Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Programs as a Strategy to Improve Disease Surveillance and Response.

Since 1980, Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) have trained highly qualified field epidemiologists to work for ministries of health (MOH) around the world. However, the 2013-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which primarily affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, demonstrated a lack of field epidemiologists at the local levels. Trained epidemiologists at these levels could have detected the Ebola outbreak earlier. In 2015, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched FETP-Frontline, a 3-month field training program targeting local MOH staff in 24 countries to augment local public health capacity. As of December 2016, FETP-Frontline has trained 1,354 graduates in 24 countries. FETP-Frontline enhances global health security by training local public health staff to improve surveillance quality in their jurisdictions, which can be a valuable strategy to strengthen the capacity of countries to more rapidly detect, respond to, and contain public health emergencies at the source.

Prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis in cattle at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in South and East Cameroon.

Background and Aim: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a contagious and notifiable disease, which is prevalent in cattle populations of many countries and in several wildlife species worldwide. However, the role of wildlife in the transmission and/or maintenance of bTB at the human-wild animal-animal interface and the epidemiology of zoonotic disease are poorly understood in Cameroon, where many wildlife species exist. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and zoonotic risk factors of bTB at the cattle-wildlife-human interface in the South and East regions of Cameroon. Materials and Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study from May to October 2022 in the southern region (Vallée du Ntem and Dja et Lobo) and eastern region (Haut Nyong and Lom et Djérem) of Cameroon to determine risk factors for bTB in Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental cattle breeds. A comparative intradermal tuberculin testing (CIDT) was performed on 160 cattle randomly selected from herds using the threshold recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health. An interviewee-administered questionnaire was used to gather epidemiological data on sociodemographics, interaction between cattle and wildlife, and awareness of zoonotic tuberculosis (TB) from 90 cattle professionals. The prevalence of bTB at the herd level and associated risk factors were estimated using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Based on the comparative intradermal tuberculin test (CIDT), the estimated prevalence of bTB in 160 cattle (Zebu Bororo, Goudali, Ndama, and Simmental) in South and East Cameroon was 6.8% (4.35%-9.41%) and 1.8% (0%-3.6%) for threshold values 3 mm and 4 mm, respectively. The prevalence obtained by simple intradermal tuberculin test (IDT) was 0.6% (0%-1.2%) for a threshold value 4 mm. Univariate analysis revealed three risk factors associated with bTB with significant odds ratios (OR; p = 0.05): herd size (OR = 4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-32.56); cattle aged>10 years (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.05-0.53); and victims of bTB organ seizure (OR = 0.015; 95% CI: 0.002-0.067). Multivariate analysis showed that being a cattle herder and contact between wildlife and livestock due to forage was significantly associated with bTB exposure (adjusted OR = 0.02; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Bovine TB is prevalent in cattle of the South and East Cameroon. Comparative IDT of cattle reared in the epidemiological and environmental context of the study areas yielded better results at a threshold of 3 mm than at a threshold of 4 mm recommended by the World Health Organization. Factors associated with exposure to/appearance of bTB were high herd size, cattle aged >10 years old, seizures of tuberculous organs, shepherding as a profession, and contact between cattle and wildlife can be due to lack of forage.

Evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of students at the University of Abomey-Calavi on rabies in Benin Republic, West Africa.

INTRODUCTION: rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral zoonotic disease. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is fatal in almost 100% of cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of students at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin on rabies in order to explore the factors that promote the occurrence of this zoonosis. METHODS: for this purpose, a descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 263 randomly-selected students. The collected data were analyzed by R software with logistic regression. RESULTS: out of all the 263 respondents, 53.2% (n=140) of the students claimed to have heard of canine rabies, compared to 47.5% (n=125) for human rabies. Stray dogs were recognized by 49.0% (n=129) as a prevailing source of rabies infection in people; bites from these dogs were considered as a means of rabies contagion (41.4%; n=109) and vaccination of dogs was considered by 32.7% (n=86) as a means of rabies control in both people and dogs. In case of a dog bite, 60.5% (n=159) of respondents would visit a western medicine human clinic first. For the fate of the biting dog, 18.6% (n=49) and 27.4% (n=72) of respondents, respectively, prefer to euthanize the dog or take the dog to the veterinarian for observation. Regarding the perceived consequences of inaction after a dog bite, 58.2% (n=140) mentioned the risk of rabies. Students in human or animal health were 3 times more aware on rabies. CONCLUSION: this study identifies the gaps in students´ knowledge, attitudes and practices about effective rabies prevention and control. It will therefore be necessary to intensify awareness and education campaigns among students who could be a good relay of information to other members in their communities.