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. 2019 Jan 31;19(1):136.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6477-y.

Lowland grazing and Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak in Kween district, Eastern Uganda

Aggrey Siya  1   2 , William Bazeyo  3   4 , Doreen Tuhebwe  3   4 , Gabriel Tumwine  5   4 , Arnold Ezama  6 , Leonard Manirakiza  7 , Donald R Kugonza  8 , Innocent B Rwego  5   9
Affiliations

Lowland grazing and Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak in Kween district, Eastern Uganda

Aggrey Siya et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa that has been experiencing outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, Marburg and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fevers. In 2017 Uganda experienced a Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak with case fatality rate of 100% in Kween district. Although hunting for wild meat was linked to the MVD outbreak in Kween district, less was reported on the land use changes, especially the changing animal grazing practices in Kween district.

Methods: Through Makerere University One Health graduate fellowship program with attachment to Uganda Red Cross Society, a study was conducted among the agricultural communities to elucidate the risk behaviors in Kween district that can be linked to the 2017 Marburg disease outbreak.

Results: Results show that although a few elderly participants ascribed fatal causes (disobedience to gods, ancestors, and evil spirits) to the MVD outbreak during FGDs, majority of participants linked MVD to settling in caves (inhabited by Fruit Bats) during wet season as upper belts are extensively used for crop production leaving little space for animal grazing. Members also noted side activities like hunting for wild meat during this grazing period that could have predisposed them to Marburg Virus.

Conclusions: There is need to integrate One Health concepts within agricultural extension service provision in Uganda so as to enhance the management of such infectious diseases.

Keywords: Agriculture; Livelihoods; One health; Zoonotic diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (Study number SBLS.SA.2016). Written Consent was sought from the respondents to participate in the study and identification numbers were accorded to all participants for confidentiality. Participants’ defined privacy was accorded during collection of data. Written consent was sought from the participants to publish and disseminate the research findings.

Consent for publication

Written consent from participants was obtained.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location of the study area (Kween district)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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