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Tropical Animal Health and Production Oct 2022Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease and one of the most common neglected diseases worldwide. It can infect a wide range of domestic and wild animal species....
Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease and one of the most common neglected diseases worldwide. It can infect a wide range of domestic and wild animal species. Infected animals are usually culled, causing substantial economic losses to animal owners and the country's economy in general. The disease is endemic among cattle, sheep, and goats in many countries around the Middle East and prevalent in most Gulf Cooperation Council countries, comprising a significant public health risk in the region. This study investigated the seroprevalence of brucellosis among camels in Qatar. Two hundred and forty-eight samples were collected from dromedary camels from 28 farms across the entire country. Each sample was tested for Brucella antibodies with both Rose Bengal and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only samples that tested positive by both tests were considered seropositive for brucellosis. The overall prevalence was (20.6%, 95% CI, 15.7-26.1). The association between sex and seropositivity was slightly significant (Χ = 4.32, P = 0.04), with higher seroprevalence in females. Camels below breeding age (i.e., < 4 years old) showed decreased seropositivity (3.4%, 95% CI, 0.1-17.8), compared to (22.8%, 95% CI, 17.4-29.0) seropositivity in camels ≥ 4 years of age, with a significant association between age groups and seropositivity (P = 0.02). Our results indicate that the seroprevalence of brucellosis in Qatar's camels is alarming, mandating more efforts to control the disease. The findings of this study will aid in selecting better effective measures to control camel brucellosis in Qatar. Further studies need to be conducted on Brucella infection among camels to determine the predisposing risk factors and the steps that should be followed to control brucellosis.
Topics: Female; Cattle; Sheep; Animals; Camelus; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Rose Bengal; Qatar; Brucellosis; Goats; Cattle Diseases; Goat Diseases
PubMed: 36261738
DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03335-z -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2020Brucellosis is a bacterial endemic zoonotic disease of global significance with detrimental impacts on public health and food animal production. It is caused by Brucella... (Review)
Review
Brucellosis is a bacterial endemic zoonotic disease of global significance with detrimental impacts on public health and food animal production. It is caused by Brucella spp., an expanding group of pathogens able to infect various host species. Bovines and small ruminants, which excrete the bacteria in milk and in reproductive discharges, are major sources of infection for humans and other animals. Contact with contaminated animals and consumption of unpasteurized dairy products are the main routes for human infection. In spite of the considerable progress of knowledge gained and success achieved in brucellosis control in the developed world, this disease continues to be an important burden in the Middle East (ME). Common risk factors implicated in the difficulty and complexity of brucellosis control within the region include (1) social and political instabilities; (2) insufficient resources and infrastructure for appropriate diagnosis, reporting, and implementation of control measures; (3) variation of livestock husbandry systems and their commingling with other livestock and wildlife; and (4) traditional cultural practices, including consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Development of core interdisciplinary competencies is required for a true One Health-based endeavor against the disease. National awareness and educational programs addressing all population sectors from consumers to decision-makers seem to be the next logical, sustainable, and economically viable approach toward improving disease status in this region. In the present review, we describe the current situation of brucellosis in the ME, focusing on the major limitations and shortcomings regarding disease control. We propose a regional approach toward public awareness of brucellosis as the first step in mitigating the disease and discuss the potential benefits, and components of such a strategy, which can further be used as a model for other endemic zoonotic diseases.
Topics: Animals; Brucella; Brucellosis; Humans; Livestock; Middle East; One Health; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32437346
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008071 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science May 2021Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease which is endemic to certain regions of the world including Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this article is to provide a recent and rapid... (Review)
Review
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease which is endemic to certain regions of the world including Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this article is to provide a recent and rapid review on brucellosis prevalence in East African Community (EAC) countries. Literature was obtained using Google Scholar search engine and screened for relevancy and fulfilment of criteria to 1, 17, 4, 4, 30 and 29 articles retained for brucellosis prevalence in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Recent literature (published in the last decade 2010 to 2019) was considered for prevalence results in this review. In EAC, livestock had an animal-level prevalence of 0.2% to 43.8%, 0.0% to 20.0% and 0.0% to 13.8% for cattle, goats and sheep respectively. In humans, the prevalence varied mostly between 0.0% and 35.8%. In conclusion, brucellosis is quite prevalent in the region. The reported prevalence calls for plans or more efforts from individual member countries and from EAC, as a region, to control brucellosis.
