Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.

2, 2006
PREVALENCE OF DISEASES AMONG SHEEP AND GOATS IN EDO STATE.
NIGERIA

AUGUSTINE OMOIKE

ABSTRACT
Clinical records of small ruminant (Sheep and Goat) diseases treated were collected from the
veterinary clinics, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of three Local Government
areas in Edo state, for a period of five years (1997-2002). To identify the disease occurrence
and prevalence as it militates against the growth of these animals in these sub- humid areas.
The total numbers of small ruminants treated were 316 having 25 cases of Sheep and 291
cases of goats. Diarrhoea accounted for 20 & 12.4%; helminthiasis 20 & 13.4% and
Pneumonia 16 & 20.3% for sheep and goat respectively. Pneumo-enteritis, mange, anorexia,
wound and kata were common among goat while, pneumo-enteritis; helminthiasis and wound
were among sheep. Goat diseases prevalence showed much occurrence of pneumonia,
helminthiasis and diarrhoea. While, sheep was more of diarrhoea, helminthiasis and
pneumonia respectively. The statistical analysis of the clinical treatment data using a three-
factor analysis of variance revealed that animal type and disease were significant (p<0.05),
while, the diseases occurrence due to the local government area was not significant
(P<0.05). The disease occurrence strictly depended on the type of disease and species of the
small ruminant. Profitable and efficient animal development in these local government areas
and other areas with similar conditions, call for re-sensitization towards adequate small
ruminants’ health care management programmes especially semi-intensive method with
regular deworming; both governmental and non governmental contribution by funding
research on the improvement of indigenous breed.

Key words: diseases, occurrence, Sheep and Goats, Veterinary Clinics.

INTRODUCTION
Sheep and goats are among the first animals to have been domesticated and have been raised
by man for food and clothing for many centuries; could be used as poverty eradication by
small resource holders and for food security in Nigeria, because of the alarming geometrical
population growth; as goats in Uganda are an important source of meat, milk, skins, cash,
manure, savings and sociocultural values (Magona and Musisi, 1999). Small ruminants form
an integral and important component of the pattern of animal production in Asia (Devendra,
1986).They still remain popular among the rural populace and the resource poor people. In
the study of Devendra and Burn (1983) quoted by Devendra (1986) the importance of small
ruminants is primarily associated with their small size, which is significant for the advantage
of mankind as it favours low investment, smaller risk of loss, preference over large ruminants
for food and reproductive efficiency and economic use of the available land. IBAR (1978)
revealed that 89% of the world’s goat population is situated in the tropics. The distribution of
sheep and goats in Africa is not even and numbers of flock size tend to be higher in the drier
areas than the humid areas (Otchere, 1986) while, earlier, Devendra (1981) cited by Stemmer
et al (1998) stated that goats are however widely distributed in the humid tropics accounting
for 58% of the total world population; according to World Almanac Education Group (2003),
Nigeria has livestock of 24 million goats, 13.5 million sheep and 15.7 million cattle, while
Mohadi (2002) stated that goats are 34 Million and sheep are 24 Million. Milk from this
group of animal is highly reputed, for it dietetic value and so highly recommended for
consumption in Europe and the Asian Sub continent. However, this is not popular in Nigerian
because of some resentment with regards to alleged strange odour (Joy and Wimberley,

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
1981).Despite these animals wide importance and apparent advantages especially in the
livelihood of small resource holders, these species have not been accorded adequate attention
in Nigeria
In most countries, especially in the developing countries like Nigeria, sheep and goat
diseases constitute a major limiting factor in small ruminant production. Nevertheless, this
factor can greatly be reduced if not completely eliminated. It is estimated that Nigerian loses
about 15% to 20% of its annual income from the livestock sector due to livestock diseases
(Akerejola, 1980) and that diseases associated with enormous economic losses as a result of
morbidity and mortality (Egbe-Nwiyi et al, 1999). Therefore small ruminant development
should have as its primary objective the elimination and reduction of incidence of diseases.
Williamson and Payne (1985), Magona and Musisi (1999) reported that disease is generally
recognized as the major constraints in sheep and goats production in the humid zone while,
Phiri et al (1998) cited Phiri (1998) that helminthes in livestock are a major cause of
production losses in the livestock industry. Environment may be more important either as an
actual cause or as a deciding factor in the severity of a disease. Where a number of causes are
involved, the significance of each may be denoted by the words predisposing, exciting and
contributory (Parker, 1980). Little or no supplementary feeding and inadequate housing
during harsh weather as these animals scavenge for food in Edo State therefore, predisposes
these small ruminants to diseases. According to Hall (1986) predisposing factor is the large
number of management or environment drawbacks, which causes stress in an animal, such as
calving, high temperature or humidity, unclean surroundings. Future researcher with these
animals should look towards adapting them to tropical environment. The need to identify
clinical diseases, which could undermine the efforts of investing in small ruminants
production as proposed by FAO (Food and Agricultulral Organization) and WHO (World
Health Organization) therefore arises (Akerejola, 1980). The objective of this research is
indeed to identify the disease occurrences and its prevalence besides socio-cultural factor to
enhance prevention, control of this factor militating against high production of these species.
As Economides (1983) had long suggested that disease and health problems of sheep cannot
be controlled or prevented if they are not identified.

