Longitudinal syndromic surveillance of sheep morbidity and mortality in community-based breeding program villages in North Shewa, Ethiopia

Sheep production is a vital livelihood activity in Ethiopia; however, productivity is severely constrained by disease, particularly in the highlands of North Shewa. Despite this, detailed epidemiological information on disease occurrence, spatial distribution, and seasonal patterns remains limited. This gap largely reflects inadequate veterinary services, limited diagnostic capacity, and the dispersed nature of smallholder flocks. In such contexts, longitudinal syndromic surveillance (LSS) offers a practical alternative for tracking disease occurrence and mortality through systematic recording of clinical syndromes, thereby supporting early detection and evidence-based decision-making. This study assessed the proportional morbidity and mortality of major clinical syndromes affecting sheep in smallholder flocks within selected Community-Based Breeding Program (CBBP) villages of the North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. A prospective clinical follow-up was conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 in the Keyafer and Sinambanaboda peasant associations (PAs) of the Menz-Mama and Menz-Gera districts, respectively. During the study period, 923 clinical cases and 146 deaths were recorded, yielding a proportional mortality of 15.82%. Respiratory syndromes accounted for the highest proportional morbidity (54.17%), followed by gastrointestinal disorders (26.98%), while systemic illness and acute fatal syndrome (47.14%) and gastrointestinal conditions (24.50%) accounted for the highest proportional mortality. Case distribution varied between sites, with Keyafer contributing 80.72% of the total records. Adults and females comprised higher proportions of affected animals (55.47% and 63.49%, respectively). Temporal variation was evident, with the short rainy season accounting for the largest proportion of cases (37.16%) and 2017 accounting for the highest annual proportion (42.04%). In conclusion, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and systemic illness and acute fatal syndromes constitute major health constraints in sheep in the study areas and require immediate prioritization. Future studies should focus on post-mortem and laboratory investigations to identify the specific etiological agents and guide targeted disease control strategies to improve sheep productivity.