The role of wildlife in the epidemiology and control of Foot-and-mouth-disease And Similar Transboundary (FAST) animal diseases: A review

Abstract

Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) are notifiable diseases which are highly transmissible and have the potential for rapid spread regardless of national borders. Many TADs are shared between domestic animals and wildlife, with the potential to affect both livestock sector and wildlife conservation and eventually, public health in the case of zoonosis. The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), a commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has grouped six TADs as 'Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) And Similar Transboundary animal diseases' (FAST diseases). FAST diseases are ruminant infections caused by viruses, for which vaccination is a control option. The EuFMD hold-FAST strategy aims primarily at addressing the threat represented by FAST diseases for Europe. Prevention and control of FAST diseases might benefit from assessing the role of wildlife. We reviewed the role of wildlife as indicators, victims, bridge hosts or maintenance hosts for the six TADs included in the EuFMD hold-FAST strategy: FMD, peste des petits ruminants, lumpy skin disease, sheep and goatpox, Rift Valley fever and bovine ephemeral fever. We observed that wildlife can act as indicator species. In addition, they are occasionally victims of disease outbreaks, and they are often relevant for disease management as either bridge or maintenance hosts. Wildlife deserves to become a key component of future integrated surveillance and disease control strategies in an ever-changing world. It is advisable to increase our knowledge on wildlife roles in relevant TADs to improve our preparedness in case of an outbreak in previously disease-free regions, where wildlife may be significant for disease surveillance and control.

Keywords: emerging diseases; preparedness; shared infections; surveillance; wildlife.