METHODOLOGY
The study was carried within the catchment’s area of these three Local government
headquaters: Esan West Local Government, Ekpoma; Etsako West Local Government,
Auchi and Esan South East Local Government, Ubiaja, in Edo State of Nigeria, within
latitudes 70 02″N and 5008″S as well as longitudes 6014″ E and 7 014″ W, these areas are
characterized by a vegetation of dense savanna woodland comprising tall grasses, high forest
trees with an average annual rainfall of 850mm,with a population of 89,628; 126,112 and
130,984 respectively (Federal Gazette1991 and Esan West L.G. Secretariat Census 1991)
Because the conditions in these local government areas in term of existing weather and small
ruminants production cut across the entire state.
Data and information were obtained from case files of diagnosed small ruminants
within the period of 1998 to 2002 from veterinary clinics. Available data contained daily
treatment figures of the different diseases treated at the clinics and oral interview of personnel
in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the stock holders (farmers) on
disease occurrence of small ruminants in the three Local Government Areas under study, to
re-evaluate the data collected. Twenty respondents were selected randomly from each local
government headquarter and two other adjourning neighbouring villages, in the studied areas.
The data was analyzed using the three-factor analysis of variance according to Montgomery
(1984).

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
RESULTS
Table 1: Reported cases of small ruminants’ disease at veterinary clinic in
Etsako West L.G.A
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
DISEASE/ANIMAL S G S G S G S G S G
Diarrhoea 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3
Pneumonia 1 5 0 2 0 3 0 4 1 7
Pneumoenteritis 0 8 0 9 1 1 0 3 0 4
Helminthiasis 0 7 1 0 0 9 1 0 2 2
Mastitis 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1
Scouring 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0
Wound 0 3 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 0
Kata (PPP 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0
Conjunctivitis 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Sore foot 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Mange 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 7 0 4
Anorexia 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3
Bloat 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abscess 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1

Table 2: Reported cases of small ruminants’ disease at veterinary clinic in

Esan South East L.G.A
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
DISEASE/ANIMAL S G S G S G S G S G
Diarrhoea - 4 0 5 0 1 0 2 1 3
Pneumonia 1 5 0 7 0 3 0 2 0 6
Pneumoenteritis 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Helminthiasis 0 3 1 4 0 5 0 5 0 3
Mastitis 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Scouring 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Wound 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 0
Kata (PPP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Conjunctivitis 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sore foot 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
Mange 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 4
Anorexia 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
Bloat 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abscess 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

Table 3 Reported cases of small ruminants’ disease at veterinary clinic in

Esan West L.G.A
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
DISEASE/ANIMAL S G S G S G S G S G
Diarrhoea 0 1 2 3 0 4 0 1 0 4
Pneumonia 1 6 0 5 0 6 0 4 0 4
Pneumoenteritis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Stomatitis 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1
Mastitis 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dystocia 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 2
Wound 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
Kata (PPP 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Conjunctivitis 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sore foot 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mange 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1
Anorexia 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Blindness 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0

Key
S:Sheep
G:Goat

Table 4 Analysis of variance table

Source of Variation df SS MS Fcal Ftab
Total 59 269.4 - - -
Disease 1 17.07 17.07 11.30 4.04*
Animal Type 1 153.6 153.6 101.72 4.04*
Local Govt. Area 2 1.9 .95 .63 3.19N.S
Disease X Animal type 1 1926 19.26 12.75 4.04*
Disease X Local Govt. 2 .63 315 .21 3.19NS
Animal X Local Govt. 2 3.7 1.85 1.23 3.19NS
Disease X Animal X Local 2 .84 .42 .28 3.19NS
Govt.
Error 48 72.4 1.51 - -
4.5

