Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Estimating the prevalence of Brucellosis in cattle in Zimbabwe from samples submitted to the Central Veterinary Laboratory between 2010 and 2014.
- Journal:
- Veterinaria italiana
- Year:
- 2018
- Authors:
- Vhoko, Kudzaishe et al.
- Affiliation:
- Central Veterinary Laboratory
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that affects cattle and is common in many African countries, including Zimbabwe. A study looked at samples from 156 farms in Zimbabwe between 2010 and 2014 to see how widespread this disease is. They found that about 30% of the farms tested positive for brucellosis, with the Harare district having the highest rate at 37.5%. The study also noted that many farmers are not aware of the risks of diseases that can be passed from animals to humans through milk, especially among smaller farms that are more likely to sell or drink raw milk. Overall, the findings highlight the need for better monitoring of brucellosis in cattle to understand how it spreads and to protect both animal and human health.
Abstract
Brucellosis is a disease caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Brucella, which is endemic in sub-Saharan African countries, including Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has a widespread dairy industry with peri-urban dairy establishments built in order to improve milk availability to rural communities. This study has been the first attempt to estimate the prevalence of brucellosis in Zimbabwe as a whole, using samples submitted to the Central veterinary laboratory between 2010 and 2014. A total of 156 farms were tested with Rose Bengal Test (RBT), Complement Fixation Test (CFT) and Milk Ring Test (MRT). Parallel testing was used to determine whether or not a farm was to be considered positive: 30.1% (95% C.I.: 23.5% - 37.8%) of the farms tested were found positive (47/156). Harare district had the highest number of sample submissions with 6 out of 17 farms testing positive (P = 37.5%; 95% C.I.: 18.4% - 61.7%). Awareness of milk-borne zoonoses is reportedly generally low in farmers (41.5%). This is even more the case in small-holder farmers who have higher likelihoods of selling or ingesting raw milk compared with dairy farmers. The results show the need to carry out surveillance of brucellosis in cattle in Zimbabwe to understand the spatial distribution of the disease in the country. This is particularly relevant given the zoonotic and economic implications of this disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29631311/