Epidemiology of animal diseases in Africa: approach strategies and role of veterinary laboratories

Study of the epidemiology of animal diseases in Africa should only be envisaged when the veterinary diagnosis laboratories and the cattle development structures in the field are fully operational. Veterinary epidemiology may be approached using all usual laboratory techniques. In spite of some limitations described by the author, current diagnosis, intervention in outbreaks, retrospective and prospective surveys all contribute to the knowledge of animal disease epidemiology. In fact, considering the difficulties met in Africa, it seems advisable to combine a mixed approach to maximise the use of field visits. The author concludes that until new techniques allow a decentralised diagnosis, the African veterinary laboratories must play a determinant part in the study of the epidemiology of animal diseases; furthermore current diagnosis, sanitary surveillance and epidemiological surveys have now become almost inseparable.