Abstract
Background: Livestock diseases impact the livelihoods of pastoralists. Brucellosis, a neglected zoonotic disease is highly prevalent in this system with an estimated 16% of livestock population in sub-Saharan Africa infected with the disease. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge of livestock diseases and the risk of exposure to brucellosis among pastoralists living in Kajiado County of Kenya. Methods: The study sites included pastoralist communities living in rural and peri-urban areas within the County. Both primary and secondary data were collected using participatory methods including pairwise ranking, proportional piling and probing and a review of the published literature. Exposure risk assessment was conducted according to the CODEX Alimentarius framework: Hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment and risk estimation. Results: According to pastoralists, livestock diseases that frequently occurred in their flocks and herds were contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease; but zoonoses, including anthrax and brucellosis, were also mentioned during focus group discussions. Potential pathways of exposure to brucellosis and other zoonoses included consumption of unpasteurized milk, handling infected aborted materials without protective measures and consumption of raw meat and raw blood. Consumption of unpasteurized milk and handling infected aborted materials without protectives were linked with high risk of exposure to household members living in rural areas, with the risk level within the peri-urban areas ranked very low to low for most of these risk practices. Conclusions: The results call for enhanced public education targeting vulnerable groups to mitigate risks of disease spread and other impacts of brucellosis within the affected pastoralist production systems.
Highlights
Brucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonosis with global distribution, and it has been reported in 56 countries with more than 500,000 new human cases reported annually (Christou, 2011; Seimenis et al, 2006)
This study identified livestock diseases which negatively impacted on livelihoods of pastoralists within Kajiado County, through reduction in milk yield, increased mortality rates, increased morbidity rates and abortions in herds and flocks
Zoonoses including brucellosis and anthrax were identified by communities as a threat both to their wellbeing and health
Summary
Brucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonosis with global distribution, and it has been reported in 56 countries with more than 500,000 new human cases reported annually (Christou, 2011; Seimenis et al, 2006). According to results of a systematic review of brucellosis in Kenya, the estimated national sero-prevalence was about 3.0%, (Njeru et al, 2016). This high sero-prevalence in humans is reported to occur in several counties including Kajiado, Marsabit, Turkana, Machakos and Garissa, which are counties mainly inhabited by pastoralists (Ogola et al, 2014). The objective of this study was to assess knowledge of livestock diseases and the risk of exposure to brucellosis among pastoralists living in Kajiado County of Kenya. Conclusions: The results call for enhanced public education targeting vulnerable groups to mitigate risks of disease spread and other impacts of brucellosis within the affected pastoralist production
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