Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Livestock pathology in the central African region: some epidemiological considerations and control strategies.
- Journal:
- Animal health research reviews
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Awa, Daniel Ndzingu & Achukwi, Mbunkah Daniel
- Affiliation:
- Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD)
Plain-English summary
In central Africa, livestock diseases are a significant problem that leads to major economic losses for farmers. This article looks at important diseases affecting cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry, such as foot-and-mouth disease and Newcastle disease. It discusses how these diseases spread, how common they are, and what factors increase the risk of outbreaks. The article also reviews ways to control these diseases, like vaccines and medications, but notes that there are challenges in using these tools effectively due to a lack of resources. To improve animal health care, the article suggests enhancing private veterinary services and creating community health units in areas that need more support.
Abstract
Disease consistently features among the major constraints of livestock production in the central African region, orchestrating important economic losses. This article reviews livestock diseases of economic importance, including foot-and-mouth disease, trypanosomosis and dermatophilosis in cattle, peste des petits ruminants and gastrointestinal helminthosis in sheep and goats, and Newcastle disease in poultry. Some aspects of epidemiology such as pathogen identification, prevalence and risk factors are examined in the light of research findings in the region. Control tools such as vaccines, chemotherapeutic or prophylactic agents, and protocols developed for their efficient use are also reviewed. Constraints to the effective use of these tools have been identified as mostly due to institutional insufficiencies and measures for improvement have been proposed. These include the promotion of private professional veterinary services endowed with greater responsibility in animal health care, creation and promotion of community-based animal health care units in areas of marginal professional coverage, and adoption of a regional approach to the control of diseases of economic importance.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20074399/