Research roundup: How we can stop the spread of zoonotic diseases in rural Africa?

January 20, 2021

A microscopic image, in purple and pink, of an ebola virus

Many people living in an emerging infectious disease hotspot often do not fully understand the health threats linked to living in a wildlife-rich area, according to a new study. Around 60 percent of all emerging infectious diseases can transfer across human and animal lines, which is known as zoonosis. A person’s risk of catching a zoonotic disease increases in situations where humans regularly interact with wildlife, and these interactions are on the rise as climate change forces humans further into wild habitats in search of resources. A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota and Makerere University in Uganda, including Michael Mahero, DVM, MPH, director of the Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, recently published the outcome of a survey completed by 370 people living in eight villages in the Homia District of Uganda. The team also conducted 10 focus groups that included roughly eight people each. They wanted to understand what was driving human-wildlife interactions in the area so they could better educate people about the risk of zoonotic diseases in rural Africa. The researchers found that while nearly 90 percent of participants had heard of Ebola or Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever, less than 40 percent were aware that humans can catch such diseases from wild animals. Hunting for food or medicine, a deeply cultural practice, was the main way the study identified that people came into contact with wildlife. Fighting an outbreak of zoonotic disease costs much more than managing risk so moving forward, the researchers say governments must prioritize zoonotic disease education in high-risk areas, especially since rural residents often have limited access to healthcare. This research was led by Shamilah Namusisi, BVetMed, MPH, a One Health fellow in the partnership program between the CVM and Makerere University, which is largely driven by the Emerging Pandemic Threats program at the United States Academy of International Development. This project was supported by a Fogarty research training grant from the National Institutes of Health


Read more in the article published January 6 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.




Photo: A microscopic image of the Ebola virus, courtesy of CDC on Unsplash.


 


Categories: Faculty Research