Original Research

Spatial and temporal distribution of foot-and-mouth disease in four districts situated along the Uganda–Tanzania border: Implications for cross-border efforts in disease control

Susan D. Kerfua, Gabriel Shirima, Lughano Kusiluka, Chrisostome Ayebazibwe, Robert Mwebe, Sarah Cleaveland, Daniel Haydon
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 85, No 1 | a1528 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v85i1.1528 | © 2018 Susan D. Kerfua, Gabriel Shirima, Lughano Kusiluka, Chrisostome Ayebazibwe, Robert Mwebe, Sarah Cleaveland, Daniel Haydon | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 22 August 2017 | Published: 27 August 2018

About the author(s)

Susan D. Kerfua, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania; National Livestock Resources Research Institute, Tororo, Uganda
Gabriel Shirima, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania, United Republic of
Lughano Kusiluka, Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, Mzumbe University, Tanzania, United Republic of
Chrisostome Ayebazibwe, National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiological Centre, Entebbe, Uganda
Robert Mwebe, National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiological Centre, Entebbe, Uganda
Sarah Cleaveland, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Daniel Haydon, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the major trans-boundary animal diseases in East Africa causing economic loss to farmers and other stakeholders in the livestock industry. Foot-and-mouth disease occurs widely in both Uganda and Tanzania with annual outbreaks recorded. With the recent introduction of the Progressive Control Pathway for FMD control (PCP-FMD) in eastern Africa, knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of FMD at the border area between Uganda and Tanzania is helpful in framing engagement with the initial stages of the PCP. Retrospective data collected between 2011 and 2016 from four districts located along the border areas of Uganda and Tanzania, recorded 23 and 59 FMD outbreaks, respectively, for the entire study period. Analysis showed that 46% of the 82 recorded outbreaks occurred in 20% of sub-counties and wards immediately neighbouring the Uganda–Tanzania border and 69.5% of the outbreaks occurred during the dry months. While the serotypes of the FMD virus responsible for most outbreaks reported in this region were not known, previous research reported South African Territory (SAT) 1, SAT 2 and O to be the serotypes in circulation. The results from this study provide evidence of the endemic status of FMD on the Uganda–Tanzania border and emphasise that the border area should be given due consideration during FMD control drives and that cross-border coordination should be prioritised. With the limited data on circulating serotypes in this area, there is a need for more vigilance on FMD case detection, laboratory diagnostic confirmation and provision of more complete documentation of outbreaks. This work further recommends more studies on cross-border livestock movement coupled with phylogenetics in order to understand the spread of the FMD in the border area.

Keywords

foot-and-mouth disease; epidemiology; border districts

Metrics

Total abstract views: 6410
Total article views: 6157

 

Crossref Citations

1. Quantifying farmers’ preferences for antimicrobial use for livestock diseases in northern Tanzania
Mary Nthambi, Tiziana Lembo, Alicia Davis, Fortunata Nasuwa, Blandina Theophil Mmbaga, Louise Matthews, Nick Hanley
Q Open  vol: 3  issue: 1  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1093/qopen/qoac032

2. Isolation and molecular characterization of Foot and Mouth Disease virus serotype O circulated in Kenya during the period 2013-2018
Eunice C. Chepkwony, George C. Gitao, Gerald M. Muchemi, Abraham K. Sangula
German Journal of Veterinary Research  vol: 2  issue: 4  first page: 25  year: 2022  
doi: 10.51585/gjvr.2022.4.0047

3. A scoping review of foot‐and‐mouth disease risk, based on spatial and spatio‐temporal analysis of outbreaks in endemic settings
Lina González Gordon, Thibaud Porphyre, Dennis Muhanguzi, Adrian Muwonge, Lisa Boden, Barend M. de C Bronsvoort
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases  vol: 69  issue: 6  first page: 3198  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1111/tbed.14769

4. Risk factors for the incursion, spread and persistence of the foot and mouth disease virus in Eastern Rwanda
Jean Claude Udahemuka, Gabriel Oluga Aboge, George Ogello Obiero, Phiyani Justice Lebea, Joshua Orungo Onono, Massimo Paone
BMC Veterinary Research  vol: 16  issue: 1  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02610-1

5. Assessment of capacity and performance of points of entry in detection of public health events, reporting and responding to public health emergencies, Uganda, July–September 2022
Mercy Wendy Wanyana, Patrick King, Harriet Mayinja, Richard Migisha, Daniel Kadobera, Benon Kwesiga, Lilian Bulage, Alex Riolexus Ario, Julie R. Harris
Discover Health Systems  vol: 3  issue: 1  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1007/s44250-024-00104-7

