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Background: In the Sahel, one of the largest semi-arid areas in the world, pastoral livestock is the main source of protein for the local population. The quantification of herbaceous biomass in the Sahelian rangelands is of major importance since it provides food for the livestock. The main method used to monitor the biomass consists of cutting, drying, and weighting it. However, indirect methods are available and allow a reliable biomass estimation. Methods: In this study, we developed a non-destructive method for estimating herbaceous biomass for the Sahelian rangelands based on measurements of its height and coverage. Results: Results show that the fit is better in the fenced area. The volume index (height × coverage) provides a better biomass prediction with relative differences between measured and predicted biomass of 11% in 2017 and 8% in 2019. Conclusions: Monitoring herbaceous biomass without destroying it is possible by measuring only its height and coverage.

Wildlife is an essential component of biodiversity and provides people with multiple social and economic benefits. However, a resurgence of epidemics over the past two decades has highlighted wildlife's role as a potential source of dangerous pathogens for humans and livestock, with devastating consequences worldwide. Simultaneously, numerous reports have indicated that wildlife populations are declining at an alarming rate due to human and livestock pathogens, predation, and competition. An integrated approach to managing wildlife, human, and domestic animal health is therefore clearly needed. Yet this integration often fails to materialize due to a lack of wildlife health standards and know-how. Here, we present an operational framework that follows a step-by-step approach: i) a holistic definition of human health is adapted to the context of other-than-human animals, including wildlife; then, ii) different categories of wildlife living within a landscape or a country are defined based on the management systems under which they live. For each wildlife category, the type (natural vs. anthropogenic) of habitat, the nature of the interface of wildlife with humans and/or livestock, and the level of sanitary control are defined; and finally, iii) the holistic definition of wildlife health is considered in relation to each wildlife category to define health challenges and the domains of expertise required to address them. This framework can assist national and international agencies, including veterinary and wildlife authorities and policy makers, in defining wildlife health priorities, responsibilities, policies and capacity building strategies. The extensive interdisciplinary collaboration needed to manage the many different aspects of wildlife health calls for a more integrated One Health approach.

In addition to blood pathogen transmission, insects of the order Diptera affect livestock through visual and contact harassment; blood-feeders are responsible for painful bites and blood despoliation, generating behavioral modifications, anemia, and production losses. Knowledge of their economic impact is a basis for cost-effective control. Here, we measured the global impact of diptera insects by comparing two batches of six feeder cattle, one in the open air and the other protected by a mosquito net. The analytical data were insect density in the open air and, for feeder cattle, tail flick counts, hematocrit values (Ht), feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and live body weight gain (LBWG). Over a period of five months, the results showed significant losses in the LBWG of cattle exposed to insects, estimated at 8.0 ± 1.5 kg/month [2.7; 13.3], with a total loss reaching 40.0 ± 5.5 kg/head. Main diurnal insects were Stomoxys spp. and Musca crassirostris. There was a strong correlation between fly density and diurnal tail flicks. Night trapping and tail flicks showed a potentially important role of mosquitoes to be further explored. The Ht levels of exposed animals were 3–4% lower than those of controls. FCRs indicated that exposed animals needed 33% more dry matter intake/kg of LBWG. An economic assessment showed that dipterans were responsible for a 10–11% loss in LBWG during the main growing period of feeder cattle (10–15 months). A feedlot of 100 calves would register a total loss of USD 16,000 within 5 months, which appears to be an unexpectedly huge loss caused by dipterans. Investing part of this money into fly control would probably be beneficial.

The open interfaces between protected areas and rural communal lands in southern Africa are characterized by semi-arid savannas where wildlife-livestock interactions vary in frequency and intensity. In a context of increasing anthropization of land and trans-frontier conservation, the multiplication of these interactions may facilitate human-wildlife coexistence such as competition for natural resources, livestock predation, crop destruction by wildlife, and/or the risk of pathogen transmission between wild and domestic species. To better understand potential contacts between domestic and wild animals at these wildlife/livestock interfaces, we developed a method combining remote sensing and spatial modelling to simulate the movements of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and domestic cattle (Bos taurus, Bos indicus). Satellite-derived maps of surface water and vegetation, the primary determinants of movement for these ungulate species, were integrated into a mechanistic and stochastic model of collective movements of individuals interacting according to group cohesion and alignment. This model allowed simulations of herd movements and the location of contact areas with their seasonal dynamics in space and time at the periphery of three national parks in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Model outputs were compared to Global Positioning Systems collar location data of 32 individuals (14 buffalo and 18 cattle). The modelled results show a high spatial and seasonal variability of contacts between buffalo and cattle in the three study sites, and a landscape scale correspondence between spatial extensions of the modelled and observed contact areas. These results illustrate the potential of spatial modelling combined with remote sensing to generically simulate animal movements and contacts at landscape scale while providing opportunities to explore the management of these wildlife/livestock interfaces through, for example, a further coupling with epidemiological modelling.

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease. It is particularly prevalent in tropical countries and has major consequences for human and animal health. In Benin, the disease's epidemiology remains poorly understood, especially in livestock, for which data are lacking. Objectives: To characterise Leptospira seroprevalence and locally circulating serogroups in livestock from Cotonou and to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira renal carriage in cattle. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in February 2020 during which livestock were sampled at an abattoir and in an impoverished city district. We analysed blood samples from 279 livestock animals (i.e. cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) using the microscopic agglutination test. Additionally, samples of renal tissue from 100 cattle underwent 16s rRNA (rrs) real-time PCR analysis. Results: For the 131 cattle, 85 sheep, and 50 goats tested, seroprevalence was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI] [12%, 26%]), 9% (95% CI [4%, 17%] and 2% (95% CI [0%, 9%]), respectively, and most of the seropositive animals were associated with 1:100 titres. All 13 pigs were seronegative. Leptospira DNA was found in the renal tissue of 10% (95% CI [5%, 18%]) of the cattle tested (n = 100). Leptospira borgpetersenii was the main species present (n = 7), but Leptospira interrogans (n = 2) and Leptospira kirschneri (n = 1) were also detected. Various serogroups (Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Pyrogenes, Australis and Autumnalis) were detected using microscopic agglutination test without a clear predominance of any of them. Conclusions: These results suggest that abattoir workers and people living in close contact with livestock in poor urban areas are exposed to the risk of Leptospira infection.

