Open AccessThe pattern of anthrax at the wildlife-livestock-human interface in Zimbabwe
Author(s) -
Norman L. Mukarati,
Gift Matope,
Michel De GarineWichatitsky,
Daud Nyosi Ndhlovu,
Alexandre Caron,
Davies M. Pfukenyi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos neglected tropical diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.99
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1935-2735
pISSN - 1935-2727
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008800
Subject(s) - wildlife , livestock , outbreak , zoonosis , geography , veterinary medicine , biosecurity , environmental health , ecology , biology , medicine , virology
Anthrax is an important but neglected zoonosis in southern Africa and elsewhere which occurs naturally in herbivorous wildlife and livestock. Fatal outbreaks in animals are spaced by potentially extended periods of non-activity during which the bacterium is maintained in soil. The ecology of the pathogen in the multi-host system and the environment is still not fully understood. This study investigated the patterns of anthrax in Zimbabwe in order to better understand the occurrence of disease in susceptible wildlife and livestock and hence its control. The study used available data in governmental reports between 1995 and 2018 and structured interviewer-administered questionnaires of local communities in three porous wildlife-livestock-human interface sites where livestock/wildlife interactions were documented from previous researches. Two non-interface sites were also included for comparison based on known previous anthrax outbreaks. Respondents from non-interface sites had significantly higher odds (χ 2 = 23.2, OR = 3.5, 2.1