Topics: Africa, Eastern; Animals; Brucellosis; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Goat Diseases; Goats; Humans; Prevalence; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Sheep, Domestic; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33421354
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.425 -
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology :... Dec 2022This review was performed to gather knowledge about brucellosis in livestock and wildlife in the Brazilian Pantanal, a biome with a huge biodiversity and extensive... (Review)
Review
This review was performed to gather knowledge about brucellosis in livestock and wildlife in the Brazilian Pantanal, a biome with a huge biodiversity and extensive livestock production. Following the preferred reporting items for narrative review guidelines and using the terms "Brucella" and "Pantanal," we explored the PubMed, SciELO, Jstor, Science Direct, and Scholar Google databases. Information on host species, diagnostic test, number of positive animals, and positivity rates were acquired. Articles dating from 1998 to 2022 registered 14 studies including cattle, dogs, and the following wildlife species: Ozotoceros bezoarticus, Sus scrofa, Tayassu peccari, Nasua nasua, Cerdocyon thous, Panthera onca, Dasypus novemcintus, Cabassous unicinctus, Euphractus sexcinctus, Priodontes maximus, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. Brucella occurrence in cattle was demonstrated through the serological confirmatory test 2-mercaptoetanol. Molecular diagnosis detected Brucella abortus in dogs, smooth Brucella in O. beoarticus, and Brucella spp. in T. peccari. Cattle may have a pivotal importance in maintenance and spreading of Brucella spp. due to their high population density, environmental contamination from abortion of infected cows, and eventual excretion of B. abortus S19 strain from vaccinated heifers. The occurrence of Brucella spp. in O. bezoarticus and T. peccari represent a risk for wildlife conservation. These data indicate that Brucella spp. are enzootic in the Pantanal wetland, sustained by a reservoir system including domestic and wild mammals. Due to marked seasonality and large populations of wildlife species sharing same environments with livestock, brucellosis acquires great complexity in Pantanal and, therefore, must be analyzed considering both animal production and conservation.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Female; Dogs; Animals, Wild; Brazil; Wetlands; Brucellosis; Brucella abortus; Livestock; Procyonidae
PubMed: 36269553
DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00831-0 -
PloS One 2020Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease known to be endemic to parts of western and sub-Saharan Africa. However, the epidemiology for humans and animals remains largely... (Review)
Review
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease known to be endemic to parts of western and sub-Saharan Africa. However, the epidemiology for humans and animals remains largely unknown in many of these countries with Cameroon being a typical example. Despite common knowledge that brucellosis affects livestock, the actual number of infected animals remains unknown. Through a scoping review, the current known status of the disease is described. The aim is to ascertain relevant and publicly accessible research and knowledge of human and animal brucellosis in the country, and to provide an overview of the factors associated with its known persistence. Seroprevalence has been estimated and published in 12 separate instances (1 human; 9 cattle; 1 human and cattle; and 1 that includes cattle, pigs, and small ruminants), between 1982 and 2020, in 9 of the country's 10 geopolitical regions. In 1983, Brucella abortus and B. melitensis were isolated in cattle, but no further bacterial isolation has been published since. The seroprevalence from 196 total humans has ranged between 5.6% and 28.1%, and between 3.0% and 30.8% for 14,044 total cattle. As there is no ongoing surveillance program, it is not currently possible to identify the specific Brucella spp. that are endemic to the country and its regions. There are sufficient agricultural systems of cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep to sustain the presence of multiple Brucella spp. Surveillance information is the cornerstone of epidemiologic decision making, and is needed to direct policy makers, public health authorities, and veterinary services to appropriate actions. A combination of serological and molecular based diagnostics for surveillance is necessary to identify, quantify, and direct the appropriate public health interventions. Cameroon has an opportunity to build public and animal health infrastructure, leading the way for central Africa in the management and future eradication of brucellosis.
