Seroprevalence of Brucellosis in Small Ruminants in Thailand, 2013

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Gram-negative coccobacilli bacteria, Brucella melitensis, commonly found in small ruminants. It caused outbreaks among humans in several provinces of Thailand. The Department of Livestock Development has implemented a surveillance system for brucellosis in small ruminants since 1997. This study aimed to describe the seroprevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants and identify factors associated with spread of brucellosis in Thailand using the national surveillance data in 2013. The surveillance data in small ruminants during 2013 included herd management, movement history, location and laboratory results of tested animals from all eight veterinary laboratories in Thailand. Association between disease status at herd level and all those factors was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The seroprevalence of brucellosis was 12.1% (438/3,626) at herd level for both goats and sheep. At individual animal level, seroprevalence were 1.4% (1,297/94,722) and 1.6% (139/8,658) for goats and sheep respectively. Free-ranging was the only one management practice significantly associated with brucellosis infection in small ruminants at herd level. Improving biosecurity of herd management, especially avoid sharing pasture and communal area should be concern to prevent introduction and spreading of brucellosis in Thailand.