Abstract
IntroductionThe burden of brucellosis among smallholder farmers is poorly-documented in Uganda. The disease burden is likely to be high, given the high levels of endemicity, lots of exposures and due to lack of control measures. In order to designate appropriate control measures, the magnitude and risk factors for brucellosis need to be known. We established the burden of and risk factors for Brucella seropositivity in cattle, goats, and humans in Iganga district, eastern Uganda.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in in Kigulamo Parish, Iganga District. We enrolled 226 households and administered a structured questionnaire to heads of households to capture data on socio-demographic characteristics, human brucellosis-related risk factors, and livestock farming practices. Human, cattle, and goat blood samples were collected and tested serologically using commercial indirect-ELISA kits manufactured by USDA, USA.ResultsOf 451 human blood samples, 20 (4.4%) were positive. Among 345 cattle blood samples, 4 (1.2%) were positive and among 351 goat blood samples, one (0.3%) was positive. Persons who reported consuming locally-made dairy products had 4 times higher odds of Brucella seropositivity (OR = 4.0, CI = 1.14-14.03, p = 0.031) than those who did not. None of the risk factors we asked about were significantly associated with seropositivity in cattle and goats.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of brucellosis in humans in smallholder households in Kigulamo was relatively low and associated with consumption of locally made dairy products. No risk factors were significantly associated with seropositivity in livestock, likely due to the small number of seropositive animals. We recommend a One Health approach to control brucellosis simultaneously in animals and humans needed to sustainably reduce the burden of brucellosis in Uganda and beyond.
Highlights
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella species [1], and infects both humans and animals [1, 2]
In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of brucellosis in humans ranges from 5-55% [6] in different countries, while in domestic animals it is between 8-46% [7]
No statistical difference was found in prevalence between males and females (p=0.123, 75% CI) in this study we found out that more males assisted in animal deliveries and this could probably explain why there was a tendency for males to test more seropositive than females.These findings are lower compared to recent studies in Uganda that recorded a seroprevalence of 5.8% in Mbarara and 9% in Kampala [10], a seroprevalence of 11% in 236 humans carried out in the Southwest [15]
Summary
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella species [1], and infects both humans and animals [1, 2] It exists worldwide, except from countries where eradication of bovine brucellosis has been achieved [3]. Consumption of unboiled milk was significantly (p = 0.004) associated with seropositivity in Mbarara District, no association was reported among seropositivity with age, sex and awareness of human brucellosis in this study [10]. In a study carried out in 2015 in South-western Uganda, the prevalence of brucellosis seropositivity was 14% in cattle, 17% in goats, and 11% in humans [15], and the seroprevalence of brucellosis among exposed cattle-keepers in Mbarara and consumers of unpasteurized milk in Kampala Districts was 5.8% and 9%, respectively [10]. The household prevalence of brucellosis in humans from Kiambu county was 5.7% and 31.8% in Kajiado county in neighbouring Kenya and that in animals was 1.2% and 3.4% respectively
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