Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement
The Horn of Africa is a large area of arid and semi-arid land, holding about 10% of the global and 40% of the entire African livestock population. The region’s livestock production system is mainly extensive and pastoralist. It faces countless problems, such as a shortage of pastures and watering po...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/4/969 |
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| author | Fanos Tadesse Woldemariyam Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki Joseph Kamau Annebel De Vleeschauwer Kris De Clercq David J. Lefebvre Jan Paeshuyse |
| author_facet | Fanos Tadesse Woldemariyam Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki Joseph Kamau Annebel De Vleeschauwer Kris De Clercq David J. Lefebvre Jan Paeshuyse |
| author_sort | Fanos Tadesse Woldemariyam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Horn of Africa is a large area of arid and semi-arid land, holding about 10% of the global and 40% of the entire African livestock population. The region’s livestock production system is mainly extensive and pastoralist. It faces countless problems, such as a shortage of pastures and watering points, poor access to veterinary services, and multiple endemic diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most economically important livestock diseases worldwide and is endemic in most developing countries. Within Africa, five of the seven serotypes of the FMD virus (FMDV) are described, but serotype C is not circulating anymore, a burden unseen anywhere in the world. The enormous genetic diversity of FMDV is favored by an error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, intra-typic and inter-typic recombination, as well as the quasi-species nature of the virus. This paper describes the epidemiological dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease in the Horn of Africa with regard to the serotypes and topotypes distribution of FMDV, the livestock production systems practiced, animal movement, the role of wildlife, and the epidemiological complexity of FMD. Within this review, outbreak investigation data and serological studies confirm the endemicity of the disease in the Horn of Africa. Multiple topotypes of FMDV are described in the literature as circulating in the region, with further evolution of virus diversity predicted. A large susceptible livestock population and the presence of wild ungulates are described as complicating the epidemiology of the disease. Further, the husbandry practices and legal and illegal trading of livestock and their products, coupled with poor biosecurity practices, are also reported to impact the spread of FMDV within and between countries in the region. The porosity of borders for pastoralist herders fuels the unregulated transboundary livestock trade. There are no systematic control strategies in the region except for sporadic vaccination with locally produced vaccines, while literature indicates that effective control measures should also consider virus diversity, livestock movements/biosecurity, transboundary trade, and the reduction of contact with wild, susceptible ungulates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:26:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed1d58c9d02e483ca231e4d71e80d0f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:26:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed1d58c9d02e483ca231e4d71e80d0f82023-11-17T21:46:19ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-04-0115496910.3390/v15040969Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal MovementFanos Tadesse Woldemariyam0Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki1Joseph Kamau2Annebel De Vleeschauwer3Kris De Clercq4David J. Lefebvre5Jan Paeshuyse6Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction in Livestock, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction in Livestock, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumInstitute of Primate Research, Karen, Nairobi P.O. Box 24481-00502, KenyaSciensano, Service for Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSciensano, Service for Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumSciensano, Service for Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumLaboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction in Livestock, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumThe Horn of Africa is a large area of arid and semi-arid land, holding about 10% of the global and 40% of the entire African livestock population. The region’s livestock production system is mainly extensive and pastoralist. It faces countless problems, such as a shortage of pastures and watering points, poor access to veterinary services, and multiple endemic diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most economically important livestock diseases worldwide and is endemic in most developing countries. Within Africa, five of the seven serotypes of the FMD virus (FMDV) are described, but serotype C is not circulating anymore, a burden unseen anywhere in the world. The enormous genetic diversity of FMDV is favored by an error-prone RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, intra-typic and inter-typic recombination, as well as the quasi-species nature of the virus. This paper describes the epidemiological dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease in the Horn of Africa with regard to the serotypes and topotypes distribution of FMDV, the livestock production systems practiced, animal movement, the role of wildlife, and the epidemiological complexity of FMD. Within this review, outbreak investigation data and serological studies confirm the endemicity of the disease in the Horn of Africa. Multiple topotypes of FMDV are described in the literature as circulating in the region, with further evolution of virus diversity predicted. A large susceptible livestock population and the presence of wild ungulates are described as complicating the epidemiology of the disease. Further, the husbandry practices and legal and illegal trading of livestock and their products, coupled with poor biosecurity practices, are also reported to impact the spread of FMDV within and between countries in the region. The porosity of borders for pastoralist herders fuels the unregulated transboundary livestock trade. There are no systematic control strategies in the region except for sporadic vaccination with locally produced vaccines, while literature indicates that effective control measures should also consider virus diversity, livestock movements/biosecurity, transboundary trade, and the reduction of contact with wild, susceptible ungulates.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/4/969foot-and-mouth diseasevirus diversitylivestock movementwild ungulatesHorn of Africa |
| spellingShingle | Fanos Tadesse Woldemariyam Christopher Kinyanjui Kariuki Joseph Kamau Annebel De Vleeschauwer Kris De Clercq David J. Lefebvre Jan Paeshuyse Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement Viruses foot-and-mouth disease virus diversity livestock movement wild ungulates Horn of Africa |
| title | Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement |
| title_full | Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement |
| title_short | Epidemiological Dynamics of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Horn of Africa: The Role of Virus Diversity and Animal Movement |
| title_sort | epidemiological dynamics of foot and mouth disease in the horn of africa the role of virus diversity and animal movement |
| topic | foot-and-mouth disease virus diversity livestock movement wild ungulates Horn of Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/4/969 |
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