3.5

3
No of occurrence

2.5

2 Etsako West
Esan West
1.5 Esan South East

0.5

0
Helminthiasis Pneumo-enteritis Wound
Disease

Fig 1 Prevalent diseases of sheep in the study area

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
30

25

20
No of occurrence

15

Etsako West
Esan West
10
Esan South East

0
Pneumo-enteritis Mange Anorexia Wound Kata
Disease

Fig 2 prevalent diseases of goat in the study area

30

25

20
No of Occurrence

15

Diarrhoea
Pneumonia
10 Helminthiasis

0
goat sheep goat sheep goat sheep

Etsako West Esan West Esan South East

Study area

Fig 3 Prevalent diseases among sheep and goat in the study area

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
DISCUSSION
The prevalent small ruminants’ diseases encountered by farmers in Etsako West area and its
neighbouring villages were pneumoenteritis, pneumonia and helminthiasis; other diseases
were encountered but too minimal to attract attention. However, mange is equally posing a
threat while, helminthiasis was serious among sheep; Pneumonia was among goats as shown
in Table 1. Goats were generally affected. The prevalence of pneumonia, helminthiasis and
diarrhoea were recorded among sheep and goats, as mange is posing a threat in goats, as
shown in table 2; while, sheep diseases were minimal among farmers in Esan South East and
its environs. The incidence of small ruminants’ diseases of pneumonia and diarrhoea were
prevalent among farmers in Esan West and its neighbouring villages, especially with goat
(Table3). Pneumo-enteritis was high in Etsako West because of the excessive harmattan
conditions peculiar to this environment while mange had been found peculiar to the goats in
the studied area, this result in skin damage; but considered to be less harmful than internal
parasite (Williamson and Payne, 1985). Otchere (1996) stated earlier that helminthiasis and
ectoparasitosis are widespread in tropical Africa and both seriously affect the productivity of
small animals. Sheep diseases of prevalence were helminthiasis, pneumo-enteritis and wound
(Fig 1). Other prevalent diseases of goat were pneumo-enteritis, mange, and anorexia, wound
and kata ( Fig. 2). Goat diseases prevalence and predominance in these areas showed the
occurrence of pneumonia as highest followed by helminthiasis and diarrhoea. Reverse was
the case of sheep as diarrhoea and helminthiasis were more pronounced followed by
pneumonia (Fig 3). Economides (1983) found that pneumonia could be treated using
tetracycline antibiotics to their concentrate ration. It is only practicable when the rural
farmers pay more attention to their animals’ health and feeding. Therefore, it is an indication
of their predisposed nature of these small ruminants to bad husbandry management practices,
extensive system, and the prevalence of Mycoplasma mucoides organism that causes
pneumonia.
Most animals may suffer pneumonia unnoticed except when stressed before they are
phenotypically noticed (Hunter, 1996). Predisposition of these small ruminants to filthy
environment accompanied by seasonal variation of nutrient availability was the major cause.
As weigh gained during raining season and subsequent early dry season is lost through
scavenging for feed. Acharya (1986) noted that low protein feeding and total lack of
concentrate supplementation during dry season lead to poor performance in rural area. The
occurrence of helminthes is a confirmation of the study of Waruiru et al (1995) cited by
Magona and Musisi (1999) who attributed helminthosis as one of the greatest single
impediment to the development of small ruminants production in the tropics and that the high
prevalence of gastro-intestinal strongyle infections in goats especially, in the humid high
altitude zone and semi humid zone may be explained by existence of climatic conditions that
do support prolonged survival of nematode infective larvae on pasture as in the case of goats
in Uganda, supported by Hunter (1996) that certain infectious diseases are triggered by
underlying environmental or husbandry factor. Also, according to Ademosun (1994) and
Doma et al (1999) cited by Odeyinka and Ajayi (2004) inadequate feeding is a major
constraint to ruminant production in tropical Africa. Parasites, especially gastro-intestinal
helminthes have long being small ruminant’s problem in Nigerian (Beaton, 1937; Chiejina
1986, Urguhart et al 1992; Hunter, 1996 and Nwosu et al 1996 cited by Egbe-Nwiyi et al
1999) as Fabiyi (1970) Observed that Eighty-nine percent of goat examined after slaughter in
Zaria were found affected with Haemonchus sp. Similar infection rates with Haemonchus sp.
were observed in goats slaughtered in Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Ibadan, Calabar
and Port Harcourt (Okon, 1975).
The occurrence of diarrhoea could be as a result of inflammation of varying degrees
caused by the presence of helminthes in the stomach and intestines of domestic animals, and

