Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Cattle of Smallholder Farmers in Central Malawi.

Autor: Phonera MC; Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Lilongwe 207203, Malawi.; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Africa Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Simuunza MC; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Africa Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Kainga H; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Africa Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe 207203, Malawi., Ndebe J; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Chembensofu M; Department of Para-Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Chatanga E; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe 207203, Malawi.; Laboratory of Parasitology, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-8588, Japan., Kanyanda S; International Training and Education Center for Health, Lilongwe 207203, Malawi., Changula K; Department of Para-Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Muleya W; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia., Mubemba B; Department of Wildlife Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe 50100, Zambia.; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola 50100, Zambia., Chitanga S; Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10005, Namibia.; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa., Kajihara M; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan., Sawa H; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.; Division of International Research Promotion, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.; Global Virus Network, Baltimore, ML 21201, USA.; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan., Njunga G; Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Lilongwe 207203, Malawi., Takada A; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Division of Global Epidemiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan.; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan., Simulundu E; Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.; Macha Research Trust, Choma 20100, Zambia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) [Pathogens] 2021 Dec 10; Vol. 10 (12). Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 10.
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121613
Abstrakt: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is endemic in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe where it circulates among animals and ticks causing sporadic outbreaks in humans. Although CCHF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, epidemiological information is lacking in many countries, including Malawi. To assess the risk of CCHF in Malawi, we conducted an epidemiological study in cattle reared by smallholder livestock farmers in central Malawi. A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020 involving seven districts, four from Kasungu and three from Lilongwe Agriculture Development Divisions. A structured questionnaire was administered to farmers to obtain demographic, animal management, and ecological risk factors data. Sera were collected from randomly selected cattle and screened for CCHF virus (CCHFV) specific antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit. Ticks were collected from cattle and classified morphologically to species level. An overall CCHFV seropositivity rate of 46.9% ( n = 416; 95% CI: 42.0-51.8%) was observed. The seropositivity was significantly associated with the age of cattle ( p < 0.001), sex ( p < 0.001), presence of ticks in herds ( p = 0.01), district ( p = 0.025), and type of grazing lands ( p = 0.013). Five species of ticks were identified, including Hyalomma truncatum , a known vector of CCHFV. Ticks of the species Hyalomma truncatum were not detected in two districts with the highest seroprevalence for CCHF and vector competency must be further explored in the study area. To our knowledge, this is the first report of serologic evidence of the presence of CCHV among smallholder cattle in central Malawi. This study emphasizes the need for continued monitoring of CCHFV infection among livestock, ticks, and humans for the development of data-based risk mitigation strategies.
Databáze: MEDLINE