Exposure to Brucella spp. in Humans and Cows in a High Milk-Producing Area of Bangladesh

AbstractBrucellosis is a zoonotic disease, caused by some species within theBrucella genus. The primary and secondary objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the seroprevalence ofBrucella antibodies in humans and cows and identify risk factors for exposure toBrucella spp. among people in Shahjadpur sub-district, Bangladesh. Twenty-five villages were randomly selected from the 303 milk-producing villages in the sub-district. We randomly selected 5% of the total households from each village. At each household, we collected demographic information and history of potential exposure toBrucella spp. in humans. In addition, we collected serum from household participants and serum and milk from cattle and tested to detect antibodies toBrucella sp. Univariate analysis was performed to detect associations between seropositivity and demographics, risk factors, and behaviors in households. We enrolled 647 households, 1313 humans, and 698 cows.Brucella antibodies were detected in sera from 27 household participants (2.1%, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.2 –2.9%). Eleven (1.6%, 95%CI 0.6–2.4%) cows had detectableBrucella antibodies in either milk or serum. About half (53%) of the 698 cows exhibited more than one reproductive problem within the past year; of these, seven (2%) hadBrucella antibodies. Households with seropositive individuals more frequently reported owning cattle (78% vs. 32%,P <  0.001). Despite a low prevalence ofBrucella seropositivity in t...
Source: EcoHealth - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research