Appraisal of pese des petitis ruminants disease by Turkana pastoral community of Turkana county in Kenya

Abstract

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) a disease of the sheep and goats remains a major constrain to small stock production in Turkana Kenya. The disease has not been known for long period in Kenya, though the Turkana pastoral community has acquired some indigenous knowledge from their encount er with the disease. Through focused group discussion employing participatory epidemiology methods the Turkana ranked PPR among the ten most important diseases in their small ruminant flocks. Turkana respondents characterized Peste des petits ruminants dif ferentiating the disease from other small ruminant diseases and providing clear association of clinical and post mortem signs as well as risk factors. The respondents provided estimates of the relative incidence of PPR i n sheep that ranged between 19% (9 .87, 40) in young adults (>6 but <24 months) to 25% (11.4, 40.8) in adults (> 24 months) . The relative mortality ranged between 16% (7.3, 37.1) in young adults and 20% (7.8, 34.9) in adults. Case fatality was highest in young adults at 84.2% (68,100). Th e estimated relative incidences of PPR in goats ranged between 17.8% (8.5, 32.1) in new born kids (< 2 months of age) and 20.9% (10.4, 36) in adults (> 24 months) . Relative mortalities varied from 14.2% (6.1, 28.6) in newborn kids to 17% (5.5, 25.5) in old er kids (>2 but <6 months) . Case fatality was highest in young adults (>6 but <24 months) at 84.5% 58.6, 100). Turkana perceive vaccination as an effective PP R control methods b ut have problem in accessing the service. T his study has illuminated further t he need to utilize the indigenous knowledge for purposes of understanding diseases in the community and setting up strong participatory surveillance systems that involve the communities as the basic element of disease surveillance intelligence gathering