Sero-Prevalence, Epidemiology, and Public Health Significance of Small Ruminant Brucellosis

Brucellosis is a widespread zoonosis mainly transmitted from cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camels through direct contact with blood, placenta fetuses, or uterine secretion or through consumption of the contaminated raw animal product (especially unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses) in endemic areas. Therefore, the objective of this paper are to explain the Current Epidemiological Aspects of Brucellosis and the Importance of Small ruminant Brucellosis for Public Health and briefly illustrate the Economic Importance of Small ruminant Brucellosis. Sources of infection include aborted fetuses, fetal membranes, vaginal discharges and milk from infected sheep and goat. Brucellosis is caused by facultative, intracellular and Gram- negative bacteria called Brucella. Small ruminant brucellosis is caused by B. ovis (for sheep) and B. melitensis (mainly for goats), the latter one is the most virulent species of the Brucella genus. The disease in naturally infected sheep and goats is characterized by abortion in the last trimester of pregnancy, stillbirth and birth of weak offspring in females, and acute orchitis and epididymitis in males. Brucellosis occurs worldwide in domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels and pigs and creates a high economic problem for both the intensive and extensive livestock production system in the tropics and a threat to public health. Diagnostic tests fall into two categories: those that demonstrate the presence of the organisms and those that detect an immune response to its antigens. As a general rule, treatment of infected livestock is not attempted because of the high treatment failure rate, cost, and potential problems related to maintaining infected animals in the face of ongoing eradication programs. To control the disease in human, prevention of the disease in reservoir host is important, so test and slaughter followed by proper disposal of seropositive animals to decrease the incidence of infection and effective vaccination and hygienic practices would reduce the disease spreading in/from endemic regions and to lessen the economic and zoonotic effects of brucellosis, the government, public health officials, and veterinarians must collaborate.