A report on Sero-Prevalence of brucellosis among Individuals Involved in animal husbandry in Eastern Nepal.

Research Report.

SUMMARY:

Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonoses worldwide, caused by bacteria belonging to genus Brucella. Primarily the infection of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, camels and in fewer cases dogs, human transmission of infection has been documented among individuals through direct contact with blood, placenta, fetuses, uterine secretions or through consumption of contaminated raw and under-cooked animal products (unpasteurized milk, cheese etc.) [1].The epidemiology of human brucellosis has changed drastically over the past decade owing to different sanitary, socio-economic, political reasons and concomitant increment in trans-border movement. Although the disease has been eliminated in several developed countries including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and certain countries of the European Union, it remains a major public health problem in the Mediterranean region, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. Recently, Asia has emerged as the new foci of human brucellosis [2]. Agricultural economic losses associated with abortion, infertility, and decreased milk production in cattle, along with the possibility of debilitating human disease with significant increase in health care expenditure and decreased work efficacy, makes brucellosis a global public health concern [3]. Increased livestock production to meet growing demands has resulted in greater interactions at the livestock–wildlife–human interface providing a plethora of opportunities for zoonotic disease spread [3]. Human cases of brucellosis present with nonspecific and highly variable clinical presentations. This wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and lack of reliable diagnostic tests results in frequent misdiagnosis of brucellosis as malaria or other cases of acute febrile illness in resource limited settings, resulting in severe under-reporting of cases [4]. Despite such circumstances and the undermined high burden of disease in many low-income countries, including Nepal, brucellosis does not grab the attention of health systems and the concerned authorities. Thus, brucellosis is categorized as one of the neglected tropical diseases and zoonosis by the World Health Organization (WHO) [5].
Among total sample processed, only 8 samples showed positive agglutination test, while remaining 177 samples were negative for the Serum Agglutination Test. Therefore, the prevalence of brucellosis in humans involved in animal husbandry in the central part of Nepal in our study is 4.32%. Sero-positivity was high among the female participants. Direct contact with the infected animals accompanied by consumption of raw milk and dairy products can be attributed as the major route of transmission.