the market (OR = 1.99 95% CI, 1.09–3.63). Herds that had been vaccinated had a lower odds of being seropositive (OR = 0.33 95% CI, 0.68–0.66). This was the first epidemiological study of FMD in Baghlan province and the findings provide valuable direction for disease control on FMD in this and other provinces in Afghanistan.
Location: Afghanistan
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Arash Osmani.