UNASSIGNED: In the pastoral/agro-pastoral communities in Ethiopia, like in South Omo, brucellosis constitutes a serious health threat for livestock and the public. The public health risk is especially high in these communities, as their way of life is highly linked with their herds.
UNASSIGNED: The study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence and identify potential risk factors of cattle brucellosis in South Omo zone in southern Ethiopia.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 614 traditionally managed local zebu female cattle, above six months old, were bled and data on hypothesized risk factors were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The preliminary screening of the sera for Brucella antibodies was done using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and positive sera were further subjected to complement fixation test (CFT).
UNASSIGNED: The overall animal level seroprevalence of brucellosis was 2.8 % (95 % CI: 1.72-4.41) while herd level prevalence was 11.3 % (95 % CI: 6.5-19.0). Among the risk factors considered, seroprevalence was associated with herd size, new animal introduction, district, history of occurrence of abortion, and retained fetal membranes (RFM), at both individual- and herd-level (p < 0.05). Higher seroprevalence of brucellosis was observed in cows than heifers and in animals older than 4 years (p < 0.05). Brucella seroprevalence was higher in herds in lowland areas than those in mid-altitude and highlands (p < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: The individual and herd level prevalence observed in our study indicates endemicity of brucellosis and the potential public health threat it poses in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of southern Ethiopia. The results of the study also suggest that the disease might be responsible for significant losses in cattle productivity due to impaired reproductive performance.

UNASSIGNED: Keeping in view the economic and veterinary public health importance of brucellosis, this research was conducted to determine its seroprevalence and associated risk determinants in small ruminants in district Khanewal, Southern Punjab, Pakistan.
UNASSIGNED: Two-stage cluster sampling technique was used for sampling, and the sample size was calculated using C-survey 2.0. Accordingly, sera samples (n = 392) were collected from small ruminants in the study area from October 2022 to July 2023. All the samples were tested for the presence of anti-Brucella antibodies by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), followed by confirmation of all the samples using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (ID.vet®, France; sensitivity and specificity=100%, each).
UNASSIGNED: The seropositivity rate of brucellosis was 7.14% [n = 28/392; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.87%-10.12%] by RBPT, whereas the results of ELISA showed an overall seroprevalence rate of 7.40% (n = 29/392; 95% CI = 5.11%-10.37%) in the study population. Univariate analysis of risk factors revealed that abortion history (AH), retained fetal membranes (RFMs), repeat breeding, flock size (FS), educational status of farmers (ESFs), awareness about brucellosis (AB), and farm hygiene had a significant association with the seroprevalence of brucellosis (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis using a binary logistic regression model revealed that variables including tehsil, FS, AH, RFM, ESF, AB, and farming system were significant factors (p < 0.05) associated with brucellosis in the target population.
UNASSIGNED: Brucellosis is prevalent in small ruminants in Khanewal, Pakistan. The disease burden can be reduced by improving the reproductive health of animals, farm hygiene, and farmers\' awareness about the diseases. Further studies are needed on a larger scale to devise stringent disease control strategies to avoid losses associated with brucellosis at regional, national, and global levels.

Bovine brucellosis is endemic in cattle in India, however not much is known on the prevalence of this disease in stray cattle populations of the country. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors associated with brucellosis in the stray cattle populations reared in cow shelters (gaushalas) of Punjab, India. Blood samples were collected from 587 cattle reared in 23 cow shelters in 23 districts (one per district) of the Punjab and were tested using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), standard tube agglutination test (STAT) and Indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (i-ELISA). Information on the sex and breed of the animal, total cattle population and presence of a separate shed for parturition were collected. An animal was considered exposed to Brucella infection based on a positive RBPT or STAT test and a positive i-ELISA test. Explanatory variables for the animal level disease status outcome variable were sex and breed of the animal and at the shelter level were shelter cattle population size and presence of a separate shed for parturition. Univariable binomial exact logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association of each explanatory variable with the binary outcome variable. Sixty-two animals were seropositive on RBPT, with an apparent seroprevalence of 10.56% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.33%, 13.31%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 11.48% (95% CI: 8.9%, 14.64%). Sixty three animals were seropositive using STAT [apparent seroprevalence of 10.73% (95% CI: 8.48%, 13.50%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 10.69% (95% CI: 8.27%, 13.67%)], and 68 using i-ELISA [an apparent seroprevalence of 11.58% (95% CI: 9.24%, 14.43%) and the estimated true seroprevalence of 13.28% (95% CI: 10.50%, 16.66%)]. Cross bred cattle had a lower risk of being test positive (odds ratio 0.16, p = 0.04) as compared to indigenous cattle. Due to a ban on cow slaughter in the country, roaming stray cattle infected with brucellosis present a permanent risk of introduction of disease to the dairy farms and other vulnerable populations.

