A brucelose é uma importante zoonose causada por bactérias pertencentes ao gênero Brucella (Brucellaceae). Brucella abortus tem como seu reservatório natural os bovinos e bubalinos, é o principal agente etiológico da brucelose nos mesmos e o homem é acidentalmente afetado. Essa zoonose apresenta alta morbidade e baixa mortalidade; todavia é um problema de saúde pública, pois grupos profissionais como veterinários, ordenhadores, tratadores de gado, funcionários de matadouro e indústrias lácteas, adquirem brucelose com relativa frequência. Essa doença vem causando danos em humanos por todo o mundo, que por vezes estão sendo subnotificados e assim se torna negligenciada pelos profissionais da saúde.

Brazil stands out for having one of the largest cattle herds in the world, being the first place in the commercial herd in the whole planet. Within bovine farming, dairy cattle raising stands out for its importance within the national economy because of the representativeness of small family farms, which develop a large part of the national milk production. However, despite the extensive area available for agricultural production, a large part of Brazil is located in the tropical area of the planet. This region is distinguished by high temperatures and high intensity of incident solar radiation. This condition tends to lead the animals to heat stress, thus leading to a decrease in the production of meat, but mainly milk, especially in properties that make use of european breeds. One of the alternatives to overcome the impact of heat stress in tropical regions is to cross european breeds with zebu dairy breeds, as well as seeking measures to reduce the incidence of solar radiation of these animals through integrated systems, such as silvipastoral systems. Thus, this review aims to show that the silvipastoral system is necessary to improve the animal welfare of dairy cattle.