Prioritization of neglected tropical zoonotic diseases: A one health perspective from Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Neglected tropical zoonotic diseases (NTZDs) continue to have a major effect on the health of humans and animals. In this study, a one health approach was used to prioritize and rank neglected tropical zoonotic diseases at the regional and zonal levels in Tigray National Regional State, Ethiopia. For prioritization of NTZDs a cross-sectional study through a structured questionnaire was administered to 313 health experts from human and animal health sectors. In addition, focus group discussions (FGD) were held with purposively selected key informants. Descriptive, and Multivariable analysis was applied to report the results and a ranked list of diseases was developed at the zonal and regional level. In the region, 8 of the 12 World Health Organization listed NTZDs were considered major diseases including anthrax, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, taeniasis, leishmaniasis, rabies, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. Considering the zoonotic and socioeconomic importance of the diseases at the regional level, rabies ranked 1stwhereas anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, and brucellosis were ranked from 2nd to 5th, respectively. The FGD result also supported the prioritization result. The Multivariable analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the zonal distribution of anthrax (р = 0.009, OR = 1.16), taeniasis (p<0.001, OR = 0.82), leishmaniasis (p<0.001, OR = 1.91), rabies (p = 0.020, OR = 0.79) and soil-transmitted helminths (p = 0.007, OR = 0.87) but not for brucellosis (p = 0.585), bovine tuberculosis (p = 0.505), and schistosomiasis (p = 0.421). Anthrax (p<0.001, OR = 26.68), brucellosis (p<0.001, OR = 13.18), and taeniasis (p<0.001, OR = 6.17) were considered as the major zoonotic diseases by veterinary practitioners than human health practitioners whereas, leishmaniasis was recognized as a major health challenge by human health professionals. Understanding the priority diseases in the region is supportive for informed decision-making and prioritizes the limited resources to use. Furthermore, strengthening the collaboration between human and animal health professions is important to control the diseases.

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo, and Brucella species and associated reproductive disorders in cattle in southwest Ethiopia

“…Additional studies have similarly shown a connection between C. burnetii and disorders in cattle reproduction [ 65 , 69 , 70 , 72 ]. It is important to note that Coxiella burnetii is a significant zoonotic pathogen in Ethiopia, but the country tends to overlook infections caused by this organism, considering it a neglected disease [ 13 , 28 , 29 ].…”

“…Several of these disorders stem from genital infections, some of which may have zoonotic potential [ [8] , [9] , [10] ]. Leptospirosis, Q-fever, and brucellosis are infectious diseases that play a significant role in contributing to reproductive problems in cattle [ [11] , [12] , [13] ].…”

Zoonotic pathogens and diseases detected in Vietnam, 2020–2021

“…Several other countries have conducted similar studies. We used a common methodology of generating lists of pathogens/diseases to be prioritized based on expert consultation and review of literature and then determining their significance based on disease frequencies in the population [ [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] ]. Prioritization criteria commonly include measures of disease burden or frequency such as prevalence or incidence [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Assessing the feasibility of test-and-cull and test-and-segregation approaches for the control of bovine tuberculosis in Ethiopian dairy farms

“…Despite bTB being a top-priority livestock and zoonotic disease in Ethiopia, a national strategy for its control has not yet been developed and implemented 9,10 . Pilot studies using test-and-segregation showed a reduction in bTB prevalence from 48-1% after four rounds of testing 11 .…”