Risk of yellow fever and other arboviruses at the namanga and mutukula cross-border points: detection and containment capacities in tanzania

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Date

2025-07

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NM-AIST

Abstract

Arboviral infections cause over 700 000 deaths globally each year, with Yellow Fever (YF) accounting for 200 000 cases and 30 000 deaths particularly in Africa and Southern America. While Tanzania has not reported any YF cases to date, the prevalence of Aedes mosquitoes and outbreaks in neighboring countries of Uganda and Kenya present significant risks at the borders such as Namanga and Mutukula. This study assessed the risk of YF, Dengue, Chikungunya, and West Nile Virus at the Namanga and Mutukula border crossings and evaluated the capacity to detect and contain these arboviruses in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005). A mixed-methods approach was utilized,involving systematic reviews on effectiveness of screening measures at the Point of Entry (PoE), seroprevalence surveys for YF and other arboviruses antibodies (IgG and IgM), and entomological surveys. Strategic risks and core capacity evaluations were also conducted using WHO guidelines. Evaluation of temperature screening devices and mapping population mobility and connectivity were implemented in this study. Systematic Review demonstrated PoE health screening capable of detecting infected individuals and delaying the onset of epidemic ranging from 8.8% to 99.6% and 7 to 32 days, respectively, indicating variability based on strategies employed. Seroprevalence Survey showed that the seroprevalence rates were 12.5% for YF, 12.4% for DENV, 10.7% for CHIKV and 10.2% for WNV, with geographical variations between border sites.Entomological Survey showed that of 5301 mosquitoes sampled, 11% were Aedes aegypti, and yellow fever virus RNA was detected in three out of 46 pools of Aedes aegpti mosquitoes. Evaluation of Temperature Screening Technologies showed that three infrared thermometers and walkthrough scanner out of six demonstrated better sensitivity and specificity at 98% and 90%, respectively. Strategic Risk Assessments identified 47 potential hazards, ranking YF among high-risk threats. Core Capacity Assessment demonstrated minimum core capacity scores for Namanga and suboptimal capacity for Mutukula. Population Connectivity across Border Study identified 147 points of interest along borders between Tanzania-Kenya and Tanzania-Uganda indicating high cross-border connectivity. This study found high risks of YF and other arboviruses at Namanga and Mutukula borders. To mitigate the risks, integrated health screening, targeted vaccination, enhanced vector control, improved diagnostics, expanded monitoring based on population connectivity data and cross-border collaboration are highly recommended.

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG-9:Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure SDG-11:Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG-17:Partnerships for the Goals

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