Laboratory capacity for diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease in Eastern Africa: implications for the progressive control pathway
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC veterinary research
Abstract
Accurate diagnosis is pertinent to any disease control programme. If Eastern Africa is to work towards
control of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) using the Progressive Control Pathway for FMD (PCP-FMD) as a tool, then
the capacity of national reference laboratories (NRLs) mandated to diagnose FMD should match this task. This study
assessed the laboratory capacity of 14 NRLs of the Eastern Africa Region Laboratory Network member countries
using a semi-structured questionnaire and retrospective data from the World Reference Laboratory for FMD annual
reports and GenbankW through National Centre for Biotechnology Information for the period 2006–2010.
Results: The questionnaire response rate was 13/14 (93%). Twelve out of the 13 countries/regions had experienced
at least one outbreak in the relevant five year period. Only two countries (Ethiopia and Kenya) had laboratories at
biosecurity level 3 and only three (Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan) had identified FMD virus serotypes for all reported
outbreaks. Based on their own country/region assessment, 12/13 of these countries /regions were below stage 3 of
the PCP-FMD. Quarantine (77%) and vaccination (54%) were the major FMD control strategies employed. The
majority (12/13) of the NRLs used serological techniques to diagnose FMD, seven used antigen ELISA and three of
these (25%) also used molecular techniques which were the tests most frequently requested from collaborating
laboratories by the majority (69%) of the NRLs. Only 4/13 (31%) participated in proficiency testing for FMD. Four
(31%) laboratories had no quality management systems (QMS) in place and where QMS existed it was still deficient,
thus, none of the laboratories had achieved accreditation for FMD diagnosis.
Conclusions: This study indicates that FMD diagnostic capacity in Eastern Africa is still inadequate and largely
depends on antigen and antibody ELISAs techniques undertaken by the NRLs. Hence, for the region to progress on
the PCP-FMD, there is need to: implement regional control measures, improve the serological diagnostic test
performance and laboratory capacity of the NRLs (including training of personnel as well as upgrading of
equipment and methods, especially strengthening the molecular diagnostic capacity), and to establish a regional
reference laboratory to enforce QMS and characterization of FMD virus containing samples.
Description
Keywords
Foot-and-mouth disease, control pathway
Citation
Namatovu, A., Wekesa, S. N., Tjørnehøj, K., Dhikusooka, M. T., Muwanika, V. B., Siegsmund, H. R., & Ayebazibwe, C. (2013). Laboratory capacity for diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease in Eastern Africa: implications for the progressive control pathway. BMC veterinary research, 9(1), 1-11.