A scoping review of zoonotic pathogens at shared interfaces between human, livestock, and wildlife in Sub-Saharan African countries

This research project provides a comprehensive synthesis of the existing scientific evidence on zoonotic pathogens circulating at interfaces where humans, livestock, and wildlife interact across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As human populations expand, land-use changes intensify, wildlife habitats become fragmented, and climate variability alters ecosystems, interactions among humans, domestic animals, and wildlife have increased considerably. These interactions create opportunities for pathogens to spill over between species, posing significant threats to public health, livestock production, wildlife conservation, and regional economies. The primary purpose of this scoping review is to systematically identify, map, and summarize the diversity and distribution of zoonotic pathogens reported at human–livestock–wildlife interfaces throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The review also evaluates the ecological settings where pathogen transmission is most likely to occur, examines the diagnostic and surveillance approaches used by previous studies, and identifies important geographical, methodological, and knowledge gaps that limit effective surveillance and disease prevention. The study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2025. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of a comprehensive evidence base describing zoonotic pathogen diversity and distribution across human–livestock–wildlife interfaces in Sub-Saharan Africa. The review is expected to identify high-risk interfaces and priority pathogens that warrant enhanced surveillance, highlight regional and methodological gaps requiring future research, and provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening One Health surveillance systems. The evidence generated will contribute to improved early warning systems, inform public health and veterinary disease control strategies, guide policy development, and support more effective prevention of zoonotic disease spillover within the region. Ultimately, this research will contributes to the growing body of One Health knowledge by integrating evidence from human, animal, and environmental health studies to improve understanding of zoonotic disease ecology in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are expected to inform researchers, policymakers, public health practitioners, veterinary authorities, conservation agencies, and international partners seeking to strengthen integrated surveillance systems and reduce the risk of future zoonotic disease emergence and transmission.