Data from: Phylogeographic and cross-species transmission dynamics of SAT1 and SAT2 Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Eastern Africa

Understanding the dynamics of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), an
endemic and economically constraining disease, is critical in designing
control programs in Africa. This study investigates the evolutionary
epidemiology of SAT1 and SAT2 FMDV in Eastern Africa, as well as between
cattle and wild African buffalo. Bayesian phylodynamic models were used to
analyze SAT1 and SAT2 VP1 gene segments collected between 1975 and 2016,
focusing on the SAT1 and SAT2 viruses currently circulating in Eastern
Africa. The root state posterior probabilities inferred from our analyses
suggest Zimbabwe as the ancestral location for SAT1 currently circulating
in Eastern Africa (P=0.67). For the SAT2 clade, Kenya is inferred to be
the ancestral location for introduction of the virus into other countries
in Eastern Africa (P=0.72). Salient (Bayes Factor >10) viral
dispersal routes were inferred from Tanzania to Kenya, and from Kenya to
Uganda for SAT1 and SAT2, respectively. Results suggest that cattle are
the source of the SAT1 and SAT2 clades currently circulating in Eastern
Africa. In addition, our results suggest that the majority of SAT1 and
SAT2 in livestock come from other livestock rather than wildlife, with
limited evidence that buffalo serve as reservoirs for cattle. Insights
from the present study highlight the role of cattle movements and
anthropogenic activities in shaping the evolutionary history of SAT1 and
SAT2 in Eastern Africa. While the results may be affected by inherent
limitations of imperfect surveillance, our analysis elucidates the
dynamics between host species in this region, which is key to guiding
disease intervention activities