Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Management at Human-Wildlife Interfaces in Benue State

The emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases at human-wildlife interfaces represent a growing public health and conservation challenge in Nigeria. Benue State, within the North Central geopolitical zone, presents a high-risk interface environment, where farming communities interact closely with wildlife in forest reserve buffer zones and along river corridors. This study assesses the current state of wildlife disease surveillance at human-wildlife interfaces in three local government areas of Benue State, and evaluates the institutional capacity for disease detection and response. Data were collected through interviews with veterinary officers, public health workers, wildlife rangers, and 75 community members, as well as review of state disease surveillance reports. Passive disease monitoring records from the Benue State Ministry of Animal Health were analyzed for wildlife-related disease events from 2018 to 2023. Results indicate that wildlife disease surveillance is fragmented, with no formal wildlife health monitoring program in place. Reported disease events primarily involve domestic livestock at forest-adjacent farms, with limited diagnostic capacity to confirm or exclude wildlife reservoirs. Community awareness of zoonotic disease risks from bushmeat handling is low, with no active health communication campaigns targeting at-risk households. The study recommends the establishment of a One Health surveillance platform linking state veterinary, public health, and wildlife management agencies, training of rangers and community scouts in field disease recognition, and public awareness campaigns targeting bushmeat hunters and handlers. Keywords: wildlife disease, zoonotic diseases, One Health, Benue State, North Central Nigeria