Prevalence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Seroprevalence in Cattle in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

This study determines the seroprevalence of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) antibodies in cattle in selected local government areas of Taraba State, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious transboundary animal disease caused by an aphthovirus with multiple serotypes and is responsible for substantial economic losses in Nigerian cattle production through reduced milk yield, weight loss, secondary complications, and trade restrictions. Using a cross-sectional design, 240 cattle were sampled from eight herds across four local government areas in Taraba State. Serum samples were tested for FMD antibodies using a solid-phase competition ELISA capable of detecting antibodies to serotypes O, A, and SAT-2, which are the predominant serotypes in West Africa. Epidemiological information including herd size, animal origin, vaccination history, and prior FMD exposure was documented. Findings revealed an overall seroprevalence of 62 percent, with serotype O antibodies the most commonly detected (47%). Only 9 percent of sampled animals had documented FMD vaccination histories. Unvaccinated cattle from herds with known border contact showed the highest seroprevalence. The study recommends a systematic FMD vaccination programme prioritising high-risk border herds, mandatory movement controls for unvaccinated cattle, and enhanced diagnostic capacity for serotype identification in the North East zone. Keywords: foot-and-mouth disease, cattle, seroprevalence, Taraba State, vaccination.