Ijoma Sandra I, Mesdour Asma, Bolajoko Muhammad-Bashir, Nwosuh Chika, Bordier Marion, Bataille Arnaud, Abdulrahman Adeiza M, Nafarnda Wesley D, Arsevska Elena, Apolloni Andrea
Veterinary Public health and Preventive Medicine Department, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau state, Nigeria.
Joint Research Unit Animals, Health, Territories, Risks, and Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), University of Montpellier, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 2;20(9):e0311030. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311030. eCollection 2025.
In Nigeria, a huge gap in knowledge on livestock mobility and its role on transboundary disease spread exists. As animals move, so do diseases. Therefore, there is a need to understand how livestock movements can contribute to the circulation and maintenance of infectious livestock diseases which can impede the design of particular surveillance and control tactics in the event of outbreaks. Our study aim was to reconstruct small ruminants' mobility patterns in three selected states in Northern Nigeria for better surveillance and control of small ruminant's transboundary animal diseases (TADs). To this end, a mixed approach was used to collect data. A market survey, employing structured questionnaires, was administered to 1,065 market traders. Additionally, 20 focus group discussions were conducted with traders and transhumance actors across 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) spanning three northern Nigerian states: Plateau, Bauchi, and Kano. The respondent movements by type, animal movement, reason for movement was described and summarized. Data collected were used to reconstruct small ruminant mobility networks, whose nodes were LGAs, in the three states of the survey area and with other states in Nigeria and movement mapped. Characteristics of both networks were studied using a complex network approach either separately or combined. Using the two approaches provided a complementary view of small ruminant mobility. The reconstructed networks were connected, highly heterogeneous and had very low density. The networks included LGAs belonging up to 31 states. The presence of hubs increased the risk of disease spread. Gwarzo, Wudil (Kano) and Alkaleri (Bauchi) LGAs received the most sheep and goats, while Jos North (Plateau) and Gwarzo supplied more small ruminants. Bukuru and Alkaleri markets were classified as super-spreaders with a higher probability of detecting virus circulation. Four to six multistate communities were identified. Our findings could support policy choices to identify priority areas for surveillance and disease control in small ruminants.
在尼日利亚，人们对牲畜移动及其在跨境疾病传播中的作用的认识存在巨大差距。随着动物的移动，疾病也会随之传播。因此，有必要了解牲畜移动如何促进传染性牲畜疾病的传播和持续存在，这可能会影响在疫情爆发时特定监测和控制策略的设计。我们的研究目的是重建尼日利亚北部三个选定州的小反刍动物移动模式，以便更好地监测和控制小反刍动物的跨境动物疾病（TADs）。为此，采用了混合方法收集数据。通过结构化问卷对1065名市场交易者进行了市场调查。此外，还在尼日利亚北部三个州（高原州、包奇州和卡诺州）的10个地方政府辖区与交易者和游牧人员进行了20次焦点小组讨论。对受访者按类型、动物移动情况、移动原因进行了描述和总结。收集到的数据用于重建小反刍动物移动网络，其节点为地方政府辖区，涵盖调查区域的三个州以及尼日利亚的其他州，并绘制了移动路线图。使用复杂网络方法分别或综合研究了这两个网络的特征。两种方法结合使用，提供了小反刍动物移动的互补视图。重建的网络相互连接，高度异质且密度极低。这些网络包括多达31个州的地方政府辖区。枢纽的存在增加了疾病传播的风险。瓜尔佐、伍迪尔（卡诺州）和阿尔卡莱里（包奇州）地方政府辖区接收的绵羊和山羊最多，而乔斯北区（高原州）和瓜尔佐供应的小反刍动物更多。布库鲁和阿尔卡莱里市场被归类为超级传播者，检测到病毒传播的可能性更高。识别出了四到六个多州社区。我们的研究结果可为确定小反刍动物监测和疾病控制的优先领域的政策选择提供支持。
