Major reproductive disorders and seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cows of Kembata-Tembaro zone, Southern Ethiopia.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2016 to May 2017 in Kembata-Tembaro Zone, Ethiopia to estimate the prevalence of major reproductive disorders and brucellosis in dairy cattle. A total of 733 dairy cows were selected from Kedida-Gambella and Damboya districts by a systematic random sampling technique. Clinical examination for reproductive disorders (n=733 cows) was carried out to investigate reproductive problems. From each cow, about 10 ml blood sample was collected and serum separated. Serum samples were screened for Brucella antibody by Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and positive samples were further tested by Complement Fixation Test (CFT). Results showed that the overall seroprevalence of brucellosis using RBPT and CFT were 2.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15 – 3.35%) and 0.8% (95% CL 0.2-1.5%)., respectively. About 61% of the study cows had exhibited one or more of the reproductive disorders. The major reproductive disorders identified during this study were anoestrus (34.2%), repeat breeding (19.8%), dystocia (12.4%), retained placenta (8.5%), metritis (4.8%), abortion (3.8%), vaginal prolapse (1.8%) and stillbirth (0.9%). Reproductive disorders were significantly associated with the management system, body condition, watering point, and age of the animals (p< 0.05). Accordingly, the disorders were more frequent in the extensive management system, in cows with poor body conditions, and among those using communal watering points. The problems of reproductive disorders were found to increase with age, especially in cows older than eight years of age. The overall seroprevalence of brucellosis reflects a low level of Brucella infection in the study area. In general, reproductive disorders are widely prevalent in dairy cows of the study area and undoubtedly hinder the production performances of dairy farms. Thus, there is a need for further study on the causes of clinical reproductive disorders in the study areas.