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
that certain chronic and few diseases are characterized by diarrhea, as it is important to
determine whether diarrhoeic animals have been ill for a long time or not because, it could
also be a mere reflection of a temporary change to animals’ normal faeces while adapting to a
change in diet, but, diarrhea in young livestock is largely caused by toxin producing strains of
Escherichia coli (Hunter,1996). Though, recorded cases treated and analysed in this study
were not classified by age.
Generally, the diseases common to goats were pneumoenteritis, mange, helminthiasis,
mastitis, sore foot, conjunctivitis and Anorexia. While, diseases common to sheep were
pneumo-enteritis; pneumonia, been equally identified along enterotoxaemia and pasturellosis
in Arid and Semi Arid areas (Acharya, 1986), and helminthiasis; The goats were found to be
more susceptible to diseases in these areas; Etsako West Local government areas had more
cases both in sheep and goat diseases followed by Esan South East local government area.
The severity of these infections determines type and duration of treatment. The effect of the
infection is determined by a combination of factors of which the varying susceptibility of the
host species, the pathogenecity of the parasite species, the host/parasite interaction and the
infective dose are the most important; that the economic losses are closely associated with the
extend to which the pathogenic effect of helminth infections influences the production of the
individual host (Over et al 1992). Over et al (1992) also estimated that H. contortus and Oe.
Columbianum have the largest and economic impact on sheep and goat production in
developing countries as the large lungworm of sheep and goats Dictyocaulus filarial and
small lungworms of the Protostrongylidae M. capillaries and Protostrongylus rufescens only
has a limited geographical distribution due to the distribution of snail intermediate host.
Though, the reported cases of small ruminants treated were relatively smaller in number
compared with the overall population of the available small ruminants in these localities; the
reason could be from lack of healthcare concern but for consumption and sales of these
animals, though, the treated cases of reported small ruminants diseases at the veterinary clinic
is increasing as a result of progressive awareness of animal health in these areas (Table 1, 2 &
3). However, sheep are less popular in these areas except Etsako West local Government
area, dominated by the Moslems, who use ram for their Ramadan festivity. Statistically, the
results has shown that the disease occurrence was significant (p<0.05), that the small
ruminant the small ruminants affected by a peculiar type of disease was significant (p<0.05),
as reflected in Table 4; diseases affecting sheep and goats in these areas are peculiar to it due
to the predisposing factors, but, the disease occurrence within the local government areas had
equal chances of occurrence beside, the fact that there are little variation in there ecological
composition; The disease occurrence due to local government interaction with these animals
was not significant (p<0.05). The Least Significant Difference (LSD) of disease shows that
the goats in these areas could contract goat diseases, but the frequency is different from that
of the sheep.

CONCLUSION
This study revealed that pneumonia, helminthiasis and diarrhoea diseases
predominates in the three Local Government Areas under study both in sheep and goats,
however, their occurrence in these local government areas was largely influence due to the
predisposing factor such as the humid conditions and the extensive system of production.
That is, area having the same geographical conditions will have its small ruminants exposed
with same health problem. Though, other small ruminant diseases are common but not as
prevalent as the above mention diseases.

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Journal Of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 6, No.2, 2006
RECOMMENDATIONS
At this juncture, because of the prevalent diseases, there is a strong need for adequate
feeding, good housing and regular drenching using anti- helminthes drug, especially at the
onset of rainy and dry season for the small ruminants but, not frequently to guide against
anthelminthic resistance. As in the cases of two selected goatherds’ farmers in Georgia,
Southeastern United State of America, who had anthelmintic resistance due to indiscrimate
usage of anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematode (Terril et al, 2001). Furthermore,
consolidation of awareness of the important of the veterinary services, in these areas should
be embarked upon as soon as possible. Finally, the researchers should look into the upgrading
of our indigenous small ruminants as a view to meet the food security of this nation.

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