Introduction: In Madagascar, rabies is endemic and a notifiable disease. The objective of this mixed study was to understand the challenges faced by the Veterinary Health Officers (VHOs) in the current rabies surveillance system in Madagascar. Methods: A survey was conducted from mid-April to the end of July 2021 during which all officially-listed VHOs (N = 150) were contacted by phone at least twice. Participants, representative of the 22 regions of Madagascar, were interviewed by phone based on a semi-structured questionnaire on (1) their knowledge of rabies epidemiology in their area of activities, (2) the occurrence of human and animal rabies and the species affected in the region where they work, (3) the factors that might influence rabies surveillance depending on (a) their activities and area of operation, (b) the socio-cultural aspects of local communities, and (c) the general organization of animal rabies surveillance. Results: The majority (80/90) of VHOs declared having been informed of at least one suspected or confirmed case of human and/or animal rabies in their area of activity during their work as VHOs: at least once a month for 11 of them, at least once a year for 40 and with undetermined frequency for 29. Several obstacles hinder the surveillance of rabies resulting in under-reporting. The lack of funds to access suspect animals, collect, pack and ship samples in compliance with biosecurity measures and the cold chain, was mentioned as a major obstacle to surveillance. The second barrier is socio-cultural: in many large coastal regions, dogs are taboo and VHOs fear rejection by the community if they treat dogs. Discussion and conclusion: While the general population requires information on the rabies situation in Madagascar and on how to proceed in the event of a bite, veterinarians and decision-makers need to be fully aware of an evidence-based approach to rabies surveillance, prevention and control. Communication between the human and animal heal

Importance of the work: Trypanosoma evansi is a vector-borne pathogen, responsible for T. evansi infection (surra) which has a major impact on animal health in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Objectives: To update the current situation regarding trypanosome infections of cattle and buffaloes in Sakon Nakhon province, Thailand. Materials & Methods: Blood samples were collected from buffaloes (455) and beef (1,077) and dairy (227) cattle in eight districts of Sakon Nakhon province and tested for trypanosome infections using T. evansi indirect-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and TRYP1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Among the 1,759 samples, there were 77 positives (4.38%; 77/1,759) from T. evansi indirect-ELISA and 8 positives (0.45%; 8/1,759) from TRYP1 PCR, of which two samples were positives for both tests. The ITS1 sequencing analysis revealed high T. evansi sequence identities (97.22–100%). Factors associated with T. evansi infections were age, species, farm size and district. The highest prevalence was in buffaloes (9.67%; 44/455), followed by beef cattle (3.25%; 35/1,077) and dairy cattle (1.76%; 4/227). The significant associations with T. evansi infection were an animal age of 1–3 yr (6.82%; 53/777; p = 0.00), a medium herd size (5.99%; 13/217; p = 0.03) and farm located in Phanna Nikhom district (21.33%; 32/150; p = 0.00). Main finding: Cattle and buffaloes in Sakon Nakhon province had a low prevalence (less than 5%) for current infection by T. evansi. However, the prevalence of trypanosome infections might be increasing due to the high densities of blood-sucking flies.

The alpine ecosystems and communities of central Asia are currently undergoing large-scale ecological and socio-ecological changes likely to affect wildlife-livestock-human disease interactions and zoonosis transmission risk. However, relatively little is known about the prevalence of pathogens in this region. Between 2012 and 2015 we screened 142 rodents in Mongolia's Gobi desert for exposure to important zoonotic and livestock pathogens. Rodent seroprevalence to Leptospira spp. was >1/3 of tested animals, Toxoplasma gondii and Coxiella burnetii approximately 1/8 animals, and the hantaviruses being between 1/20 (Puumala-like hantavirus) and <1/100 (Seoul-like hantavirus). Gerbils trapped inside local dwellings were one of the species seropositive to Puumala-like hantavirus, suggesting a potential zoonotic transmission pathway. Seventeen genera of zoonotic bacteria were also detected in the faeces and ticks collected from these rodents, with one tick testing positive to Yersinia. Our study helps provide baseline patterns of disease prevalence needed to infer potential transmission between source and target populations in this region, and to help shift the focus of epidemiological research towards understanding disease transmission among species and proactive disease mitigation strategies within a broader One Health framework.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Iran and associated with a large impact on the livestock industry. Livestock mobility is recognized as one of the most important risk factors for FMD and other infectious livestock diseases' introduction and dissemination. The description of temporal and spatial aspects of livestock mobility networks in Iran provides insights into FMD epidemiology. It also assists in the formulation of recommendations to mitigate the risk of animal disease transmission through livestock movements. This study is the first spatiotemporal description of official/registered cattle, sheep, goat, and camel movements in Iran, using records related to the period from March 2020 to August 2021 extracted from the Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) Quarantine system. It shows that the static networks drawn by the movements of small ruminants, cattle, and camels to farms or slaughterhouses are complex and highlights the predominance of a few provinces and towns. In particular, the results show that Razavi Khorasan and West Azerbaijan provinces, major provinces for the Iranian livestock sector, are provinces where significant volumes of small ruminants and cattle are moved (from, to, or within) and, therefore, should be prioritized for targeted and timely risk reduction interventions. This study produces some of the necessary inputs for the risk assessment of FMD and similar transboundary animal diseases (TADs) spread within Iran, which is needed to regularly update the national risk-based control strategy for FMD and other TADs.

