Report on Confirmed Cases of Foot and Mouth Disease in Mubi North and South LGAs, Adamawa State

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), caused by the FMD virus (FMDV) of the Picornaviridae family, poses a major threat to livestock health and economies in endemic regions like Nigeria, where it causes substantial production losses through reduced milk yield, weight gain, and trade restrictions. This report documents a confirmed FMD outbreak in Mubi North and South Local Government Areas (LGAs), Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, spanning September–October 2024. The event was first suspected on September 21, 2024, via a client report to Mubi Veterinary Clinic, with preliminary field investigations on September 22 across Muvir, Bagira, and Dazala settlements revealing 210 morbid cattle cases and 50 deaths (23.8% mortality rate). Following notification, the Adamawa State Ministry of Livestock and Aquaculture Development deployed an investigation team on October 3, which sampled 10 herds from 10 settlements in both LGAs. Blood sera and epithelial tissues (tongue/hoof vesicles) were collected in cold-chain conditions and transported to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State. Laboratory assays (ELISA, RT-PCR) confirmed FMDV serotype O in all samples, the predominant strain in West Africa. Expanded surveillance identified 2,979 total cases and 208 deaths across villages (e.g., 553 cases/45 deaths in Muvir; 7% overall case fatality), lower than initial estimates due to broader ascertainment. Mubi's location (10°11'30"–10°22'30"N, 13°13'00"–13°30'00"E) and international cattle market in Mubi South, trading animals from Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, and Somalia, facilitated transboundary incursion via unregulated movements. Risk factors included absent vaccination, communal grazing, and market fomites. Control measures involves quarantine, carcass disposal, ring vaccination, and education halted spread. Economic losses were very high, underscoring needs for border surveillance, >80% vaccination coverage, and genomic tracking. This outbreak highlights vulnerabilities in pastoral trade hubs, informing Nigeria's FMD Progressive Control Pathway.