An epidemiological study of sheep pox in Tunisia (2008-2017).

Abstract

Sheep pox is a highly contagious disease causing significant economic losses on livestock farms, especially among young animals. Epidemiological analysis of retrospective data on sheep pox surveillance over ten years revealed the endemicity of the disease in Tunisia. Temporally, the prevalence of infected farms increased during the last five years analysed (2013-2017), despite control measures for the disease, which are based essentially on vaccination. Analysis of the seasonality of infection showed that most outbreaks occurred in autumn and winter. The geographical distribution and spatial analyses classified the governorate of Sidi Bouzid as the area most affected by sheep pox duringthe period of study. It was observed that vaccination coverage decreasedbelow the recommended value (80%) in the last four years (2013-2016).