Background: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is endemic in Southern Mauritania where recurrent outbreaks have been constantly observed since the 1980's. The present study is the first to assess CCHFV antibodies and RNA in humans. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using 263 humans and 1380 domestic animals serum samples, and 282 tick specimens of Hyalomma genus collected from 54 settings in 12 provinces across Mauritania. Antibodies targeting CCHF viral nucleoprotein were detected in animal and human sera using double-antigen ELISA. CCHFV specific RNA was detected in human and animal sera as well as tick supernatants using a CCHFV real time RT-PCR kit. Individual characteristics of sampled hosts were collected at the same time and data were geo-referenced. Satellite data of several environmental and climatic factors, were downloaded from publicly available datasets, and combined with data on livestock mobility, animal and human density, road accessibility and individual characteristics to identify possible risk factors for CCHFV spatial distribution. To this end, multivariate logistic models were developed for each host category (human, small and large ruminants). Results: The overall CCHFV antibody prevalence was 11.8% [95% CI: 8.4–16.3] in humans (17.9% in 2020 and 5.4% in 2021; p = 0.0017) and 33.1% (95% CI: 30.1–36.3) in livestock. CCHFV-specific antibodies were detected in 91 (18.1%) out of 502 sheep, 43 (9.0%) out of 477 goats, 144 (90.5%) out of 161 dromedaries and 179 (74.6%) out of 240 cattle. CCHFV RNA was detected in only 2 (0.7%) sera out of 263 animals herders samples from Hodh El Gharbi province and in 32 (11.3%) out of 282 Hyalomma ticks. In humans as well as in animals, seropositivity was not associated with sex or age groups. The multivariate analysis determined the role of different environmental, climatic and anthropic factors in the spatial distribution of the disease with animal mobility and age being identified as risk factors.

Our understanding of the drivers of the temporal dynamics of livestock mobility networks is currently limited, despite their significant implications for the surveillance and control of infectious diseases. We analyzed the effect of time-varying environmental and economic variables—biomass production, rainfall, livestock market prices, and religious calendar on long-distance movements of cattle and small ruminant herds in Senegal in the years 2014 and 2019. We used principal component analysis to explore the variation of the hypothesized explanatory variables in space and time and a generalized additive modelling approach to assess the effect of those variables on the likelihood of herd movement between pairs of administrative units. Contrary to environmental variables, the patterns of variation of market prices show significant differences across locations. The explanatory variables at origin had the highest contribution to the model deviance reduction. Biomass production and rainfall were found to affect the likelihood of herd movement for both species on at least 1 year. Market price at origin had a strong and consistent effect on the departure of small ruminant herds. Our study shows the potential benefits of regular monitoring of market prices for future efforts at forecasting livestock movements and associated sanitary risks.

This study examines the occurrence of Surra, a disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, in camels in the Canary Islands. The 1997 detection of T. evansi in camels in the Canary Islands led to the implementation of an initial control program, resulting in a decrease in prevalence. Following an outbreak in 2014, and due to the impossibility of eradicating it using the conventional measures, a lazaret was set up to separate positive and suspicious animals, in addition to the control measures previously implemented. Stomoxys calcitrans was the only vector captured, and no other animals tested were found to be positive for T. evansi. In November 2019, the last camels that tested serologically positive were detected; however, since February 2018, no camels that tested positive for PCR have been found in the farms were the outbreak was detected, suggesting that the sanitary measures implemented are adequate. The duration of the outbreak control and potential eradication for the disease has yet to be established. This study provides evidence to facilitate the control of African Animal Trypanosomosis in endemic areas of the world, which may contribute to revise the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) protocol to implement recommendations of surveillance and control strategies for animal Trypanosomosis in camels.

Ticks are amongst the most important zoonotic disease vectors affecting human and animal health worldwide. Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are rapidly expanding geographically and in incidence, most notably in temperate regions of Europe where ticks are considered the principal zoonotic vector of Public Health relevance, as well as a major health and economic preoccupation in agriculture and equine industries. Tick-borne pathogen (TBP) transmission is contingent on complex, interlinked vector-pathogen-host dynamics, environmental and ecological conditions and human behavior. Tackling TBD therefore requires a better understanding of the interconnected social and ecological variables (i.e., the social-ecological system) that favor disease (re)-emergence. The One Health paradigm recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health and proposes an integrated approach to manage TBD. However, One Health interventions are limited by significant gaps in our understanding of the complex, systemic nature of TBD risk, in addition to a lack of effective, universally accepted and environmentally conscious tick control measures. Today individual prevention gestures are the most effective strategy to manage TBDs in humans and animals, making local communities important actors in TBD detection, prevention and management. Yet, how they engage and collaborate within a multi-actor TBD network has not yet been explored. Here, we argue that transdisciplinary collaborations that go beyond research, political and medical stakeholders, and extend to local community actors can aid in identifying relevant social-ecological risk indicators key for informing multi-level TBD detection, prevention and management measures. This article proposes a transdisciplinary social-ecological systems framework, based on participatory research approaches, to better understand the necessary conditions for local actor engagement to improve TBD risk. We conclude with perspectives for implementing

Livestock mobility, particularly that of small and large ruminants, is one of the main pillars of production and trade in West Africa: livestock is moved around in search of better grazing or sold in markets for domestic consumption and for festival-related activities. These movements cover several thousand kilometers and have the capability of connecting the whole West African region, thus facilitating the diffusion of many animal and zoonotic diseases. Several factors shape mobility patterns even in normal years and surveillance systems need to account for such changes. In this paper, we present an approach based on temporal network theory to identify possible sentinel locations, i.e., locations where pathogens circulation can be detected in the early phase of the epidemic (before the peak), using two indicators: vulnerability (i.e., the probability of being reached by the disease) and time of infection (i.e., the time of first arrival of the disease). Using these indicators in our structural analysis of the changing network enabled us to identify a set of nodes that could be used in an early warning system. As a case study, we simulated the introduction of transboundary animal diseases in Senegal and used data taken from 2020 Sanitary certificates (laissez-passer sanitaire (LPS)) issued by the Senegalese Veterinary Services to reconstruct the national mobility network. Our analysis showed that a static approach can significantly overestimate the speed and the extent of disease propagation, whereas temporal analysis revealed that the reachability and vulnerability of the different administrative departments (used as nodes of the mobility network) change over the course of the year. For this reason, several sets of sentinel nodes were identified in different periods of the year, underlining the role of temporality in shaping patterns of disease diffusion.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a public health threat responsible for 700,000 deaths per year worldwide. Antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock contributes to AMR in animal and public health. Therefore, it is essential to implement effective interventions towards better AMU in livestock. However, there is a lack of evidence to inform decision-makers of what works, how, for whom and why and how effective interventions can be adapted to different contexts. We conducted a scoping review and an impact pathway analysis to systematically map the research done in this area and to inform evidence-based and context-appropriate policies. We followed the PRISMA-ScR requirements and searched Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases to identify studies in English or French languages, in open access and published between 2000 and 2022. We selected thirty references addressing twenty-eight different interventions that were successful in changing AMU in livestock. We used an impact pathway logic model as an analytic framework to guide the technical aspects of the scoping review process and to identify the complex relationships between outputs, outcomes, impacts and contextual factors. A majority of interventions managed to improve AMU by changing herd and health management practices (ni=18). We identified intermediate outcomes including change in the veterinarian-farmer relationship (ni=7), in knowledge and perception (ni=6), and in motivation and confidence (ni=1). Twenty-two studies recorded positive impacts on animal health and welfare (ni=11), technical performances (ni=9), economic performances (ni=4) and AMR reduction (ni=4). Interventions implemented different strategies including herd and health management support (ni=20), norms and standards (ni=11), informational and educational measures (ni=10), economic support (ni=5). Studies were mainly in European countries and in pig and large ruminants farming. Most interventions targeted farmers or veterinarians but we identif

