1.
Open Session of the EuFMD - Cascais –Portugal 26-28 October 2016
Sero-epidemiologic study on Foot-and-Mouth
Disease in livestock in West Libya
Symaia M. AbdulJawad1, Hiyam M. Zegallai1, Emad M. Bennour2, Ibrahim M. Eldaghay2, Fabrizio Rosso3,
Chris J. M. Bartels3 and Abdunaser S. Dayhum2
1 NaGonal Center of Animal Health, P. O. Box 121, Zawia, Libya
2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, P. O. Box 13662, Tripoli, Libya.
3 EUFMD1 European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Food and Agriculture OrganisaGon, Rome, Italy

2.
Study objecIves and results
• For two areas in North-west Libya (Zliten and Tripoli) in small
and large ruminants
– to determine the NSP-Ab sero-prevalence for Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD)
– to idenIfy the putaIve risk factors associated with FMD infecIon.
• Two master degree:
– Serological Survey for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Livestock Animals in Zliten Region –
Libya by Symaia M. AbdulJawad
– SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN SHEEP, GOATS AND CATTLE
IN TRIPOLI REGION, LIBYA by Hiyam M. Zegallai

3.
ObjecIves and study design
• Study objecIve
– To acquire a beTer understanding of the epidemiology of FMD virus circulaIon in large and
small ruminants with regard to Prevalence and putaIve Risk factors
– To support the risk-based strategy for FMD control in Libya
• Study area
– Two areas in West Libya (Zliten (25) and Tripoli (22))
– Cross-secIonal sero-survey
– Small ruminants and large ruminants

4.
FMD in Libya
IntroducIon of
• FMD SAT 2 in 2012
• FMD O – EA3 unnamed in 2012
• FMD O – Ind-2001d in 2013
Current poliIcal situaIon makes it
hard to receive noIficaIons and
samples

5.
Livestock producIon in Libya
• Large ruminants: 156.000 heads of caTle, mainly dairy and around large ciIes
• Small ruminants: 6.360.000 heads with
– 30% of owners trading mainly around larger ciIes
– 70% tradiIonal livestock owners – grazing their stock
Small ruminants – value chain
Breeding farms (70%) 10% Slaughterhouses Meat shops
Import Animal Market 20% Consumers
Fattening farms (30%) 70% Butchers Restaurants
People involved:
Veterinarians Dealers Veterinarians Traders
Workers Workers Raw leather producers
Feed suppliers Workers
Manure distributors
Traders/dealers
Wool buyers

6.
• 1800 km coast line
• 4400 km border lines
(Egypt, Sudan, Chad,
iger, Algeria, Tunesia)
Animal movement
across Libya

7.
CollaboraIon EuFMD 2014
• Developing a Risk-based Strategy Plan – PCP-FMD Stage 1
– IdenIficaIon of risk hotspots
– IdenIficaIon of gaps and needs
– Risk prioriIzaIon and risk pathways
– DefiniIon of strategic objecIves and tacIcs

8.
Context of present study
• Work of student as part of Master studies
– Nearby Tripoli
– Animal dense locaIon
• 56.000 dairy caTle
• 700.000 small ruminants
• Mixed farming pracIces
• Previous work was part of a collaboraIon with
IZSLER in 2012-2014
– InvesIgaIon of FMD outbreaks
– Immune response in vaccinated animals
– Level of FMD virus circulaIon (NSP-Ab)

9.
Study design
• CaTle sampled:
– 91 herds (10% of herds)
– Maximum 5 heads sampled
– Total 435 heads of caTle
• Small ruminants
– 34 flocks with >= 100 heads (10% of flocks)
– 48 samples per flock by age-categories
(< 12 months, 12-23 months, >= 24 months)
– Total 1590 heads
• QuesIonnaire with farmers on putaIve risk factors
– Management pracIces
– LocaIon
– Species
• Samples tested for NSP-Ab against FMD
– PrioCHECK® FMDV NS
• StaIsIcal analysis
– Poisson regression analysis for risk factors at
herd/flock level

10.
Study results – NSP-Ab seroposiIvity
• Herd level
– 25 out of 91 had no NSP-Ab + caTle
– 8 out of 91 had all 5 caTle NSP-Ab +
• Individual level
– 37% (95% CI: 32 – 41)
Figure 1
Histogram of number of FMD positive test results in cattle
Figure 2 Histogram of number of FMD positive test results
in small ruminants
Cattle Small ruminants
• Flock level
– 1 out of 34 had no NSP-Ab + SR
– Mean number NSP-Ab + was 7.4 heads
– Median NSP-Ab + was 5 heads
• Individual level
– 16% (95% CI: 15 – 18)

11.
AssociaIon between NSP-Ab and animal-related factors
CaTle
• Age: CaTle older than 12 months
were 2-Imes more likely to test
NSP-Ab posiIve compared with
caTle younger than 12 months
Small ruminants
• Over 12 months of age:
OR = 1.8 (1.2-3.5)
• Goats versus sheep:
OR = 2.4 (1.8-3.1)
• Imported versus local:
OR=1.8 (1.4-2.3)

12.
PutaIve risk factors at unit-level
CaTle
• No staIsIcally significant factors
from mulI-variable regression
• Univariable tesIng indicated
– ProporIon NSP-Ab increases with
increasing herd size
– ProporIon NSP-Ab higher in Tripoli
compared with Zliten
Small ruminants
• Sales: farms selling more livestock
had increased levels of FMD
posiIve test results
(Odds raIo: 2.0 (95%CI: 1.2-3.4))
• Manure: farms selling or taking the
manure outdoors had higher levels
of FMD posiIve test results
(Odds raIo: 1.8 (95%CI: 0.9-3.7))

13.
InterpretaIon and discussion
• Age is indicaIng acIve virus circulaIon
• FMD virus circulaIon more in small
ruminants
– CaTle are kept indoors (on site) more than
small ruminants
– CaTle are more likely to be vaccinated
• Goats tesIng posiIve more onen than
sheep
• Selling livestock and manure are
putaIve risk factors
• Results will help to inform livestock
owners, private vets and extension
workers on farm management
pracIces to reduce exposure to FMD
virus
• Building capacity
– Study design
– Data collecIon
– Data management

14.
Thank you