Foot and mouth disease in Zambia: a review of the aetiology and epidemiology and recommendations for possible control.

In Zambia, foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been caused by all three of the South African Territories serotypes (SAT 1, 2 and 3) and by European types O and A. Three areas of the country which have experienced repeated occurrences of the disease are considered high-risk areas. The three areas are as follows: the southern border area between Zambia and Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, the Kafue Flats and the northern border with Tanzania in the Nakonde and Mbala districts. The transfer mechanism of the virus is poorly understood but the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is considered to be the natural host, acting as a reservoir of infection for the SAT types of the virus. Cattle are known to be carriers of the virus for up to two and a half years and individual semi-domesticated buffalo have been reported to act as carriers for up to five years. In wild herds of buffalo, the virus has been recorded for periods of up to twenty-five years. Current control measures include mass vaccination of cattle in high-risk areas and restrictions on the movement of cattle from areas in which contact exists with buffalo. New protocols should be developed for the prevention and control of FMD, including the enforcement of livestock movement control, improved disease surveillance and reporting, and the monitoring of FMD virus in carrier cattle and buffalo. These measures will contribute towards building the confidence of the regulatory bodies of importing countries in the region.