Disease prevention, including biosecurity, surveillance, and traceability are key aspects to minimize the risk of animal diseases causing harm to society. Diseases for which biosecurity are needed depend on species of interest, e.g., African swine fever, avian influenza, or foot-and-mouth disease. However, several definitions of biosecurity co-exist in the literature. Under the new COST Action “Biosecurity Enhanced Through Training Evaluation and Raising Awareness” (BETTER) CA20103, we launched an initial survey on the agreement with eight existing definitions of (livestock) biosecurity, to rank keywords to consider before attempting a more consolidated definition, and to select the desirable qualities of a definition of livestock biosecurity. Respondents (N = 316) had a male–female gender ratio close to one, were mostly between 25 and 54 years old, and had animal health as the main field of expertise (30% were government officials). The significant most popular biosecurity definition was the one that conceptualized the rules of 5B's (bio-exclusion, bio-containment, bio-compartmentation, bio-prevention, and bio-preservation). The top two keywords to consider for the consolidation of the biosecurity definition were “prevention” and “measures”. The optimal biosecurity definition needs to be operational and related to animal health but also comprehensible, simple, and related to public health. The survey results highlight the need for the integration of more aspects in the existing definitions of livestock biosecurity (prevention of zoonoses and preservation of the environment and diversity).

The presence of zoonotic diseases adversely affects livestock production and farmers' livelihood in communal areas. A lack of awareness about zoonotic diseases among rural farmers results in economic losses and health risks. The far north-eastern corner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa, is home to large numbers of communal livestock farmers who live adjacent to wildlife reserves and international borders. There have been reports of zoonotic and trade-sensitive diseases in the area, but farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in this regard are poorly understood. This study investigated the KAPs of communal livestock farmers in far northern KZN regarding livestock and zoonotic diseases found in the livestock–wildlife interface and determined the constraints and challenges faced by communal livestock farmers. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 504 livestock farmers at 45 dip tanks between August and November 2020, using a closed-ended questionnaire. Although the overall level of knowledge regarding animal disease transmission was fairly good (score: 53.2%), 25.4% and 21.4% of farmers had moderate and poor knowledge, respectively, about zoonotic disease transmission and prevention. Over 40% of the farmers were not aware of the zoonotic nature of wildlife and livestock diseases. Older farmers, despite their lower level of education, were more knowledgeable on animal diseases and had better practices in regard to zoonotic disease prevention and management compared to younger ones. The majority of farmers cited the lack of water, insufficient grazing land, stock theft, the restriction of animal movement, and animal diseases as the most significant challenges they faced regarding animal production. The results indicate the need for extension programs that target educating livestock farmers to improve their knowledge of these diseases.

Disease emergence in livestock is a product of environment, epidemiology and economic forces. The environmental factors contributing to novel pathogen emergence in humans have been studied extensively, but the two-way relationship between farm microeconomics and outbreak risk has received comparably little attention. We introduce a game-theoretic model where farmers produce and sell two goods, one of which (e.g. pigs, poultry) is susceptible to infection by a pathogen. We model market and epidemiological effects at both the individual farm level and the community level. We find that in the case of low demand elasticity for livestock meat, the presence of an animal pathogen causing production losses can lead to a bistable system where two outcomes are possible: (i) successful disease control or (ii) maintained disease circulation, where farmers slaughter their animals at a low rate, face substantial production losses, but maintain large herds because of the appeal of high meat prices. Our observations point to the potentially critical effect of price elasticity of demand for livestock products on the success or failure of livestock disease control policies. We show the potential epidemiological benefits of (i) policies aimed at stabilizing livestock product prices, (ii) subsidies for alternative agricultural activities during epidemics, and (iii) diversifying agricultural production and sources of proteins available to consumers.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arboviral disease of zoonotic origin that causes recurrent epidemics in Africa, the Arabic Peninsula, and islands of the South West of the Indian Ocean. RVF occurs mainly in livestock but also affects humans with severe clinical manifestations, including neurological disorders. However, human neuropathogenesis of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is still poorly characterized. To study the interactions between RVFV and the central nervous system (CNS), we focused on RVFV infection of astrocytes, the major glial cells of the CNS that have several supporting roles including immune response regulation. We confirmed the permissiveness of astrocytes to RVFV infection and highlighted a strain-dependent infectivity. We showed that RVFV infection of astrocytes induced cell apoptosis and observed that the RVFV Non-Structural protein NSs, a known virulence factor, potentially delayed apoptosis by sequestrating activated-caspase 3 in the nucleus. Our study also showed that RVFV-infected astrocytes upregulated expression of genes associated with inflammatory and type I interferon responses at the mRNA level, but not at the protein level. This inhibition of immune response is potentially due to a NSs-dependent mechanism of mRNA nuclear export inhibition. Together, these results highlighted the direct impact of RVFV infection on the human CNS through the induction of apoptosis and a possible inhibition of early-onset immune responses that are crucial for the host survival.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an arbovirus that causes Rift Valley fever (RVF), a zoonotic disease that mainly affects domestic and wildlife ruminants and humans. The first epidemic in North-Western and West Africa occurred in Senegal and Mauritania in 1987, two countries where RVF is now endemic. Slaughterhouse workers, farmers, herders and veterinarians are at high risk of exposure to RVF. Beyond the health threat, RVF is considered to cause major socio-economic problems, specifically in developing countries where livestock farming and trade are important economic activities. Indeed, the mortality rate linked to RVF infection can reach 95–100% in newborns and young animals. In West Africa, livestock production is a key factor for food production and for national economics. Epizootics caused by RVF can therefore have serious socio-economic consequences by impacting multisectoral economics, the psycho-social health of pastoral communities, and food security. Improving prevention strategies against RVF, including vaccination, enhancing knowledge of RVF and correcting any inappropriate behaviors by populations of endemics areas, as well as better monitoring of RVF ecological factors are effective ways to better foresee and control outbreaks of RVF and its socio-economical side-effects in countries at high risk of occurrence of the disease.

