Study of the Determinants of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Iran: A Unit Level Case- Control Study

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of major contagious animal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the determinants associated with FMD occurrence in farms.
A case- control study was carried out in cattle farms. The cases were farms with new reports of FMD and controls were units without any report of FMD in last 6 month. For assessing the risk factors, a researcher- made questionnaire was used. Statistical analyses were done with SPSS version 16 using the logistic regression test.
Purchase of new livestock [OR: 14.69 (CI95%: 4.29, 50.36)] and passing migratory livestock [OR: 13.32 (CI 95%: 1.74, 101.87) were identified as the risk factors of the disease. Visiting the farm by the vaccinator in last 2 weeks [OR: 0.17 (CI 95%: 0.05, 0.63)] and buying new livestock from the same village/ city where the farm is located [OR: 0.16 (CI 95%: 0.04, 0.58)] were considered as protective factors.
Considering the role of infected livestock in the country, the most important steps for effective preventation are: areadherence to biosecurity as well as quarantining new purchased animals, and informing and training farmers to not purchase new animals from farms that are located in the infected areas and around the times of outbreak.