Foot and Mouth disease manifestation from a “cattle boma’ in South Sudan

Abstract

The South Sudan was recently granted independence from Sudan in 2011 after a period of internal conflict which prevented normal disease control programmes. There has been a rapid increase in the movement of goods and services between South Sudan and Kenya. The need for vaccination in the South Sudan needs to be backed by evidence of the prevalent strains and disease epidemiology of 45 Foot and Mouth Disease. In this study, a cattle boma with about 100 cattle was visited in the vicinity of Juba in July 2009 and clinical samples and serum obtained for screening against foot and Mouth disease. Actual lesions of foot and mouth were found in 15 cattle that included 5 calves. The lesions included painful inter-digital hoof lesions, tongue erosions, and nostril lesions. Lesions from coronary were all having secondary bacterial infection with thick yellowish discharge which was associated with a painful gait, inability to graze and poor condition. Serum obtained from eleven animals were found sero-positive for Type O (45.5%) and Serotype SAT 2 (54.5 %). A quadrivalent vaccine with type O, A Sat 1 and Sat 2 would be recommended for vaccination P11. Gastrointestina