Open access

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Contribution à la connaissance de l’épidémiologie de la fièvre aphteuse au Niger
Contribution to the knowledge of the epidemiology of Foot and Mouth Disease in Niger
Bachir SOULEY KOUATO
THESE PRESENTEE EN VUE DE L’OBTENTION DU GRADE DE
DOCTEUR EN SCIENCES VETERINAIRES
ORIENTATION MEDECINE VETERINAIRE
ANNEE ACADEMIQUE 2016-2017
ACADEMIE UNIVERSITAIRE WALLONIE-EUROPE
UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE-FACULTE DE MEDECINE VETERINAIRE
DEPARTEMENT DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET PARASITAIRES
FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED RESEARCH ON ANIMAL HEALTH
UNITE DE RECHERCHE EN EPIDEMIOLOGIE ET ANALYSE DE
RISQUES APPLIQUEES AUX SCIENCES VETERINAIRES

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The pictures of the cover page were taken during FMD outbreaks in 2014

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Académie Universitaire Wallonie-Europe
Université de Liège - Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire
Département des Maladies Infectieuses et Parasitaires
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health (FARAH)
Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risques
Appliquées aux Sciences Vétérinaires (UREAR-ULg)
Institut de Médecine Tropicale d’Anvers
Département de Sciences Biomédicales
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN), Niamey, Niger
Contribution à la connaissance de l’épidémiologie de la fièvre aphteuse au Niger
Bachir SOULEY KOUATO
Promoteur :
Prof. Dr. Claude SAEGERMAN
Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risques Appliquées aux Sciences
Vétérinaires (UREAR-ULg)
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health (FARAH)
Département des Maladies Infectieuses et Parasitaires
Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire-Université de Liège
Co-promoteur :
Dr. Thys Eric
Institut de Médecine Tropicale d’Anvers
Département de Sciences Biomédicales

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Wallonia-Europe University Academy
University of Liege-Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health (FARAH)
Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences
(UREAR-ULg)
Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp
Department of Biomedical Sciences
National Institute of Agronomic Research of Niger (INRAN), Niamey, Niger
Contribution to the knowledge of the epidemiology of Foot and Mouth Disease in Niger
Bachir SOULEY KOUATO
Promoter:
Prof. Dr. Claude SAEGERMAN
Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences
(UREAR-ULg)
Fundamental and Applied Research on Animal and Health (FARAH)
Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - University of Liege
Co-promoteur:
Dr. Thys Eric
Institut de Médecine Tropicale d’Anvers
Département de Sciences Biomédicales

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Abstract
FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants
and pigs. FMD is endemic in Niger with potential impact on the national economy because of
its negative effect on animal production. However, there is evidence that FMD is poorly
investigated in Niger as the prevalence as well as the associated risk factors of the disease and
serotypes circulating are not well known. These informations are of key importance to
implement appropriate and efficient prevention and control measures against FMD. Therefore,
the research presented in this thesis aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the
epidemiology of FMD in Niger.
Firstly, two prerequisites systematic review studies were performed on FMD risk factors
modelling and molecular epidemiology of FMD in Africa respectively. The findings of the first
systematic review showed that the most reported factors related to FMD were the uncontrolled
animal movement and the mixing of animals around water and grazing points. Depending on
the model used, the included articles in this review presented some limitations. The lack of
reliable data especially from endemic settings to perform these epidemiological modelling
studies was also highlighted. On the other hand, the second systematic review showed an
increasing interest from African countries to conduct research on molecular epidemiology of
FMD. The identification and molecular characterization studies of African FMDV strains
showed the complexity of the genetic relationships between circulating strains as reflected by
the diversity and transboundary mobility of FMDV in the continent.
Further, an original study to get insight in the economic impact and the spatiotemporal
pattern of transmission of FMD outbreaks in Niger was performed based on the retrospective
analysis of 9-year (2007-2015) outbreak data. This study revealed that FMD outbreaks occurred
in all regions but affecting more the districts bordering neighbouring countries. The animal
density was the important predictor variable of outbreaks occurrence. The seasonal trend of
FMD outbreak occurrence was confirmed by this study with most outbreaks occurring during
the cold and dry season and starting at the end of the rainy season. This study revealed that at
outbreak level, the mean stochastic estimates were respectively 52.33 cattle affected by the
disease and 4.33 cattle assumed to die from FMD. In this analysis, the cost of FMD consists of
the cost due to the morbidity assumed to be the loss of milk production and the cost of mortality
of young animals. Thereby, the average total cost of FMD at herd level was estimated at 732.72