The impact of two dipping systems on endemic stability of bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis in cattle at four communal grazing areas in Limpopo Province, South Africa

A twelve-month study was conducted at four communal grazing areas namely, Oakley, Cunningmore, Mkhuhlu and Ronaldsy in the Bushbuckridge region, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The main objective of the study was to investigate the impact of reduced acaricide application on the endemic stability to bovine babesiosis (Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis) and anaplasmosis in a sample of the local cattle population. The study should be of assistance to farmers who are attempting to move from intensive to strategic tick control strategies and reduce the frequency of dipping, whilst maintaining endemic stability. Sixty cattle per communal grazing area were bled at the beginning and the end of the experimental period and the sera were assayed for B. bovis, B. bigemina and Anaplasma antibodies. Cattle in the intensively dipped group were dipped 26 times and maintained on a fourteen-day dipping interval throughout the study, whereas, cattle in the strategic group had their acaricide application frequency reduced and were only dipped 13 times. Three cattle per village were selected from which adult ticks were collected and immature ticks were also collected by dragging the veld. A questionnaire to assess the prevalence of clinical cases of tick-borne diseases, abscessation and mortalities was completed by an Animal Health Technician at each diptank during dipping. This was done to determine the number of clinical cases of bovine babesiosis, anaplasmosis as well as abscessation. An increase in seroprevalence to B. bovis and B. bigemina and a decrease in seroprevalence to Anaplasma was detected in the strategically dipped group whilst in the intensively dipped group a decrease in seroprevalence to B. bovis and B. bigemina and an increase in seroprevalence to Anaplasma was detected. Amblyomma hebraeum was the most abundant tick species found on the cattle in this region, whilst Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus were also collected and R. (B.) microplus was the more abundant of the two species. Drag samples yielded more A. hebraeum immatures than Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) and a seasonal pattern was displayed. An increase in the number of clinical cases of tick-borne diseases and abscesses was recorded at the beginning of the survey in the strategically dipped group.Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases))--University of Pretoria, 2005.Veterinary Tropical Diseasesunrestricte

Improving foot-and-mouth disease control through the evaluation of goat movement patterns within the FMD protection zone of South Africa

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary animal disease that has a major impact on livestock production, regional and international trade and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in endemic settings. Many livestock diseases are transmitted through direct contact between animals, and thus between herds and flocks through animal movements. In this study, we described the pattern of goat movements among smallholder farmers within a communal farming area in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 116 respondents, and separate 13 focus group discussions employing participatory mapping and semi-structured interviews were conducted among smallholder farmers. Overall, 22% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16 – 31) of questionnaire respondents indicated moving new animals into their holdings during the previous 12 months while 56% (95% CI: 47 – 65) reported moving animals out of the holdings during the same timeframe. A total of 134 participants attended the focus group discussions with 68% (91/134) being male and 32% (43/134) female. Data from the study reported 37 nodes and 78 ties with an overall network density of 0.059 (SD 0.2) across the study area. Four locations within the (former) FMD-free zone of the country had connections with movement of goats from the study area. Furthermore, 60% (95% CI: 51 – 69) of farmers were ignorant of the need to obtain official veterinary movement permits for goats. These animal movements put the country at risk of future FMD outbreaks within the free zone. We recommend that the relevant authorities implement risk-based control measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/smallrumres2022-06-05hj2021Mammal Research InstituteProduction Animal Studie

Spatial distribution of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in South Africa (2005–2016)

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary animal disease that has negative socioeconomic consequences including impacts on food security. In South Africa, FMD outbreaks in communal farming communities cause major livestock and human livelihood concerns; they raise apprehensions about the effectiveness of FMD control measures within the FMD protection areas. This study aimed to identify high-risk areas for FMD outbreaks at the human/domestic animal/wildlife interface of South Africa. Cuzick-Edwards tests and Kulldorff scan statistics were used to detect spatial autocorrelation and spatial–temporal clusters of FMD outbreaks for the years 2005–2016. Four high-risk clusters were identified and the spatial distribution of outbreaks in cattle were closer to game reserve fences and consistent with wildlife contacts as a main contributor of FMD occurrence. Strategic allocation of resources, focused control measures, and cooperation between the affected provinces are recommended to reduce future outbreaks. Further research is necessary to design cost-effective control strategies for FMD.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF)http://link.springer.com/journal/11250hj2022Production Animal Studie

Serological evidence of vaccination and perceptions concerning foot-and-mouth disease control in cattle at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Communal livestock farming areas adjoining the Greater Kruger National Park Area within South Africa are part of the Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) Protection Zone with Vaccination due to the proximity to wildlife reservoirs. FMD and its control affect the productivity of resource-poor farmers who often depend on livestock for their livelihoods. A cross-sectional study was performed with the objectives to evaluate the perceptions of farmers concerning FMD control, estimate the proportion of cattle with presumed protective antibody titres against FMD, as well as the proportion of herds with adequate herd immunity at the wildlife-livestock interface within Mpumalanga Province. One hundred and four farmers were interviewed with 73% (76/104) being cattle owners and the remainder hired cattle herders. The majority of respondents (79%, 82/104) reported a high level of satisfaction with the current animal health programmes in general. The educational level of the respondents varied by satisfaction level: the median (interquartile range; IQR) education level was standard 9 (2–12) for non-satisfied respondents, standard 3 (0–6) for little satisfied and standard 7 (2–11) for very satisfied respondents (P = 0.036). Animals are not always treated at FMD inspections points, but satisfied respondents were more likely to seek veterinary assistance (P = 0.001). The majority of respondents (92%, 96/104) identified the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) as a risk factor for FMD outbreaks. Liquid-phase blocking ELISA antibody titres ≥1.6log10 were used to indicate positive serology secondary to FMD vaccination. At the time of sampling and relative to this threshold, 23% (95% confidence interval (CI): 12%–34%) of the sampled cattle had positive serology to SAT-1, 41% (95%CI: 33%–48%) to SAT-2 and 29% (95%CI: 19%–39%) to SAT-3. The median (IQR) time between the previous vaccination and sampling was 189 (168–241) days. The sampled cattle had a longer inter-vaccination interval as scheduled by state veterinary services and antibody levels were low at the time of the study. The majority of respondents expressed high satisfaction with the currently applied FMD vaccination programme, which provides an opportunity for progressive adaption of animal health programmes within the study area.This work was funded by contract agreement with the Peace Parks Foundation (Project No. A0U199), with additional support from the Research Development Programme (Project No. A0T384) at the University of Pretoria and Incentive Funding for Rated Researchers from the National Research Foundation (Project No. 76734).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmedhj2019Production Animal Studie

