Applying an integrated environment, animal and human disease surveillance for early detection and prevention of bacterial zoonoses form a selected water source in the Eastern Cape. 

C.F. Nnadozie

Sponsor: South African Medical Research Council
April 2023 – April 2026

The project's goal is to analyse specimens from local humans and animals to identify zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted through water. The analysis seeks to pinpoint the primary sources of these pathogens in river environments and to investigate the exposure pathways that enable the spread of bacterial diseases between animals and humans. Early results from the analysis reveal that accidental ingestion of contaminated water is a significant factor in the transmission of the studied pathogens. By evaluating the normalised and summed weights for each transmission pathway, the study identifies those pathways that are most critical for the spread of zoonotic diseases. The pathogens Campylobacter spp. and Vibrio spp. are targeted in this study owing to their established local presence in selected source waters in Eastern Cape. Their inclusion was based on a subjective assessment of existing information.

Last Modified: Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:43:00 SAST