Brucellosis is an economically devastating animal disease and has public health concern. Serological methods such as Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Complement Fixation Test (CFT), and Indirect-Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (I-ELISA) have been used to detect brucellosis. However, there is limited comparative evaluation studies and lack of molecular confirmation of the causative agents in the study areas. The study was aimed to compare RBPT, I-ELISA, CFT, and confirmation using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A total of 2317 sera samples were collected from brucellosis-affected areas of Ethiopia with no vaccination history. All sera were subjected to comparative serological assays. Post-cross tabulation, sensitivity, and specificity were determined using Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis software. PCR was performed on 54 seropositive samples using genus- and species-specific primers.
Among the 2317 sera tested for comparative serological assays, 189 (8.16%) were positive for RBPT, 191 (8.24%) for I-ELISA, and 48 (2.07%) for CFT. Sensitivity to RBPT was 100% (95%) in shoats and 74% (95%) in cattle. Specificity on RBPT was 98.69% (95%), 99.28% (95%), 100% (95%) in sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. CFT sensitivity was 4 (95%) in sheep, 9.65 (95%) goats, and 72 (95%) cattle. Specificity on CFT was 100% (95%) for sheep, goats, and cattle. A 223bp Brucella genus-specific and 156bp B. abortus species-specific detected. However, B. melitensis not detected.
In this study, I-ELISA was the most sensitive and specific test. RBPT detected all Brucellosis-infected sheep and goats; nevertheless, it showed false positive in sheep and goats and false negative in cattle. The presence of B. abortus in small and large ruminants was confirmed by PCR. This is the first report of B. abortus detection in small ruminant in Ethiopia. B.abortus detected in non-preferred hosts. The findings suggest further study on molecular epidemiology of Brucella species.

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of an in-house lateral flow assay (LFA) for the detection of IgM/IgG anti-Brucella antibodies for rapid serodiagnosis of human brucellosis. Three groups of sera samples including 476 from high-risk individuals, 27 from culture-confirmed patients, and 43 from healthy blood donors were used for evaluation of LFA. In comparison with iELISA, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of LFA were >95%, >99%, and 99% respectively. Considering the very good agreement, accuracy, simplicity, and rapidity, LFAs might be useful as a point of care test for the diagnosis of human brucellosis in resource-limited laboratories.

The study was carried out on six villages in northern Egypt to evaluate the epidemiological situation of bovine brucellosis among 989 unvaccinated household cattle by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and indirect ELISA (iELISA) and to investigate the existence of Brucella DNA using real-time PCR in 100 milk and 100 sera from seropositive cattle and 50 sera from seronegative cattle. The overall seroprevalence was 20.7% and 23.7% by RBPT and iELISA, respectively. Based on the iELISA results, the seroprevalence was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the village II (34.7%) and cattle > 7 years (30.1%). More males than females were non-significant seropositive (P = 0.6). There was 95% agreement between RBPT and iELISA, although iELISA showed a higher positivity rate (23.7%, 95% CI: 0.21-0.26) than RBPT (20.7%, 95% CI: 0.18-0.24). DNA of Brucella was confirmed in 16 milk samples by IS711 qPCR from seropositive cattle, however, no Brucella DNA was detected in serum samples tested positive and negative. Brucella abortus was the only species detected based on the alkB gene. Prevalence is highly related to the sampling site and the age of the animals. In conclusion, although qPCR is more accurate and commonly used in the diagnosis of most infectious diseases but in this situation iELISA is preferred and recommended for continuous screening and animal movement restriction and vaccination protocols, especially in high-risk areas.

The early and accurate diagnosis of brucellosis, a ubiquitous zoonotic infection, is significant in preventing disease transmission. This study aimed to assess the infection rate of Brucella spp. in ruminants and to evaluate the agreement between a serological test and a molecular method for the detection of infected cases. Blood and milk samples of 136 ruminants were analyzed using two laboratory methods: the Rose Bengal plate (RBP) test to detect B. abortus and B. melitensis antibodies and the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the presence of bacterial DNA. The agreement between the methods was assessed using the kappa statistic. Based on the RBP test, there were 12 (8.8%) seropositive animals (10 sheep and 2 cows), while 2 (1.4%) samples were positive on PCR analysis. The positive PCR samples were from seronegative cow samples on RBP testing. There was slight agreement (k = -0.02) between the two methods, which was not statistically significant. Our results indicate that complementary molecular methods are useful to detect the bacteria in infected animals that are seronegative due to an early stage of infection. Therefore, a combination of molecular methods and serological tests can be applied to detect brucellosis in ruminants efficiently.

