Foot and mouth disease and livestock husbandry practices in the Adamawa Province of Cameroon.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of even-toed ungulates and is endemic in most of the tropics. A cross-sectional study using a stratified, two-stage random sample design was undertaken in the Adamawa Province of Cameroon. The objectives were to measure the reported herd-level prevalence of FMD and a range of husbandry practices important for its transmission. The owner-reported prevalence for the previous 12 months was 57.9% (50.4-65.4%), although there was a significant variation across the Province. During the previous dry season, 46.5% (38.6-54.4%) of herds had gone on transhumance. Herds had high numbers of contacts with other herds while on transhumance (98.6%), at pasture (95.8%) and at night (74.4%), with medians of 7-10, 4-6 and 1-3 daily contacts, respectively. The high level of endemic FMD and potential for disease spread presents a significant challenge for control and eradication. Locally sustainable methods need to be developed upon which larger regional control programmes could be built in the future.
Bronsvoort
B M deC
BM
University of Liverpool, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Leahurst, Neston, Wirral, CH64 7TE, UK.
Tanya
V N
VN
Kitching
R P
RP
Nfon
C
C
Hamman
S M
SM
Morgan
K L
KL
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon; D002417:Cattle / Q000821:virology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005536:Foot-and-Mouth Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D007407:Interviews as Topic