The decrease in the supply of veterinary healthcare in France adversely affects health of food-producing animals. In a One Health perspective, the health of people, animals and their shared environment are interconnected, and adequate supply of veterinary healthcare is required to ensure public health. Prevention of outbreaks and zoonotic diseases that may impact public health mobilizes a set of public policies, including strengthening veterinary workforce. These policies should be informed by quantification of animal health care accessibility, yet this has not been well characterized. The objective was to quantify the accessibility to veterinary healthcare for cattle, swine, and poultry sectors in France. A Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) approach was used to measure the level of accessibility to veterinary clinics. In the cattle sector, the 2SFCA score indicated relatively high accessibility in the north and south of France, but insufficient accessibility elsewhere. In the swine sector, there was high accessibility in the north east and in north of France, medium accessibility in the south west, and insufficient accessibility elsewhere. Finally, in the poultry sector, all regions had insufficient accessibility. Sensitivity analysis examining the effects of a change in spatial accessibility according to various travel time showed that the optimal threshold to compute 2SFCA score in cattle, swine and poultry sectors were respectively, 45, 60 and 60 min. According to a definition of “underserved area” derived from an official decree and the optimal thresholds to compute 2SFCA, the cattle, swine and poultry sector have on average 75.3, 89.9 and 98.3% underserved area, respectively. We provided evidence that the supply of animal health care was not sufficient and we proposed recommendations on how to assess animal health care accessibility, enabling modelling and visualization of the effects of potential public policies aimed at reducing veterinary shortages.

In Corsica, France, 9.1% of livestock serum samples collected during 2014–2016 were found to have antibodies against Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), an emerging tickborne zoonotic disease. We tested 8,051 ticks for CCHFV RNA and Nairovirus RNA. The results indicate that Corsica is not a hotspot for CCHFV.

Hematophagous flies are a pest for livestock; their direct impact reduces productivity, and they are vectors of parasites, bacteria and viruses. Their control using insecticides is inefficient and highly polluting. The validation of new control tools requires efficacy and cost-effectiveness evaluation. The quantification of hematophagous insects' impact in livestock is a challenging prerequisite. Tail flicks counts can reliably evaluate fly-burden; however, visual records are tedious and time-consuming. In the present study, automation of tail flick counts was made through the use of pedometers attached to the tail, in two groups of feeder cattle. Group A was kept in a pen under the protection of a mosquito net, and Group B was kept in an open-air pen. The fly density of Group B was evaluated using fly traps. The apparent density per trap ranged from 130 to 1700 in the study. The mean pedometer records per 24 h ranged from 957+/−58 bits in Group A to 11,138+/−705 bits in Group B. The night/day records observed in Group A (200/800 bits) were drastically increased in Group B (1000–4000/4000–14,000 bits) and variable along seasons. A very high correlation was observed between fly density and visual records or pedometer records (PR). Two-hour PRs proved to be a reliable predictive tool for fly density. Moreover, the pedometers revealed an unsuspected but significant nuisance of mosquitoes, which should be thoroughly investigated.

Free-roaming pet dogs pose threats to humans, livestock, wild animals, and the environment through dog bites and the transmission of diseases. We used TK-STAR© GPS-collars designed for tracking pet dogs to study the movement distance and activity range of pet dogs in Haa, western Bhutan. A total of 34 dogs or pet dogs (Uesu gewog, n= 17; Katsho gewog, n= 17) consisting of 18 (53%) fe-male and 16 (47%) male dogs were collared to trace their movement pattern for 24 hours. In total, 8,109 GPS fixes were recorded and pet dogs travelled a distance of 258.5 ± 8.0 m (mean ± SE), and the maximum distance travelled was 9,472 m in 24 hours. The maximum distance travelled by pet dogs in Katsho and Uesu were 7,916.25 and 9,472 m respectively. The daily activities of pet dogs which include a search for food, exercise, walking, playing, and huntingwere less than 1,500 m2. The 95% activity range of pet dogs in Uesu was 1,440 m2and 1,200 m2 in Katsho gewog without any sig-nificant differences between the two gewogs. The majority (81%) of the GPS fixes were located with-in the gewogs and most of the dogs remained close to human settlements. None of the tracked dogs of Uesu and Katsho gewog entered protected areas. One of the pet dogs that travelled approximately 5,000 m from the home premises of the owner was found to be seropositive against canine distemper virus indicating a risk of disease transmission from dogs to endangered wildlife. So, it is recommend-ed to make pet owners responsible by providing training on proper housing and management to con-trol the country's free-roaming pet dog population.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHF) is an understudied emerging pathogen and the cause of increasingly frequent outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever in humans in sev- eral parts of the world. Here we bring together an important body of work in different aspects of the ecology and epidemiology of CCHF to shed light on its transmission dynamics into humans and the role of environmental drivers. These results show that over the years an endemic pattern of CCHFV transmission has been established within livestock, and the frequency of human cases mirrors the seasonal pattern of livestock transmission. Our analysis further suggests that an important fraction of cases in humans might be subclinical, and the volume of transmission into humans might be much larger than previously thought. We examine the potential impact of vaccination, which suggest that not only human vaccination could be more impactful than animal vaccination, but also that targeted strategies in human high risk groups could be very effective. Our results raise important insights for future vaccine development and important questions on the optimal conditions for conducting Phase III vaccine trials in humans.