BACKGROUND: The laboratory test results and serum-specific antibodies of patients with acute brucellosis initial infection were followed up and analyzed.
METHODS: 70 patients in Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with acute brucellosis were followed up for 360 days. Serum samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days after diagnosis and analyzed by Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), colloidal gold test paper (GICA), and test tube agglutination test (SAT). The serum-specific antibodies IgG and IgM were detected.
RESULTS: RBPT results: False negative (-) gradually increased with the extension of the course of disease, with the largest change in 30-60 days after diagnosis, and the constituent ratio increased by 12.9%. GICA results: The false negative increased with the course of disease, and the constituent ratio of false negative was 20.0% after 180 days of diagnosis. SAT results: 1:100 positive showed a ladder like decrease with the increase in the course of disease, and the largest decrease was 90-180 days, with a decrease of 34.3% in the constituent ratio. 360 days after diagnosis, the constituent ratio of positive was only 14.3%. During the follow-up period, the IgG average value fluctuated and the average IgM value decreased.
CONCLUSIONS: The false-negative results of RBPT, GICA, and SAT increased with the course of disease, and the false-negative rates were higher than 20% after half a year. IgM level is beneficial to the early diagnosis of brucellosis, while IgG level is helpful to the judgment of brucellosis stage.

Brucellosis caused by facultative intracellular bacteria, Brucella, remains a global threat to both animal and human health. In this study we aimed to identify potential risk factors of bovine brucellosis and to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of livestock keepers in Hisar, India. A standardized questionnaire was used to collate information regarding potential risk factors of bovine brucellosis and livestock owners\' KAPs. A total of 127 livestock keepers were involved. Serum samples from their animals (n = 635) were tested for the presence of antibodies against Brucella by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Out of these, 78 (61.4%) of the herds had at least one seropositive animal, and 302 (47.6%) of the cattle were seropositive. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between intensive farm type (OR = 4.6; 95% CI, 1.6-16.7; P = 0.009), hygienic disposal of aborted fetuses (OR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.08-0.9; P = 0.04) and herd seropositivity for brucellosis. The majority, 96 (75.6%) of the respondents, were males aged 18-50, and 82 (64.6%) owned a small-backyard farm. Only 51 (40.2%) of the participants knew about brucellosis; out of them, 54.9% (28/51) could not identify clinical signs of brucellosis. Six (11.8%) participants indicated abortion as the most noticeable clinical sign, and 45.1% indicated that consumption of raw milk is associated with high risk of contracting brucellosis. A large proportion of respondents confirmed that milk from their animals was regularly consumed (86.6%) and sold (59.8%) to other people. These results suggest that bovine brucellosis is endemic in Haryana, where Brucella-contaminated milk is likely being regularly sold. Brucellosis control efforts in Haryana should include education programs to raise awareness of the disease and means to control it in cattle and to prevent zoonotic transmission.

UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to explore the seroprevalence of Brucella spp. in goats in some selected areas of Bangladesh.
UNASSIGNED: This study was conducted in different goat-populated regions of Bangladesh from July 2017 to June 2018. A total of 208 serum samples were randomly collected from goats in Jashore (n = 50), Jhenidah (n = 22), Tangail (n = 40), Savar (n = 46), Thakurgaon (n = 18), and Bandarban (n = 32) areas. The samples were subjected to determine the presence of antibodies against Brucella spp. by rose bengal plate test (RBPT) and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA).
UNASSIGNED: Overall, the seroprevalence of Brucellosis in goats was 4.33% (n = 9/208) by RBPT and 2.40% (n = 5/208) by c-ELISA. The seroprevalence of brucellosis on the basis of RBPT was 6% (buck: 0%, doe: 6%) in Jashore, 4.5% (buck: 0%, doe: 4.5%) in Jhenidah, 2.5% (buck: 0%, doe: 2.5%) in Tangail, 4.35% (buck: 0%, doe: 4.35%) in Savar, 6.25% (buck: 0%, doe: 6.25%) in Bandarban, and 5.56% (buck: 0%, doe: 5.56%) in Thakurgaon. On the other hand, the seroprevalence of brucellosis by c-ELISA was 4% (buck: 0%, doe: 4%) in Jashore, 4.5% (buck: 0%, doe: 4.5%) in Jhenidah, 3.13% (buck: 0%, doe: 3.13%) in Bandarban, and 5.56% (buck: 0%, doe: 5.56%) in Thakurgaon. Brucellosis was more prevalent (p > 0.001) in does aging 3-4 years.
UNASSIGNED: Goats from different areas of Bangladesh are caring antibodies against Brucella organisms. Further bacteriological investigations are necessary.