Epidemiology and control strategies for foot-and-mouth disease in livestock and wildlife in Uganda: systematic review.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) remains a persistent threat to the livestock sector in Uganda and globally. To understand the reasons for continued FMD outbreaks in Uganda, a systematic review was conducted to examine FMD epidemiology, control strategies, and related challenges. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for the period 1958-2022, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Additionally, FMD reports for the same period were retrieved from the World Reference Laboratories for FMD and the World Organization for Animal Health/Food and Agriculture Organization FMD Laboratories Network websites. A total of 62 documents (26 studies and 36 reports) were eligible for analysis. Results showed that Uganda experienced 17 to 37 FMD outbreaks annually. Most of the studies focused on cattle (n = 20), with few targeting African buffalo (n = 3) and small ruminants (n = 2). The reports revealed that serotype O was the most isolated, followed by A, SAT 1, SAT 2, and SAT 3. FMD clustering was observed near international borders with Kenya and Tanzania and around Queen Elizabeth National Park. Identified risk factors included dry season, animal movements, proximity to borders, and pastoralism. The key control challenges included limited diagnostic capacity, FMD virus diversity, vaccine mismatch, and low vaccination coverage. The findings highlight the need for enhanced FMD monitoring, surveillance, and control strategies that consider circulating serotypes and topotypes, and improvement in vaccination coverage and strengthening of diagnostic capacity. Further research is needed to address the epidemiology of FMD in understudied species, including small ruminants, swine, and wildlife.