The zoonotic agents ranked as the five most important in Malawi cow’s milk were Mycobacterium bovis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Brucella spp., and Escherichia coli (pathogenic strains). In addition to the MCDA, experts were asked to list what they regarded as the three most important zoonotic diseases in dairy cattle, as well as the three most important diseases in dairy cattle in general. Zoonotic diseases mentioned were those caused by M. bovis, Brucella spp., S. aureus, E. coli and Rift Valley fever. The important diseases identified in dairy cattle were East Coast Fever, tick-borne diseases, mastitis, intestinal worm infections, and Lumpy Skin Disease.
The study revealed challenges in obtaining reliable data on disease incidence and prevalence in Malawi. This scarcity of data underscores the need for improved surveillance and diagnostic capabilities. Furthermore, in this MCDA study, respondents were asked to score their level of certainty (certainty levels), allowing them to quantify their confidence in their own assessments. This is an innovative approach that addresses one aspect of the inherent uncertainty in MCDA.
