A participatory expert-based risk assessment to inform zoonotic disease surveillance in Cameroon: the case of Ebola virus disease and Rift Valley fever
7 affiliations
- 1Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE), University of Namur, Namur, 5000 Belgium
- 2Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, 5000 Belgium
- 3Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Liège, 4000 Belgium
- 4Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, 4000 Belgium
- 5CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, F-34398 France
- 6ASTRE, Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- 7Laboratoire National Vétérinaire (LANAVET), Yaoundé, Cameroon
Abstract
Background: Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of zoonotic diseases caused by RNA viruses, including pathogens such as Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. Previous studies have identified Cameroon as a high-risk country, due to favourable ecoclimatic conditions and the presence of susceptible mammals and vectors that have been confirmed positive for viruses causing Rift Valley fever (RVF) and Ebola virus disease (EVD). Although evidence exists of RVF virus circulation in animals and serological reactivity to Ebola-related viruses among humans in Cameroon, the country has not officially documented epidemics of RVF or EVD. The objective of this study is to provide novel, context-refined knowledge of perceived risk factors and temporal patterns of RVF and EVD emergence in Cameroon, where epidemiological data on these two diseases are limited, with RVF explored through the livestock component and its early transmission dynamics in animal hosts, and zoonotic spillover to humans for EVD.
Methods: The present work proposes a risk assessment of RVF and EVD emergence through the development of a One Health integrated risk assessment tool for identifying perceived high-risk periods and key risk factors. A mixed, semi-quantitative approach involving expert semi-structured interviews, and a monthly calendar was used for data collection. Expert-based risk evaluation was then compared to risk factors derived from the scientific literature.
Results: For RVF, the wettest months seem to pose the highest risk, with increased inter-animal transmission during livestock transhumance. Key spatial determinants identified by experts included rainfall, host density, reservoirs, vectors, and livestock movements. For EVD spillover risk, human activities and behaviours, land cover, and host density were also perceived as critical. Convergences and divergences regarding expert-based and literature-based risk factors for RVF and EVD were observed, with variations concerning respectively livestock trade and socio-cultural practices linked to livelihood and forest-based subsistence. The distinction is likely attributable to the differing approaches of contextualization and generalization employed respectively by the two sources of weighting.
Conclusions: This study shows that, even in regions with no documented disease history, an integrated approach combining expert knowledge and literature-based evidence enables meaningful perceived risk assessment, generates novel and context-specific information, and supports the refinement of preventive strategies. The participatory visual tool introduced allows identification and quantification of putative zoonotic risk factors and their temporal dynamics, informing risk mapping, management, and communication.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5.
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BibTeX
@article{kamguem2026participatory,
title = {{A participatory expert-based risk assessment to inform zoonotic disease surveillance in Cameroon: the case of Ebola virus disease and Rift Valley fever}},
author = {Inès Sopbué Kamguem and Nathalie Kirschvink and Nicolas Antoine-Moussiaux and Florence De Longueville and Cécile Ingrid Djuikoue and Noel K. Joseph and Sophie Molia and Abel Wade and Catherine Linard},
journal = {One Health Outlook},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A participatory expert-based risk assessment to inform zoonotic disease surveillance in Cameroon: the case of Ebola virus disease and Rift Valley fever
AU - Inès Sopbué Kamguem
AU - Nathalie Kirschvink
AU - Nicolas Antoine-Moussiaux
AU - Florence De Longueville
AU - Cécile Ingrid Djuikoue
AU - Noel K. Joseph
AU - Sophie Molia
AU - Abel Wade
AU - Catherine Linard
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/07
JO - One Health Outlook
DO - 10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5
AB - Background: Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of zoonotic diseases caused by RNA viruses, including pathogens such as Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. Previous studies have identified Cameroon as a high-risk country, due to favourable ecoclimatic conditions and the presence of susceptible mammals and vectors that have been confirmed positive for viruses causing Rift Valley fever (RVF) and Ebola virus disease (EVD). Although evidence exists of RVF virus circulation in animals and serological reactivity to Ebola-related viruses among humans in Cameroon, the country has not officially documented epidemics of RVF or EVD. The objective of this study is to provide novel, context-refined knowledge of perceived risk factors and temporal patterns of RVF and EVD emergence in Cameroon, where epidemiological data on these two diseases are limited, with RVF explored through the livestock component and its early transmission dynamics in animal hosts, and zoonotic spillover to humans for EVD. Methods: The present work proposes a risk assessment of RVF and EVD emergence through the development of a One Health integrated risk assessment tool for identifying perceived high-risk periods and key risk factors. A mixed, semi-quantitative approach involving expert semi-structured interviews, and a monthly calendar was used for data collection. Expert-based risk evaluation was then compared to risk factors derived from the scientific literature. Results: For RVF, the wettest months seem to pose the highest risk, with increased inter-animal transmission during livestock transhumance. Key spatial determinants identified by experts included rainfall, host density, reservoirs, vectors, and livestock movements. For EVD spillover risk, human activities and behaviours, land cover, and host density were also perceived as critical. Convergences and divergences regarding expert-based and literature-based risk factors for RVF and EVD were observed, with variations concerning respectively livestock trade and socio-cultural practices linked to livelihood and forest-based subsistence. The distinction is likely attributable to the differing approaches of contextualization and generalization employed respectively by the two sources of weighting. Conclusions: This study shows that, even in regions with no documented disease history, an integrated approach combining expert knowledge and literature-based evidence enables meaningful perceived risk assessment, generates novel and context-specific information, and supports the refinement of preventive strategies. The participatory visual tool introduced allows identification and quantification of putative zoonotic risk factors and their temporal dynamics, informing risk mapping, management, and communication. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-026-00232-5.
SN - 2524-4655
ER -