Crimean‐Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus Exposure in Horses and Donkeys in Border Livestock Markets of Nigeria

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne zoonotic virus of public health importance in Africa, yet data on equids in Nigeria remain limited. We assessed CCHFV seroprevalence in horses and donkeys sampled at major international livestock markets in northern Nigeria. Serum samples from 808 equids were tested using a commercial multi-species ELISA. Overall seroprevalence was 23.1% (95% CI: 20.3%-26.2%), with higher seroprevalence in horses (52.1%) than in donkeys (5.7%). In multilevel analyses, species and age were independently associated with seropositivity, while sex, tick infestation status and animal origin were not. These findings indicate widespread CCHFV exposure among equids and suggest that horses may serve as useful sentinel animals for monitoring CCHFV circulation in livestock trade corridors.