Household and animal factors associated with sheeppox and goatpox sero-prevalence and identification of high-risk areas in selected States of northern Nigeria

Adedeji, AJ; Ijoma, SI; Atai, RB; Dogonyaro, BB; Adole, JA; Maurice, NA; Osemeke, OH; Waziri, IA; Atuman, YJ; Lyons, NA; Stevens, KB; Beard, PM; Limon, G

Abstract

Sheeppox and goatpox (SGP) are transboundary, highly contagious diseases affecting sheep and goats with characteristic clinical signs. SGP affect populations of small ruminants in Africa, Asia and the Middle East and, as a result, threaten farmers' livelihoods. Despite their importance, studies looking at factors that increase the risk of sheeppox-virus (SPPV) and goatpox-virus (GTPV) exposure and infection are limited. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three states of Northern Nigeria (Bauchi, Kaduna and Plateau) to determine the sero-prevalence and spatial patterns of SGP, and identify risk factors for SPPV/GTPV exposure at animal and household level. Sera samples were collected from 1,800 small ruminants from 300 households. Data on putative risk factors were collected using a standardised questionnaire. Twenty-nine small ruminants were sero-positive to SGP -apparent weighted sero-prevalence 2.0 %; 95 % C.I. 1.1-.3.0 %. Sero-positive animals came from 19 (6.3 %) households. Analysis of the questionnaire showed that a fifth (20.3 %) of farmers claimed to have experienced SGP outbreaks previously in their flocks, with 33 (1.8 %) of the individual animals sampled in this study reported to have had clinical signs. At animal level, the odds of being sero-positive were higher in older animals (>24months; OR = 8.0, p = 0.008 vs

Citation

Adedeji, A., Ijoma, S., Atai, R., Dogonyaro, B., Adole, J., Maurice, N., …Limon, G. (2021). Household and animal factors associated with sheeppox and goatpox sero-prevalence and identification of high-risk areas in selected States of northern Nigeria. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105473

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 6, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2022
• Print ISSN: 0167-5877
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 196
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105473
• Keywords: Sheeppox; Goatpox; Sero-prevalence; Risk factors; Subsistence farmers; Nigeria; INFECTION; POX
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1554654