Abstract
Brucellais a highly pathogenic bacteria endemic in Kenya, and in spite of its severity in humans, the highly inadequate Febrile AntigenBrucellaAgglutination Test (FBAT) remains a primary tool for its diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from febrile patients in Kinna health center and screened by the local routine. Milk samples were purchased from local milk hawkers and analyzed forBrucellaantibodies using the milk ring test (MRT). The MRT-positive milk was traced to farms, and lactating cattle were sampled for milk and blood. Milk was MRT-tested and the serum was analyzed using the Rose Bengal test (RBT) and iELISA. Available patient and farm samples were stored on FTA cards for qPCR analyses. Despite a limited sample size, our study, in line with previous reports, shows a low diagnostic sensitivity (67%) and specificity (40%) of FBAT when compared to qPCR. As many as 48% of the raw bulk cattle milk samples were MRT-positive forBrucellaantibodies and 60% of cattle on three visited farms were IS711qPCR-positive. This case-based One Health investigation confirms the suspectedBrucellapresence, suggesting a targeted vaccination at high-prevalence farms, urgent interventions on milk safety, and a re-evaluation of the diagnostic and treatment regimen.
Highlights
One of the most neglected diseases in Kenya is brucellosis, a zoonotic infection caused by the bacterial pathogen Brucella [1]
This study investigated a suggested increase of brucellosis in a pastoral area in Kenya and explored the diagnostic tools and treatment options related to it
The same paper highlighted that Febrile Antigen Brucella Agglutination Test (FBAT) claim to distinguish between
Summary
One of the most neglected diseases in Kenya is brucellosis, a zoonotic infection caused by the bacterial pathogen Brucella [1]. Four Brucella species gave rise to disease in humans but the majority of cases are caused by B. abortus and B. melitensis [4]. Brucella is concentrated and shed in the urine, placental, or fetal tissue where it can transmit through contact or aerosols, generating a contamination risk on close contact. It is found in undercooked meat products or unpasteurized dairy, creating a food safety risk for downstream consumers [5]. Brucella is listed as a category B risk organism for bioterrorism and ranked at the highest bacterial biosafety level (BSL3) [5, 6]
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