The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom.
Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 7;7:43932. doi: 10.1038/srep43932.
Movement of live animals is a major risk factor for the spread of livestock diseases and zoonotic infections. Understanding contact patterns is key to informing cost-effective surveillance and control strategies. In West and Central Africa some of the most rapid urbanization globally is expected to increase the demand for animal-source foods and the need for safer and more efficient animal production. Livestock trading points represent a strategic contact node in the dissemination of multiple pathogens. From October 2014 to May 2015 official transaction records were collected and a questionnaire-based survey was carried out in cattle markets throughout Western and Central-Northern Cameroon. The data were used to analyse the cattle trade network including a total of 127 livestock markets within Cameroon and five neighboring countries. This study explores for the first time the influence of animal trade on infectious disease spread in the region. The investigations showed that national borders do not present a barrier against pathogen dissemination and that non-neighbouring countries are epidemiologically connected, highlighting the importance of a regional approach to disease surveillance, prevention and control. Furthermore, these findings provide evidence for the benefit of strategic risk-based approaches for disease monitoring, surveillance and control, as well as for communication and training purposes through targeting key regions, highly connected livestock markets and central trading links.
活畜移动是传播动物疾病和人畜共患病感染的主要风险因素。了解接触模式是制定具有成本效益的监测和控制策略的关键。在西非和中非，预计全球一些最快的城市化进程将增加对动物源食品的需求，并需要更安全、更高效的动物生产。牲畜交易点是多种病原体传播的战略接触节点。2014 年 10 月至 2015 年 5 月，在喀麦隆西部和中北部的牛市场收集了官方交易记录并进行了基于问卷调查的调查。这些数据用于分析包括喀麦隆和五个邻国的 127 个牲畜市场在内的牛贸易网络。本研究首次探讨了动物贸易对该地区传染病传播的影响。调查表明，国界并不是阻止病原体传播的障碍，非邻国在流行病学上是相互关联的，突出了采取区域方法进行疾病监测、预防和控制的重要性。此外，这些发现为基于风险的战略方法在疾病监测、监测和控制方面提供了证据，以及通过针对关键区域、高度关联的牲畜市场和中心交易联系进行沟通和培训目的提供了证据。
