Estimation of Direct milk loss due to Foot and Mouth Disease in small-holders of West Azerbaijan province (Iran) in 1396 and 1397

More than 85% of the West Azerbaijan ruminant population are kept in households in villages. Every year some of these livestock suffer severe economic losses due to Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The extent of these losses has not yet been investigated. One of the major direct and visible losses of FMD is the decline in milk yield, which has so far only been studied in a dairy herd in southern Iran. The present survey investigated the short-term reduction of milk production in households in villages using a questionnaire survey method. 111 cattle and 24 sheep and goats keeping  households that had reduced milk production due to FMD were studied. The mean milk production in cows from the first to fourth week after disease decreased by 42.3%, 50.7%, 44.8% and 35.5% respectively, and in sheep and goats, 49%, 41%, 36% and 26%, respectively. Mean loss of milk production per affected cow was 4,471,902 Rials, per affected household was 18,330,771 Rials and the total milk loss of affected cows of survey in disease period was 2,034,715,600 Rials. Mean milk loss per affected sheep and goats was 723,635.9 Rials, per affected households was 27,136,345.8 Rials and total milk loss of affected sheep and goats in disease period was 651,272,300 Rials, which was 43.3% of the total cow milk production and 38% of sheep and goats milk production in households, which is considered to be a serious loss.