Influenza A virus antibodies in horses and pigs in Nigeria: The need for One Health approach

Influenza A viruses are a great threat to human health because of their heterogeneity in its host range and the propensity of reassortment to novel viruses with pandemic potential. There is risk of zoonotic transmission of influenza A between humans and livestock due to close interactions. Due to the paucity of data on influenza A viruses among domesticated animals, we investigated the presence of nucleocapsid of influenza A virus antibodies using ID screen® influenza A antibody competitive multi-species enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 184 pigs were sampled from Benue state, and 92 horses were sampled from three local government areas of Kaduna state, Nigeria. Of the animals sampled, an estimated 25% (95% CI: 18.92, 31.90) of pigs and 93.48% (95% CI: 86.34, 97.57) of horses tested positive for influenza A virus IgG. The results indicate exposure of domestic animals to influenza A virus, thereby raising concern of potential epidemics in both animals and humans. There is need for increased surveillance in both domestic animals and humans who are in close interaction.