Prevalence of Major Skin Diseases of Cattle in and around Dessie, Ethiopia

The existence of various skin diseases affecting cattle is frequently reported from different parts of Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted in and around Dessie from November 2017 to April 2018 to determine the prevalence of skin diseases in cattle and their associated risk factors. Animals were examined for the presence of any skin disease through visual inspection and palpation and from those showing clinical signs and tentatively diagnosed for the presence of skin disease appropriate samples were taken for laboratory examination. Out of 460 cattle examined, 71 (15.4%) were affected by skin diseases. There were statistically significant variations among the different age groups and origins in prevalence of skin diseases. Young animals were more affected by skin diseases than old and adult 19.4%, 14.4% and 13.7%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of skin diseases between sex, breed, body condition score and management system of the animals. But the occurrence of skin diseases was found to be higher in poor body condition (17.7%), local breed (16.8%), male (18.7%), and in extensive management system (16.4%). The skin diseases identified in the study were tick infestation (8.04%), lumpy skin disease (2.4%), lice (2.39%), demodicosis (1.52%), dermatophytosis (0.65%), and dermatophilosis (0.44%). In conclusion, the prevalence recorded in this study was found to be high in the study area. Further study on economic impact of the skin disease is highly recommended.