Identifying high risk areas for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in South Africa

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a controlled (notifiable) disease in accordance with the South African Animal Diseases Act (Act 35) of 1984. In 1996, the International Committee on FMD of the OIE endorsed South Africa’s FMD free status without vaccination. According to the OIE status, the areas excluded from the free zone were the endemically infected Kruger National Park and the FMD protection areas. During the previous 15 years, at least one FMD outbreak has occurred per year in the protection zone with the exceptions being 2005, 2007, and 2014. Continuing outbreaks threaten the FMD-free status of the country; outbreaks raise concerns about the efficiency and sustainability of FMD control measures within the protection areas. The objective of the study was to develop isopleth risk maps in effort to identify high risk areas in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces. Data were collected from provincial veterinary services and World Animal Health Information Database (WAHIS) Interface for the period 2005-2015. Cattle affected by the Southern African Territories serotypes 1 and 2 of FMD Virus were selected for modelling. The proportion of affected cattle at the dip-tank level was calculated and used as the dependent variable. Data were assessed for normality by plotting histograms, calculating descriptive statistics, and performing the Anderson-Darling test for normality. Data for each serotype and a combined analysis were interpolated using ordinary kriging of reported outbreaks. Moran’s I was used to estimate the spatial autocorrelation of FMD outbreaks in cattle within the protection zone of South Africa. Data presented can assist with strengthening current FMD control measures and subsequently contribute to the development of further quantitative models.Poster presented at the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science Faculty Day, August 25, 2016, Pretoria, South Africa.ab201

Spatial distribution of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in South Africa (2005–2016)

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary animal disease that has negative socioeconomic consequences including impacts on food security. In South Africa, FMD outbreaks in communal farming communities cause major livestock and human livelihood concerns; they raise apprehensions about the effectiveness of FMD control measures within the FMD protection areas. This study aimed to identify high-risk areas for FMD outbreaks at the human/domestic animal/wildlife interface of South Africa. Cuzick-Edwards tests and Kulldorff scan statistics were used to detect spatial autocorrelation and spatial–temporal clusters of FMD outbreaks for the years 2005–2016. Four high-risk clusters were identified and the spatial distribution of outbreaks in cattle were closer to game reserve fences and consistent with wildlife contacts as a main contributor of FMD occurrence. Strategic allocation of resources, focused control measures, and cooperation between the affected provinces are recommended to reduce future outbreaks. Further research is necessary to design cost-effective control strategies for FMD

Serological responses of cattle inoculated with inactivated trivalent foot-and-mouth disease vaccine at the wildlife-livestock interface of the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is economically one of the world’s most important animal pathogens, which can be responsible for losses in livestock trade, as well as frequent and highly disruptive large-scale epidemics. The control of FMD in southern Africa typically includes vaccination of cattle with a trivalent or bivalent vaccine preparation. The objective of this study was to determine the level and duration of the antibody responses conferred by the current FMD vaccination programme in cattle at the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa. Two hundred and eighty-three cattle from four communal dip tanks were longitudinally sampled after vaccination using an inactivated trivalent FMD vaccine (South African Territories (SAT) 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3). Blood samples were collected fortnightly over four months and antibodies were measured using a liquid-phase blocking ELISA. Only 5%, 43%, and 16% of enrolled cattle had evidence of pre-existing antibody responses to the three SAT viruses at the beginning of the study (≥1.6 log10 titre for SAT 1–3 respectively), which was 7–12 months after the last vaccination campaign. However, 14 days after vaccination this proportion increased to between 66% and 93%, with SAT 2 having the highest proportion. Young animals (<1 year old) tended to have higher predicted baseline antibody levels that peaked by 14 days. Positive serological responses were transient and by 56 days post-vaccination antibody levels begun to decline below the threshold of 1.6 log10 titre. Predicted peak antibody levels only consistently reached 2.0 log10 for SAT 2. Serological responses for SAT 2 tended to be longer, but in most cases the duration of antibody levels was short-lived. More research is necessary to determine the reasons for the limited duration of antibody responses, especially among younger cattle, in order to achieve more effective prophylactic vaccination.The Peace Parks Foundation, under contract grant agreement (Project #A0U199), with additional support from the Research Development Programme, of the University of Pretoria, (Project #A0T384), and Incentive Funding for Rated Researchers from the National Research Foundation (Project #76734).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmed2019-10-01hj2019Production Animal Studie