6. Epidemiology and control strategies for foot-and-mouth disease in livestock and wildlife in Uganda: systematic review
Benedicto Byamukama, Asfor Amin, Frank Nobert Mwiine, Abel Bulamu Ekiri
Veterinary Research Communications  vol: 49  issue: 4  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1007/s11259-025-10791-z

7. A Bayesian inference method to estimate transmission trees with multiple introductions; applied to SARS-CoV-2 in Dutch mink farms
Bastiaan R. Van der Roest, Martin C. J. Bootsma, Egil A. J. Fischer, Don Klinkenberg, Mirjam E. E. Kretzschmar, Claudio José Struchiner
PLOS Computational Biology  vol: 19  issue: 11  first page: e1010928  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010928

8. Investigation of foot and mouth disease virus and other animal pathogens in cattle, buffaloes and goats at the interface with Akagera National Park 2017 – 2020
Jean Claude Udahemuka, Gabriel Aboge, George Obiero, Angélique Ingabire, Natasha Beeton, Evodie Uwibambe, Phiyani Lebea
BMC Veterinary Research  vol: 18  issue: 1  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03430-1

9. Spatial analysis of livestock disease data in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Alfred Ngwira, Samuel Manda, Esron Daniel Karimuribo, Sharadhuli Iddi Kimera, Christopher Stanley
Scientific African  vol: 23  first page: e02113  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02113

10. Tracing the spread and phylogeography of foot-and-mouth disease virus across East and the Horn of Africa
Dennis N Makau, Jonathan Arzt, Kimberly VanderWaal
Virus Evolution  vol: 11  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1093/ve/veaf073

11. A unified Foot and Mouth Disease dataset for Uganda: evaluating machine learning predictive performance degradation under varying distributions
Geofrey Kapalaga, Florence N. Kivunike, Susan Kerfua, Daudi Jjingo, Savino Biryomumaisho, Justus Rutaisire, Paul Ssajjakambwe, Swidiq Mugerwa, Yusuf Kiwala
Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence  vol: 7  year: 2024  
doi: 10.3389/frai.2024.1446368

12. Seroprevalence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle from Karamoja region, North-eastern Uganda
Robert Tweyongyere, Joseph Nkamwesiga, Patrick Etiang, Israel Mugezi, Henry Wamala, Auther Tamale Wasswa, Maureen Kamusiime, Solomon Ainebyoona, Harriet Abizera, Frank Norbert Mwiine, Dennis Muhanguzi
BMC Veterinary Research  vol: 20  issue: 1  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-03938-8

13. Factors associated with foot-and-mouth disease seroprevalence in small ruminants and identification of hot-spot areas in northern Nigeria
Mattia Begovoeva, David O. Ehizibolo, Adeyinka J. Adedeji, Moses O. Oguche, Olumuyiwa Oyekan, Sandra I. Ijoma, Rebecca B. Atai, Yiltawe Wungak, Banenat B. Dogonyaro, David D. Lazarus, Mark Samson, Hussaini Ularamu, Maryam Muhammad, Fabrizio Rosso, Keith J. Sumption, Philippa M. Beard, Anna B. Ludi, Kim B. Stevens, Georgina Limon
Preventive Veterinary Medicine  vol: 212  first page: 105842  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105842

14. Analysis of Cross‐Border Movement of Cattle in Yunnan Province, China: Insights Into Transboundary Animal Diseases Control
Dai Meixia, Yi Ying, Tang Hao, Liu Hanze, Yang Honglin, Li Chao, Shen Chaojian, Zhang Yi, Shao-Lun Zhai
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases  vol: 2025  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1155/tbed/5561414

15. Spatio‐temporal cluster analysis and transmission drivers for Peste des Petits Ruminants in Uganda
Joseph Nkamwesiga, Fedor Korennoy, Paul Lumu, Peninah Nsamba, Frank Nobert Mwiine, Kristina Roesel, Barbara Wieland, Andres Perez, Henry Kiara, Dennis Muhanguzi
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases  vol: 69  issue: 5  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1111/tbed.14499

16. Identifying target areas for risk-based surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases: a seasonal analysis of slaughter and live-trade cattle movements in Uganda
Lina González-Gordon, Thibaud Porphyre, Adrian Muwonge, Noelina Nantima, Rose Ademun, Sylvester Ochwo, Norbert Frank Mwiine, Lisa Boden, Dennis Muhanguzi, Barend Mark de C. Bronsvoort
Scientific Reports  vol: 13  issue: 1  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-44518-4