Causes of Livestock Mortality Reported to Veterinary Clinics in Bauchi State: A Five-Year Review

This study provides a five-year retrospective review of causes of livestock mortality reported to government veterinary clinics in Bauchi State, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, with the aim of identifying priority disease conditions and knowledge gaps in the state's livestock health surveillance system. Livestock mortality data from veterinary field records constitute valuable epidemiological assets for disease prioritisation and resource allocation, yet they are rarely systematically analysed at the state level in Nigeria. Clinical and post-mortem records from eight veterinary clinics in Bauchi State covering the period 2019 to 2023 were retrieved and analysed. Mortality cases were categorised by species, cause of death, season, and local government area. Findings documented a total of 1,842 livestock deaths across the five-year period, with cattle (44%), sheep and goats (38%), and pigs and poultry (18%) as the principal affected species. Haemorrhagic septicaemia was the most frequently recorded fatal disease in cattle, responsible for 26 percent of bovine deaths. Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) accounted for 34 percent of small ruminant deaths. Newcastle disease caused 48 percent of recorded poultry deaths. Seasonal peaks in mortality were identified in the late dry season for respiratory and nutritional causes, and at the onset of the rainy season for haemorrhagic and parasitic conditions. The study recommends enhanced disease reporting, systematic necropsy protocols, and targeted vaccination campaigns in Bauchi State. Keywords: livestock mortality, disease surveillance, Bauchi State, veterinary clinics, retrospective review.