Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa
Abstract Livestock mobility exacerbates infectious disease risks across sub-Saharan Africa, but enables critical access to grazing and water resources, and trade. Identifying locations of high livestock traffic offers opportunities for targeted control. We focus on Tanzanian agropastoral and pastora...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35968-x |
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| author | Divine Ekwem Jessica Enright J. Grant C. Hopcraft Joram Buza Gabriel Shirima Mike Shand James K. Mwajombe Bernard Bett Richard Reeve Tiziana Lembo |
| author_facet | Divine Ekwem Jessica Enright J. Grant C. Hopcraft Joram Buza Gabriel Shirima Mike Shand James K. Mwajombe Bernard Bett Richard Reeve Tiziana Lembo |
| author_sort | Divine Ekwem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Livestock mobility exacerbates infectious disease risks across sub-Saharan Africa, but enables critical access to grazing and water resources, and trade. Identifying locations of high livestock traffic offers opportunities for targeted control. We focus on Tanzanian agropastoral and pastoral communities that account respectively for over 75% and 15% of livestock husbandry in eastern Africa. We construct networks of livestock connectivity based on participatory mapping data on herd movements reported by village livestock keepers as well as data from trading points to understand how seasonal availability of resources, land-use and trade influence the movements of livestock. In communities that practise agropastoralism, inter- and intra-village connectivity through communal livestock resources (e.g. pasture and water) was 1.9 times higher in the dry compared to the wet season suggesting greater livestock traffic and increased contact probability. In contrast, livestock from pastoral communities were 1.6 times more connected at communal locations during the wet season when they also tended to move farther (by 3 km compared to the dry season). Trade-linked movements were twice more likely from rural to urban locations. Urban locations were central to all networks, particularly those with potentially high onward movements, for example to abattoirs, livestock holding grounds, or other markets, including beyond national boundaries. We demonstrate how livestock movement information can be used to devise strategic interventions that target critical livestock aggregation points (i.e. locations of high centrality values) and times (i.e. prior to and after the wet season in pastoral and agropastoral areas, respectively). Such targeted interventions are a cost-effective approach to limit infection without restricting livestock mobility critical to sustainable livelihoods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:51:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eacc1cc608b44ba7b84e462f32f84f86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:51:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-eacc1cc608b44ba7b84e462f32f84f862023-06-18T11:13:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-06-0113111310.1038/s41598-023-35968-xLocal and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East AfricaDivine Ekwem0Jessica Enright1J. Grant C. Hopcraft2Joram Buza3Gabriel Shirima4Mike Shand5James K. Mwajombe6Bernard Bett7Richard Reeve8Tiziana Lembo9Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of GlasgowSchool of Computing Science, University of GlasgowBoyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of GlasgowThe Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologySchool of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of GlasgowTanzania Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of AgricultureInternational Livestock Research InstituteBoyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of GlasgowBoyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of GlasgowAbstract Livestock mobility exacerbates infectious disease risks across sub-Saharan Africa, but enables critical access to grazing and water resources, and trade. Identifying locations of high livestock traffic offers opportunities for targeted control. We focus on Tanzanian agropastoral and pastoral communities that account respectively for over 75% and 15% of livestock husbandry in eastern Africa. We construct networks of livestock connectivity based on participatory mapping data on herd movements reported by village livestock keepers as well as data from trading points to understand how seasonal availability of resources, land-use and trade influence the movements of livestock. In communities that practise agropastoralism, inter- and intra-village connectivity through communal livestock resources (e.g. pasture and water) was 1.9 times higher in the dry compared to the wet season suggesting greater livestock traffic and increased contact probability. In contrast, livestock from pastoral communities were 1.6 times more connected at communal locations during the wet season when they also tended to move farther (by 3 km compared to the dry season). Trade-linked movements were twice more likely from rural to urban locations. Urban locations were central to all networks, particularly those with potentially high onward movements, for example to abattoirs, livestock holding grounds, or other markets, including beyond national boundaries. We demonstrate how livestock movement information can be used to devise strategic interventions that target critical livestock aggregation points (i.e. locations of high centrality values) and times (i.e. prior to and after the wet season in pastoral and agropastoral areas, respectively). Such targeted interventions are a cost-effective approach to limit infection without restricting livestock mobility critical to sustainable livelihoods.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35968-x |
| spellingShingle | Divine Ekwem Jessica Enright J. Grant C. Hopcraft Joram Buza Gabriel Shirima Mike Shand James K. Mwajombe Bernard Bett Richard Reeve Tiziana Lembo Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa Scientific Reports |
| title | Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa |
| title_full | Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa |
| title_fullStr | Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa |
| title_short | Local and wide-scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in East Africa |
| title_sort | local and wide scale livestock movement networks inform disease control strategies in east africa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35968-x |
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