Trypanosoma evansi is an extracellular blood protozoan parasite that causes Surra in livestock, but only a few studies have been conducted on the pathogenicity of its isolates. Meanwhile, it was discovered that the rate of parasite growth and the length of the prepatent periods were equivalent in different strains of cattle and mice. Thus, further research into the pathogenic effects and pre-patent periods of T. evansi in mice is necessary to aid in the epidemiological understanding and field treatment strategy for Surra. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the pathogenic potential of T. evansi isolates from Indonesia and their prepatent periods. A total of 32 T. evansi isolates from various regions in Indonesia were inoculated intraperitoneally into three male DDY mice (104 parasites/0.3 mL) for each isolate. Additionally, the parasitaemia level and mortality of the mice were determined every 2 days, and the data were analysed using ANOVA with a 95% confidence level. The results indicated that T. evansi isolates exhibited virulence levels classified as high, moderate and low. Each virulence exhibited a distinct parasitaemia pattern. However, high virulence was not associated with short prepatent periods. The results indicated that the surra epidemic in Indonesia is characterised by strains with varying degree of virulence in water buffaloes necessitating the development of effective treatment strategies.

Background: Several viruses belonging to the family Poxviridae can cause infections in humans and animals. In Corsica, livestock farming (sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle) is mainly mixed, leading to important interactions between livestock, wildlife, and human populations. This could facilitate the circulation of zoonotic diseases, and makes Corsica a good example for studies of tick-borne diseases. Objectives: To gain understanding on the circulation of poxviruses in Corsica, we investigated their presence in tick species collected from cattle, sheep, horses, and wild boar, and characterized them through molecular techniques. Methods: Ticks were tested using specific primers targeting conserved regions of sequences corresponding to two genera: parapoxvirus and orthopoxvirus. Results: A total of 3555 ticks were collected from 1549 different animals (687 cattle, 538 horses, 106 sheep, and 218 wild boars). They were tested for the presence of parapoxvirus DNA on one hand and orthopoxvirus DNA on the other hand using Pangeneric real-time TaqMan assays. Orthopoxvirus DNA was detected in none of the 3555 ticks. Parapoxvirus DNA was detected in 6.6% (36/544) of ticks collected from 23 cows from 20 farms. The remaining 3011 ticks collected from horses, wild boars, and sheep were negative. The infection rate in cow ticks was 8.0% (12/148) in 2018 and 6.0% (24/396) in 2019 (p = 0.57). Parapoxvirus DNA was detected in 8.5% (5/59) of Hyalomma scupense pools, 8.2% (15/183) of Hyalomma marginatum pools, and 6.7% (16/240) of Rhipicephalus bursa pools (p = 0.73). We successfully amplified and sequenced 19.4% (7/36) of the positive samples which all corresponded to pseudocowpox virus. Conclusions: Obviously, further studies are needed to investigate the zoonotic potential of pseudocowpox virus and its importance for animals and public health.

Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that causes frequent outbreaks in livestock and fatal human cases in Burkina Faso. Effective surveillance of this disease calls for the establishment of an integrated surveillance system, in line with the One Health concept. However, despite a strong technical and financial support from international partners, surveillance is still poorly conducted within an integrated approach. Based on stakeholder perspectives, the study has for objective to deepen our understanding of the anthrax surveillance system and to identify the obstacles and levers towards a more integrated approach to anthrax surveillance in Burkina Faso. Methods: The data was collected from a literature review and interviews with surveillance stakeholders. We first conducted a qualitative descriptive analysis of the data to characterize the surveillance system (programmes, actors, collaboration). In a second step, we conducted a thematic analysis of the informants' discourse in order to identify what represents an obstacle or, conversely, a lever for a more integrated approach to anthrax surveillance. Results: The surveillance system of anthrax in Burkina Faso includes three programmes (in the livestock, wildlife and human sectors), which involves 30 actors. These sectoral programmes operate almost independently from one another, although some collaborations are existing for the governance and implementation of surveillance activities. Analysis of the discourse of key stakeholders led to the identification of four categories of factors that may influence the implementation of an integrated surveillance system in the country: knowledge; technical, organizational and social capacities; motivation; intersectoral governance. Conclusions: This study highlights the difficulty of translating One Health governance to the national level and the need to better articulate the visions of all categories of stakeholders. This study also reveals the need to develop specific ev

Background: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a priority emerging pathogen for which a licensed vaccine is not yet available. We aim to assess the feasibility of conducting phase III vaccine efficacy trials and the role of varying transmission dynamics. Methods: We calibrate models of CCHF virus (CCHFV) transmission among livestock and spillover to humans in endemic areas in Afghanistan, Turkey and South Africa. We propose an individual randomised controlled trial targeted to high-risk population, and use the calibrated models to simulate trial cohorts to estimate the minimum necessary number of cases (trial endpoints) to analyse a vaccine with a minimum efficacy of 60%, under different conditions of sample size and follow-up time in the three selected settings. Results: A mean follow-up of 160,000 person-month (75,000–550,000) would be necessary to accrue the required 150 trial endpoints for a target vaccine efficacy of 60 % and clinically defined endpoint, in a setting like Herat, Afghanistan. For Turkey, the same would be achieved with a mean follow-up of 175,000 person-month (50,000–350,000). The results suggest that for South Africa the low endemic transmission levels will not permit achieving the necessary conditions for conducting this trial within a realistic follow-up time. In the scenario of CCHFV vaccine trial designed to capture infection as opposed to clinical case as a trial endpoint, the required person-months is reduced by 70 % to 80 % in Afghanistan and Turkey, and in South Africa, a trial becomes feasible for a large number of person-months of follow-up (>600,000). Increased expected vaccine efficacy > 60 % will reduce the required number of trial endpoints and thus the sample size and follow-time in phase III trials. Conclusions: Underlying endemic transmission levels will play a central role in defining the feasibility of phase III vaccine efficacy trials. Endemic settings in Afghanistan and Turkey offer conditions under which such studi

