Combining viral genetic and animal mobility network data to unravel peste des petits ruminants transmission dynamics in West Africa

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Mar 18;17(3):e1009397. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009397. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a deadly viral disease that mainly affects small domestic ruminants. This disease threaten global food security and rural economy but its control is complicated notably because of extensive, poorly monitored animal movements in infected regions. Here we combined the largest PPR virus genetic and animal mobility network data ever collected in a single region to improve our understanding of PPR endemic transmission dynamics in West African countries. Phylogenetic analyses identified the presence of multiple PPRV genetic clades that may be considered as part of different transmission networks evolving in parallel in West Africa. A strong correlation was found between virus genetic distance and network-related distances. Viruses sampled within the same mobility communities are significantly more likely to belong to the same genetic clade. These results provide evidence for the importance of animal mobility in PPR transmission in the region. Some nodes of the network were associated with PPRV sequences belonging to different clades, representing potential "hotspots" for PPR circulation. Our results suggest that combining genetic and mobility network data could help identifying sites that are key for virus entrance and spread in specific areas. Such information could enhance our capacity to develop locally adapted control and surveillance strategies, using among other risk factors, information on animal mobility.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Africa, Western
  • Animal Migration*
  • Animals
  • Goats
  • Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants / epidemiology
  • Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants / transmission*
  • Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus* / genetics
  • Sheep

Grants and funding

Ar. B., O.K., H.S. and G.L. were supported by a grant from the European Commission Animal Health and Welfare European Research Area Network (https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/health_en) for the IUEPPR Project “Improved Understanding of Epidemiology of PPR”, in the framework of ANIHWA 2013. Ar. B., O.K. and G.L. were supported by a grant (SI2.756606) from the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety awarded to the European Union Reference Laboratory for Peste des Petits Ruminants (EURL-PPR). Ar.B., A.A., M.M.L. were supported by the European Commission through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (grant number 2000002577) and the CGIAR research program on Livestock. We thank all donors who support the work of the CGIAR research program on Livestock through their contributions to the CGIAR trust fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.