FMDV vaccination strategy could reduce poverty in Eastern Africa
A targeted vaccination programme against foot-and-mouth disease (FMDV) could help to alleviate poverty in Eastern Africa, according to new research by the University of Glasgow and Pirbright Institute.
The team found that FMDV serotypes pass through livestock in ‘slow waves’, but livestock are rarely infected by viruses circulating in wild buffalo.
Researchers suggest that quickly identifying the serotype causing an outbreak would allow serotype-specific vaccines to be deployed, preventing the virus’s continued spread in sub-Saharan Africa. This would offer a cost-effective strategy for reducing the economic and health impacts on livestock keepers in these regions.
Lead author Dr Tiziana Lembo said: “Our research demonstrates that disease risks are driven by livestock - rather than wildlife-related factors. This is different to the situation in southern Africa, where there is spill over from buffalo to livestock, and control methods therefore focus on their separation.”
RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence. 