Upland regions cope with many difficulties compared to the delta region. Cattle are considered as the most important livestock species. This study uses an ontology to define relevant indicators to evaluate multiple functions of these grassland livestock systems for characterisation of main livestock farm types and their contribution to the sustainable development of farms, and community. West Vietnam. 48 smallholders of seven villages were selected for data collection in an in-depth survey. In addition, key person interviews with other stakeholders were also implemented. Four main types of farms are identified including (i) the extensive livestock farms; (ii) the semi-intensive livestock farms; (iii) the crop-oriented farms; and (iv) the farms without ruminants. Livestock contributes multifunction to all kinds of household farms with high contribution from value of ruminants that implicates the role of grazing land in the study region.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne viral disease of major animal and public health importance. In 2018–19, it caused an epidemic in both livestock and human populations of the island of Mayotte. Using Bayesian modelling approaches, we assessed the spatio-temporal pattern of RVF virus (RVFV) infection in livestock and human populations across the island, and factors shaping it. First, we assessed if (i) livestock movements, (ii) spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, and (iii) livestock density were associated with the temporal sequence of RVFV introduction into Mayotte communes' livestock populations. Second, we assessed whether the rate of human infection was associated with (a) spatial proximity from and (b) livestock density of communes with infected animals. Our analyses showed that the temporal sequence of RVFV introduction into communes' livestock populations was associated with livestock movements and spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, with livestock movements being associated with the best model fit. Moreover, the pattern of human cases was associated with their spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, with the risk of human infection sharply increasing if livestock in the same or close communes were infected. This study highlights the importance of understanding livestock movement networks in informing the design of risk-based RVF surveillance programs.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease of goats and sheep that occurs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with a severe impact on livelihoods and livestock trade. Many wild artiodactyls are susceptible to PPR virus (PPRV) infection, and some outbreaks have threatened endangered wild populations. The role of wild species in PPRV epidemiology is unclear, which is a knowledge gap for the Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR. These studies aimed to investigate PPRV infection in wild artiodactyls in the Greater Serengeti and Amboseli ecosystems of Kenya and Tanzania. Out of 132 animals purposively sampled in 2015–2016, 19.7% were PPRV seropositive by ID Screen PPR competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA; IDvet, France) from the following species: African buffalo, wildebeest, topi, kongoni, Grant's gazelle, impala, Thomson's gazelle, warthog and gerenuk, while waterbuck and lesser kudu were seronegative. In 2018–2019, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected African buffalo and Grant's gazelle herds was conducted. The weighted estimate of PPRV seroprevalence was 12.0% out of 191 African buffalo and 1.1% out of 139 Grant's gazelles. All ocular and nasal swabs and faeces were negative by PPRV real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Investigations of a PPR-like disease in sheep and goats confirmed PPRV circulation in the area by rapid detection test and/or RT-qPCR. These results demonstrated serological evidence of PPRV infection in wild artiodactyl species at the wildlife–livestock interface in this ecosystem where PPRV is endemic in domestic small ruminants. Exposure to PPRV could be via spillover from infected small ruminants or from transmission between wild animals, while the relatively low seroprevalence suggests that sustained transmission is unlikely. Further studies of other major wild artiodactyls in this ecosystem are required, such as impala, Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest.

Leptospirosis has been recognized as a major public health concern in Thailand following dramatic outbreaks. We analyzed human leptospirosis incidence between 2004 and 2014 in Mahasarakham province, Northeastern Thailand, in order to identify the agronomical and environmental factors likely to explain incidence at the level of 133 sub-districts and 1982 villages of the province. We performed general additive modeling (GAM) in order to take the spatial-temporal epidemiological dynamics into account. The results of GAM analyses showed that the average slope, population size, pig density, cow density and flood cover were significantly associated with leptospirosis occurrence in a district. Our results stress the importance of livestock favoring leptospirosis transmission to humans and suggest that prevention and control of leptospirosis need strong intersectoral collaboration between the public health, the livestock department and local communities. More specifically, such collaboration should integrate leptospirosis surveillance in both public and animal health for a better control of diseases in livestock while promoting public health prevention as encouraged by the One Health approach.

The persistence mechanisms of Rift Valley fever (RVF), a zoonotic arboviral haemorrhagic fever, at both local and broader geographical scales have yet to be fully understood and rigorously quantified. We developed a mathematical metapopulation model describing RVF virus transmission in livestock across the four islands of the Comoros archipelago, accounting for island-specific environments and inter-island animal movements. By fitting our model in a Bayesian framework to 2004–2015 surveillance data, we estimated the importance of environmental drivers and animal movements on disease persistence, and tested the impact of different control scenarios on reducing disease burden throughout the archipelago. Here we report that (i) the archipelago network was able to sustain viral transmission in the absence of explicit disease introduction events after early 2007, (ii) repeated outbreaks during 2004–2020 may have gone under-detected by local surveillance, and (iii) coordinated within-island control measures are more effective than between-island animal movement restrictions.

Interface areas in Southern Africa that consist of communal lands located at the edge of protected areas face a growing number of human/wildlife coexistence related issues and among them, the risk of pathogen transmission between wild and domesticated species.In this context, the present thesis aims to 1) Characterize the environmental variables, at a landscape scale at three different interfaces located in Southern Africa (hwange National park, Gonarezhou National Park, North Kruger National Park), that potentially influence the movements of two focal species, one wild ungulates species (the buffalo – Syncerus caffer caffer) and one domesticated ungulates species (the cattle – Bos taurus & Bos indicus) 2) Simulate the movements of the focal species, at the individual and herd scales, in relation with their respective environments, 3) Determine the nature, frequency and localization of the contacts between the focal species to better apprehend the risks of pathogen transmission.A temporal series of Sentinel-2 satellite images have been classified to produce monthly surface water and landcover maps at 10 meters spatial resolution. These environmental variables have then been integrated into a spatialized mechanistic movement model based on a collective motion of self-propelled individuals to simulate buffalo and cattle movements and contacts in response to the surface water seasonality and the type of landcover. To spatialized the movements and contacts models, the domain specific language Ocelet has been used. Telemetry data collected in previous studies have been used as reference data to design, calibrate and validate the movement and contact models.Results highlighted strong space and time variabilities of water availability in the three study areas. Landcover classified maps accurately reproduced the specificities in landscape compositions of the three study areas. By only taking surface water into account, the mechanistic movement models showed a positive and s

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a vector-borne viral disease of major animal and public health importance. In 2018–19, it caused an epidemic in both livestock and human populations of the island of Mayotte. Using Bayesian modelling approaches, we assessed the spatio-temporal pattern of RVF virus (RVFV) infection in livestock and human populations across the island, and factors shaping it. First, we assessed if (i) livestock movements, (ii) spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, and (iii) livestock density were associated with the temporal sequence of RVFV introduction into Mayotte communes' livestock populations. Second, we assessed whether the rate of human infection was associated with (a) spatial proximity from and (b) livestock density of communes with infected animals. Our analyses showed that the temporal sequence of RVFV introduction into communes' livestock populations was associated with livestock movements and spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, with livestock movements being associated with the best model fit. Moreover, the pattern of human cases was associated with their spatial proximity from communes with infected animals, with the risk of human infection sharply increasing if livestock in the same or close communes were infected. This study highlights the importance of understanding livestock movement networks in informing the design of risk-based RVF surveillance programs.

