TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of African buffalo in the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease in sympatric cattle and buffalo populations in Kenya
AU - Omondi, George P.
AU - Gakuya, Francis
AU - Arzt, Jonathan
AU - Sangula, Abraham
AU - Hartwig, Ethan
AU - Pauszek, Steven
AU - Smoliga, George
AU - Brito, Barbara
AU - Perez, Andres
AU - Obanda, Vincent
AU - VanderWaal, Kimberly
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH
PY - 2020/9/1
Y1 - 2020/9/1
N2 - Quantitative knowledge on the contribution of African buffalo to the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in East Africa is lacking, and this information is essential for the design of control programs in the region. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of FMDV in buffalo, including the role of buffalo in the circulation of FMDV in livestock populations. We collected blood and oropharyngeal fluids from 92 wild buffalo and 98 sympatric cattle in central Kenya and sequenced the virus’ VP1 coding region. We show that FMDV has a high seroprevalence in buffalo (~77%) and targeted cattle (~93%). In addition, we recovered 80 FMDV sequences from buffalo, all of which were serotype SAT1 and SAT2, and four serotype O and A sequences from sympatric cattle. Notably, six individual buffalo were co-infected with both SAT1 and SAT2. Amongst sympatric buffalo and cattle, the fact that no SAT1 or 2 sequences were found in cattle suggests that transmission of FMDV from buffalo to sympatric cattle is rare. Similarly, there was no evidence that serotype O and A sequences found in cattle were transmitted to buffalo. However, viruses from FMDV outbreaks in cattle elsewhere in Kenya were closely related to SAT1 and SAT2 viruses found in buffalo in this study, suggesting that FMDV in cattle and buffalo do not constitute independently evolving populations. We also show that fine-scale geographic features, such as rivers, influence the circulation of FMDV in buffalo and that social segregation amongst sympatric herds may limit between-herd transmission. These results significantly advance our understanding of the ecology and molecular epidemiology of FMDV at wildlife–livestock interfaces in East Africa and will help to inform the design of control and surveillance strategies for this disease in the region.
AB - Quantitative knowledge on the contribution of African buffalo to the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in East Africa is lacking, and this information is essential for the design of control programs in the region. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of FMDV in buffalo, including the role of buffalo in the circulation of FMDV in livestock populations. We collected blood and oropharyngeal fluids from 92 wild buffalo and 98 sympatric cattle in central Kenya and sequenced the virus’ VP1 coding region. We show that FMDV has a high seroprevalence in buffalo (~77%) and targeted cattle (~93%). In addition, we recovered 80 FMDV sequences from buffalo, all of which were serotype SAT1 and SAT2, and four serotype O and A sequences from sympatric cattle. Notably, six individual buffalo were co-infected with both SAT1 and SAT2. Amongst sympatric buffalo and cattle, the fact that no SAT1 or 2 sequences were found in cattle suggests that transmission of FMDV from buffalo to sympatric cattle is rare. Similarly, there was no evidence that serotype O and A sequences found in cattle were transmitted to buffalo. However, viruses from FMDV outbreaks in cattle elsewhere in Kenya were closely related to SAT1 and SAT2 viruses found in buffalo in this study, suggesting that FMDV in cattle and buffalo do not constitute independently evolving populations. We also show that fine-scale geographic features, such as rivers, influence the circulation of FMDV in buffalo and that social segregation amongst sympatric herds may limit between-herd transmission. These results significantly advance our understanding of the ecology and molecular epidemiology of FMDV at wildlife–livestock interfaces in East Africa and will help to inform the design of control and surveillance strategies for this disease in the region.
KW - community ecology
KW - livestock-wildlife interface
KW - molecular epidemiology
KW - phylogenetics
KW - socio-spatial dynamics
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U2 - 10.1111/tbed.13573
DO - 10.1111/tbed.13573
M3 - Article
C2 - 32303117
AN - SCOPUS:85084423843
SN - 1865-1674
VL - 67
SP - 2206
EP - 2221
JO - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
JF - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
IS - 5
ER -