Topics: Animals; Brucella abortus; Brucella melitensis; Brucellosis; Cameroon; Endemic Diseases; Epidemiological Monitoring; Humans; Livestock; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32986759
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239854 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023This study aimed to identify biomarkers for acute and chronic brucellosis using advanced proteomic and bioinformatic methods.
INTRODUCTION
This study aimed to identify biomarkers for acute and chronic brucellosis using advanced proteomic and bioinformatic methods.
METHODS
Blood samples from individuals with acute brucellosis, chronic brucellosis, and healthy controls were analyzed. Proteomic techniques and differential expression analysis were used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Co-expression modules associated with brucellosis traits were identified using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).
RESULTS
763 differentially expressed proteins were identified, and two co-expression modules were found to be significantly associated with brucellosis traits. 25 proteins were differentially expressed in all three comparisons, and 20 hub proteins were identified. Nine proteins were found to be both differentially expressed and hub proteins, indicating their potential significance. A random forest model based on these nine proteins showed good classification performance.
DISCUSSION
The identified proteins are involved in processes such as inflammation, coagulation, extracellular matrix regulation, and immune response. They provide insights into potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for brucellosis. This study improves our understanding of brucellosis at the molecular level and paves the way for further research in targeted therapies and diagnostics.
Topics: Humans; Proteomics; Biomarkers; Phenotype; Brucellosis; Computational Biology; Gene Regulatory Networks
PubMed: 37520434
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1216176 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Brucellosis is a severe zoonotic infectious disease caused by the infection of the , which is widespread and causes considerable economic losses in underdeveloped areas.... (Review)
Review
Brucellosis is a severe zoonotic infectious disease caused by the infection of the , which is widespread and causes considerable economic losses in underdeveloped areas. is a facultative intracellular bacteria whose main target cells for infection are macrophages, placental trophoblast cells and dendritic cells. The main clinical signs of infection in livestock are reproductive disorders and abortion. At present, the pathogenesis of placentitis or abortion caused by in livestock is not fully understood, and further research on the effect of on placental development is still necessary. This review will mainly introduce the research progress of infection of placental trophoblast cells as well as the inflammatory response caused by it, explaining the molecular regulation mechanism of leading to reproductive system disorders and abortion, and also to provide the scientific basis for revealing the pathogenesis and infection mechanism of .
Topics: Animals; Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Trophoblasts; Placenta; Brucellosis; Brucella; Zoonoses; Abortion, Spontaneous
PubMed: 36362199
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113417 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jul 2022Human brucellosis caused by the facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella spp. is an endemic bacterial zoonosis manifesting as acute or chronic infections with high...
BACKGROUND
Human brucellosis caused by the facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella spp. is an endemic bacterial zoonosis manifesting as acute or chronic infections with high morbidity. Treatment typically involves a combination therapy of two antibiotics for several weeks to months, but despite this harsh treatment relapses occur at a rate of 5-15%. Although poor compliance and reinfection may account for a fraction of the observed relapse cases, it is apparent that the properties of the infectious agent itself may play a decisive role in this phenomenon.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
We used B. abortus carrying a dual reporter in a macrophage infection model to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of recommended therapies in cellulo. For this we used automated fluorescent microscopy as a prime read-out and developed specific CellProfiler pipelines to score infected macrophages at the population and the single cell level. Combining microscopy of constitutive and induced reporters with classical CFU determination, we quantified the protective nature of the Brucella intracellular lifestyle to various antibiotics and the ability of B. abortus to persist in cellulo despite harsh antibiotic treatments.
CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE
We demonstrate that treatment of infected macrophages with antibiotics at recommended concentrations fails to fully prevent growth and persistence of B. abortus in cellulo, which may be explained by a protective nature of the intracellular niche(s). Moreover, we show the presence of bona fide intracellular persisters upon antibiotic treatment, which are metabolically active and retain the full infectious potential, therefore constituting a plausible reservoir for reinfection and relapse. In conclusion, our results highlight the need to extend the spectrum of models to test new antimicrobial therapies for brucellosis to better reflect the in vivo infection environment, and to develop therapeutic approaches targeting the persister subpopulation.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Brucella abortus; Brucellosis; Humans; Macrophages; Reinfection
PubMed: 35881641
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010635 -
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Feb 2022Brucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonotic disease with substantial economic impact on households. Pastoral communities are a potential risk group due to their way of...
BACKGROUND
Brucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonotic disease with substantial economic impact on households. Pastoral communities are a potential risk group due to their way of life being closely interlinked with their large livestock herds.
METHODOLOGY
A semi-structured questionnaire survey was conducted in households in the pastoral Afar and Somali (SRS) regions. All households had people and animals serologically tested for brucellosis. Questions were related to husbandry, consumption habits, and knowledge-attitude-practice towards the disease and zoonoses. Descriptive statistics and logistic analysis were performed to assess potential risk factors for having households with positive humans and/or animals.
RESULT
647 households were included in the survey. Herd brucellosis prevalence was 40.3 % (15.9-86.3 % in Afar; 4-72.2 % in SRS). Over half (56.3 %) of the households in Afar and 41.8 % in SRS had at least one human reactor. Nearly a quarter of the households (22.8 %), recalled abortions in goats in the last 12 months, whereas 52.5 % and 50.3 % recalled stillborn in all species and membrane retentions respectively. All respondents drank raw milk and discarded animal afterbirths in the direct surroundings with minimal protection. Risk factors for animal reactors were goat herd size, and goat abortion. There was no identified risk factor for having human reactors in households. None of the households knew about brucellosis.
CONCLUSION
Although being endemic in Afar and SRS, Brucellosis is not known by the pastoralists. Brucellosis control programs will have to be tailored to the pastoral context, accounting for their mobility, large, multi-species herds and habits.
Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Animals; Brucellosis; Ethiopia; Goat Diseases; Goats; Risk Factors; Somalia
PubMed: 34902652
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105557 -
PloS One 2022Brucellosis is listed as one of six priority zoonoses in Tanzania's One Health strategic plan which highlights gaps in data needed for the surveillance and estimation of...
BACKGROUND
Brucellosis is listed as one of six priority zoonoses in Tanzania's One Health strategic plan which highlights gaps in data needed for the surveillance and estimation of human brucellosis burdens. This study collected data on current testing practices and test results for human brucellosis in Arusha region, northern Tanzania.
METHODS
Retrospective data were extracted from records at 24 health facilities in Arusha region for the period January 2012 to May 2018. Data were captured on: the test reagents used for brucellosis, procurement and testing protocols, the monthly number of patients tested for brucellosis and the monthly number testing positive. Generalised linear mixed models were used to evaluate relationships between health facility characteristics and the probability that brucellosis testing was conducted in a given month, and the proportion of individuals testing positive.
RESULTS
Four febrile Brucella agglutination tests were used widely. The probability of testing for brucellosis in a given month was significantly associated with an interaction between year of testing and facility ownership. Test probability increased over time with more pronounced increases in privately owned as compared to government facilities. The proportion of individuals testing positive for brucellosis was significantly associated with facility type and district, with individuals tested in hospitals in Meru, Monduli and Ngorongoro districts more likely to test positive.
CONCLUSIONS
Febrile Brucella agglutination tests, known for their poor performance, were the mainstay of brucellosis testing at health facilities in northern Tanzania. The study indicates that historical data on human brucellosis in Arusha and other regions are likely to provide an inaccurate measure of true disease burden due to poor performance of the tests used and variation in testing practices. Measures to address these identified shortcomings could greatly improve quality of testing and surveillance data on brucellosis and ultimately inform prevention and control of this priority disease.
Topics: Animals; Brucella; Brucellosis; Health Facilities; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Tanzania
PubMed: 35320293
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265612