An evaluation of economic returns from east coast fever control through infection and treatment method at household level in Nandi and Uasin-Gishu counties of Kenya.

Abstract

Kenya has a vibrant small-scale based dairy industry that plays an important economic and nutrition role in the lives of many people, ranging from farmers to petty milk traders ("hawkers"), processors, and consumers. However, the high incidence of tick-borne livestock diseases in Kenya is a major challenge to the dairy industry in the country. East Coast Fever (ECF) is one of these diseases, and the ECF Infection and Treatment Method (ECFIM) is one of the novel strategies that are being promoted to control ECF in Kenya. This study evaluated the economic returns from the adoption of ECFIM vaccine by small-scale dairy producers in a high potential dairy producing area of the Rift Valley region of Kenya. A cross sectional study of a sample of 330 randomly selected households from two counties in that region shows that the ECF-vaccinating households realized an overall net economic return of Kshs 44,575 (about US$ 450) per cow per year while the ECF non-vaccinating households realized a net loss of Kshs 9,975 (about US$ 100) per cow per year. The Odds Ratio estimate in this study actually shows that ECF non-vaccinated dairy animals are twice more likely to die from the ECF disease than the vaccinated dairy animals.