Determinants of foot-and-mouth disease in industrial dairy farms of Qazvin province: a case-control study

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of ruminants, which causes fever and blisters in their mouth and feet. This study, as a case- study design, was conducted to determine the factors related to FMD occurrence in the industrial dairy farms of Qazvin Province, Iran. The case unit was referred to any industrial dairy farms that had at least one cow or calf with clinical signs of FMD within the past three years. The control unit included industrial dairy farms that had a cow without a history of FMD in the same district where the case occurred within the past three years. Determinants of the disease were collected using a questionnaire. The incidence of FMD had a significant correlation with the new livestock arrival (OR=5.91 95% CI=1.54-22.5, P=0.009), vaccination (OR=0.054 95% CI=0.012-0.344, P <0.001), health status of animal husbandry (OR=0.17 95% CI=0.048-0.584, P=0.005) and livestock population unit (OR=0.22 95% CI=0.062-0.79, P=.021). Regarding the identified risk factors in the present study, it seems necessary to hold training sessions for owners and workers working in livestock farms as well as livestock traders and drovers about the epidemiology of FMD to increase their awareness, attitude and practice in the prevention of the disease and to improve the implementation of disease control programs.