Participatory appraisal and conventional veterinary investigation methods were applied to rnalidate Barana pastoralists' knowledge on cattle disease and to investigate the epidemiology of rnFoot and Mouth disease ( FtlD), respe-ctivcly in Barana pastoral production system of Southern rnEthiopia. Furthennore, detcnnin3ti oll of seroprevalencc of FMD and assessment of associated rnrisk factors (including serotyping of the c irculating FMD vims) were conducted. The rnparticipatory methods used were clinical observation. matrix scoring, proportional piling. and rnseasonal calendars. Seroepldcmiological investigations were perfomlcd using JABC ELISA a nd rnliquid phase blocking ELISA techniques. rnThe analysIs of matrix sconng showed good level of agreement ("- 0.569·0.956) among {he 12 rnmfomlant groups for the disease indicators. Borana PaslOralists descriptions of catt le diseases rnmuch 0 'erlap V nh III odem clcrinary descriptions. T he result 0 fp roportional piling indicated rnthat about .f 1° o of callie population suffered from 'arious diseases and 8.8 ~ 0 died in the past one rn~car (F~tD recorded the highest incidence of 16.1 °/0 and mortalll) of 1.1°/0 ). Cahes recorded the rnhtghest mean incidence of clinical F~ID lHoyale: 8.5°/0). While 100'cst in chronic FMD rn(COl/dille; O .2~n ). Climcal F)'lD caused the highest mortality (2.8 % ) in cah-cs compared to adults rn(0 .3°/0 ). :cconhng 10 the s ea sonal calendar. the highest inCidence of aClite F~lD (Hooyale) was rnrecorded dunng the long dr: season (Bo l/na) compared to cold dry season (lIagtl.l:l'£l). rnrhe overall seroprcvalencc of Ff.1D as 21 %) (11 = 920). herd infection rate. on the other hand, rnwas 59°(1 (n 116). Slgnlficantl} higher herd seroprc'alencc as recorded 111 Yabello dlstnct rn(61 ~o ). followed by DIITC (59% ) and ),loyale (52) districts. Similarly. Yabello district recorded rnthe highest Fr.! D seropre alcnce (26.1° /0) on anll11al basis. From the various !"Isk factors analY/cd, rnPeasant AssoCIations (PAs). herd sizc=. sex and age were seen to be siglllficantly aSSOCiated rn(P