Discourse Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences www.resjournals.org/JAFS ISSN: 2346-7002 Vol. 2(4): 107-117, April, 2014 Prevalence and economic importance of Foot and Mouth disease, and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia Outbreaks in cattle in Isingiro and Nakasongola Districts of Uganda Baluka S. A. 1, Ocaido M. 1 Mugisha A. 1 1 College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, Kampala, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda Email for Correspondence: sbaluka3@gmail.com Phone: (+256) 775043052 Abstract Case studies were conducted to determine the prevalence and economic importance of Foot and Mouth Disease, and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia outbreaks in cattle herds in Isingiro and Nakasongola districts respectively. Financial losses associated with FMD and CBPP outbreaks were estimated. There was a very highly negative correlation of reported FMD prevalence with the cattle herd size (r = -0.832, p<0.001). Average reported herd prevalence of FMD was 23.6%. There were no mortalities among large case study herds. The FMD control cost and annual economic cost per head of cattle was highest in small herds. Farmers with small and medium herds incurred higher control costs whereas farmers with large herds experienced the highest milk losses during FMD outbreaks. Average CBPP prophylactic treatment and vaccination costs were highest in the large herds. Economic costs associated with CBPP were mainly due to mortality and treatment costs. Mortality losses accounted for the highest proportion of the total CBPP economic cost for all herds. It is more costly for smallholder farmers who are disproportionately affected by FMD and CBPP to control these diseases. Overall, treatment costs were higher than vaccination costs. Farmers ought to invest more in vaccination against FMD and CBPP rather than wait to incur higher costs in treatment. Key words: prevalence, economics, financial, livelihoods, cattle, case study INTRODUCTION Livestock enterprises and animal production contribute significantly to the world economy, provide household source of income, food security, source of energy, draft power for crop cultivation, high quality animal proteins and vitamins (meat, milk), manure, raw materials (hides and skins) and bride price (Perry et al. 2003, Bonnet et al. 2011), and generate a livelihood for 1.0 billion poor people in the world (Naqvi and Sejian, 2011). The livestock sector accounts for about 30% of the agricultural GDP in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and nearly 60% of the value of edible livestock products is generated by cattle (AU-IBAR, 2010). Livestock provide a safety net to resource poor farmers and traders along the value chain throughout the developing world (Upton, 2001; Forman et al. 2009). Furthermore, livestock provide a potential pathway out of poverty for rural producers and other actors along the marketing chain where market access exists, constitute a means of investment and perform important networking functions (Rich and Perry, 2011; Perry et al. 2003). Animal diseases undermine the livestock sector potential and compromise food security that encompasses food self- sufficiency, nutritional and health status of the population, food availability, accessibility and stability of food supply and stocks (Bonnet et al. 2011). Animal diseases cause losses of up to 30% of the annual livestock output in developing