Leptospirosis has been recognized as a major public health concern in Thailand following dramatic outbreaks. We analyzed human leptospirosis incidence between 2004 and 2014 in Mahasarakham province, Northeastern Thailand, in order to identify the agronomical and environmental factors likely to explain incidence at the level of 133 sub-districts and 1982 villages of the province. We performed general additive modeling (GAM) in order to take the spatial-temporal epidemiological dynamics into account. The results of GAM analyses showed that the average slope, population size, pig density, cow density and flood cover were significantly associated with leptospirosis occurrence in a district. Our results stress the importance of livestock favoring leptospirosis transmission to humans and suggest that prevention and control of leptospirosis need strong intersectoral collaboration between the public health, the livestock department and local communities. More specifically, such collaboration should integrate leptospirosis surveillance in both public and animal health for a better control of diseases in livestock while promoting public health prevention as encouraged by the One Health approach.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral disease of goats and sheep that occurs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia with a severe impact on livelihoods and livestock trade. Many wild artiodactyls are susceptible to PPR virus (PPRV) infection, and some outbreaks have threatened endangered wild populations. The role of wild species in PPRV epidemiology is unclear, which is a knowledge gap for the Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR. These studies aimed to investigate PPRV infection in wild artiodactyls in the Greater Serengeti and Amboseli ecosystems of Kenya and Tanzania. Out of 132 animals purposively sampled in 2015–2016, 19.7% were PPRV seropositive by ID Screen PPR competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA; IDvet, France) from the following species: African buffalo, wildebeest, topi, kongoni, Grant's gazelle, impala, Thomson's gazelle, warthog and gerenuk, while waterbuck and lesser kudu were seronegative. In 2018–2019, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected African buffalo and Grant's gazelle herds was conducted. The weighted estimate of PPRV seroprevalence was 12.0% out of 191 African buffalo and 1.1% out of 139 Grant's gazelles. All ocular and nasal swabs and faeces were negative by PPRV real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Investigations of a PPR-like disease in sheep and goats confirmed PPRV circulation in the area by rapid detection test and/or RT-qPCR. These results demonstrated serological evidence of PPRV infection in wild artiodactyl species at the wildlife–livestock interface in this ecosystem where PPRV is endemic in domestic small ruminants. Exposure to PPRV could be via spillover from infected small ruminants or from transmission between wild animals, while the relatively low seroprevalence suggests that sustained transmission is unlikely. Further studies of other major wild artiodactyls in this ecosystem are required, such as impala, Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest.

While across the animal kingdom offspring are born smaller than their parents, notable exceptions exist. Several dipteran species belonging to the Hippoboscoidea superfamily can produce offspring larger than themselves. In this essay, the blood-feeding tsetse is focused on. It is suggested that the extreme reproductive strategy of this fly is enabled by feeding solely on highly nutritious blood, and producing larval offspring that are soft and malleable. This immense reproductive expenditure may have evolved to avoid competition with other biting flies. Tsetse also transmit blood-borne parasites that cause the fatal diseases called African trypanosomiases. It is discussed how tsetse life history and reproductive strategy profoundly influence the type of vector control interventions used to reduce fly populations. In closing, it is argued that the unusual life history of tsetse warrants their preservation in the areas where human and animal health is not threatened.

In the recent past, peste des petits ruminants (PPR) emerged in East Africa causing outbreaks in small livestock across different countries, with evidences of spillover to wildlife. In order to understand better PPR at the wildlife–livestock interface, we investigated patterns of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) exposure, disease outbreaks, and viral sequences in the northern Albertine Rift. PPRV antibodies indicated a widespread exposure in apparently healthy wildlife from South Sudan (2013) and Uganda (2015, 2017). African buffaloes and Uganda kobs <1-year-old from Queen Elizabeth National Park (2015) had antibodies against PPRV N-antigen and local serosurvey captured a subsequent spread of PPRV in livestock. Outbreaks with PPR-like syndrome in sheep and goats were recorded around the Greater Virunga Landscape in Kasese (2016), Kisoro and Kabale (2017) from western Uganda, and in North Kivu (2017) from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This landscape would not be considered typical for PPR persistence as it is a mixed forest–savannah ecosystem with mostly sedentary livestock. PPRV sequences from DRC (2017) were identical to strains from Burundi (2018) and confirmed a transboundary spread of PPRV. Our results indicate an epidemiological linkage between epizootic cycles in livestock and exposure in wildlife, denoting the importance of PPR surveillance on wild artiodactyls for both conservation and eradication programs.

Growing evidence suggests that multiple wildlife species can be infected with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), with important consequences for the potential maintenance of PPRV in communities of susceptible hosts, and the threat that PPRV may pose to the conservation of wildlife populations and resilience of ecosystems. Significant knowledge gaps in the epidemiology of PPRV across the ruminant community (wildlife and domestic), and the understanding of infection in wildlife and other atypical host species groups (e.g., camelidae, suidae, and bovinae) hinder our ability to apply necessary integrated disease control and management interventions at the wildlife-livestock interface. Similarly, knowledge gaps limit the inclusion of wildlife in the FAO/OIE Global Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR, and the framework of activities in the PPR Global Eradication Programme that lays the foundation for eradicating PPR through national and regional efforts. This article reports on the first international meeting on, “Controlling PPR at the livestock-wildlife interface,” held in Rome, Italy, March 27–29, 2019. A large group representing national and international institutions discussed recent advances in our understanding of PPRV in wildlife, identified knowledge gaps and research priorities, and formulated recommendations. The need for a better understanding of PPRV epidemiology at the wildlife-livestock interface to support the integration of wildlife into PPR eradication efforts was highlighted by meeting participants along with the reminder that PPR eradication and wildlife conservation need not be viewed as competing priorities, but instead constitute two requisites of healthy socio-ecological systems.