Abstract
Between 2005 and 2006, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in domestic ruminants in agropastoral communities of Serengeti district, Tanzania to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in domestic–wildlife interface villages. Both the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Competitive Enzyme Linked-immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA) were used to analyse 82 human and 413 livestock sera from four randomly selected villages located along game reserve areas of Serengeti National Park. Although both cattle (288) and small ruminants (125) were screened, seropositivity was detected only in cattle. The overall seroprevalence based on c-ELISA as a confirmatory test was 5.6%. In cattle both age and sex were not statistically associated with brucellosis seropositivity (P = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.8 and 0.33; 95% CI = 0.6, 3.7, respectively). Overall herd level seropositivity was 46.7% (n = 7), ranging from 25% to 66.7% (n = 4–10). Each village had at least one brucellosis seropositive herd. None of the 82 humans tested with both RBPT and c-ELISA were seropositive. Detecting Brucella infection in cattle in such areas warrants further investigation to establish the circulating strains for eventual appropriate control interventions in domestic animals.
Highlights
Brucellosis is caused by a variety of Brucella species and is a disease of major socio-economic importance in domestic animals worldwide, especially in developing countries where disease control programmes are either non-existent or inadequate
Livestock keepers in Serengeti district who entirely depend on livestock production and practise limited agriculture observed domestic animals commingling with wildlife throughout the year in search of pastures and water
Brucella infection has been reported in wildebeests (Connochaetes taurinus), buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) (Fyumagwa et al 2009), and cattle (Bugwesa et al 2009) in the Serengeti ecosystem, but has not been reported from small ruminants and humans from the same interface areas
Summary
Brucellosis is caused by a variety of Brucella species and is a disease of major socio-economic importance in domestic animals worldwide, especially in developing countries where disease control programmes are either non-existent or inadequate. Livestock keepers in Serengeti district who entirely depend on livestock production and practise limited agriculture observed domestic animals commingling with wildlife throughout the year in search of pastures and water This is common in villages located at interface areas of Serengeti National Park (Fyumagwa 2012). Assenga et al (2015) and Fyumagwa et al (2009) suggested further studies in livestock and human populations adjacent to wildlife areas and characterisation of the circulating pathogens for future interventions This seroprevalence study was conducted to elucidate the disease extent and distribution in livestock and humans in villages located in the wildlife–livestock interface area in Serengeti district so as to devise control and preventive strategies
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