A retrospective sero-epidemiological survey of bovine brucellosis on commercial and communal farming systems in Namibia from 2004 to 2018

Madzingira, Oscar; Fasina, Folorunso Oludayo; Kandiwa, Erick; Musilika-Shilongo, Albertina; Chitate, Frank; Heerden, Henriëtte van

doi:10.1007/s11250-020-02332-4

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…In Gauteng, it is also possible that repeated testing of larger herds lowers the area cattle reactor seroprevalence, whilst the presence of greater numbers of small herds increases the mean within-herd seroprevalence for the area. A more recent study conducted in Namibia, where the authors also used laboratory data to calculate the seroprevalence of brucellosis, an overall animal prevalence of 0.5% (244/49,718) was found [21]. Additionally, an earlier study conducted in the same region found that Brucella cattle prevalence ranged from 0 to 1.94% [31], which is similar to our finding of 1.4% in Gauteng.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Progressive Area Elimination of Bovine Brucellosis, 2013–2018, in Gauteng Province, South Africa: Evaluation Using Laboratory Test Reports

et al. 2021

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Bovine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global public health and economic importance. South Africa has had a national bovine brucellosis eradication scheme since 1979; however, no published report on elimination progress from any province exists. We analysed laboratory test results of all cattle herds participating in the Gauteng Provincial Veterinary Services’ eradication scheme between 2013 and 2018. Herd reactor status and within-herd seroprevalence, modelled using mixed-effects logistic and negative binomial regression models, respectively, showed no significant change over the period. However, provincial State Vet Areas, Randfontein (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2–2.1; p < 0.001) and Germiston (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.5–2.5, p = 0.008) had higher odds of reactor herds than the Pretoria Area and within-herd prevalence count ratios for these areas were 1.5-fold greater than the Pretoria State Vet Area (p < 0.001). Reactor herds were associated with increased herd size (p < 0.001) and larger herd sizes were associated with lower within-herd prevalence (p < 0.001). Despite no evidence of significant progress toward bovine brucellosis elimination in Gauteng province, variability in bovine brucellosis prevalence between State Vet Areas exists. A public health and farmer-supported strategy of ongoing district-based surveillance and cattle vaccination targeting small- to medium-sized herds combined with compulsory test and slaughter of reactors in larger herds is recommended for the province.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Progressive Area Elimination of Bovine Brucellosis, 2013–2018, in Gauteng Province, South Africa: Evaluation Using Laboratory Test Reports

et al. 2021

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“…Brucellosis has been confirmed in humans (Magwedere et al, 2011) and domestic ruminants (Madzingira et al, 2014(Madzingira et al, , 2015(Madzingira et al, , 2016(Madzingira et al, , 2020 in Namibia. Hence, a method 'One Health' approach was used to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices in farmers, meat handlers and medical professionals with a view to provide evidence-based guidance to brucellosis control programmes and public health interventions in the country.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the majority of communal farmers owned bulls, due to a lack of controlled breeding, the venereal transmission of brucellosis between herds, although limited, cannot be excluded. The low vaccination rate identified in the communal sector (19.5%) compared to the commercial sector (87%) may be due to low awareness of the disease among farmers; a lack of resources to implement the vaccination programme (FAO, 2001 ); or limited enforcement of the compulsory vaccination of heifers 3–8 months of age using the S19 vaccine by government officials (Madzingira et al., 2020 ). On commercial farms, the rearing of cattle in a mixed farming system with domestic or wild animal species (85.5%) and the sourcing of replacement cattle from outside the farm by the majority of farmers (82.6%) were identified as practices that can promote the introduction and persistence of infection due to a number of reservoirs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among cattle farmers, meat handlers and medical professionals in Namibia

Madzingira

Byaruhanga

Fasina³

et al. 2022

Veterinary Medicine & Sci

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Background Brucellosis is a re‐emerging zoonosis of significant socio‐economic, animal and public health importance. It is principally a foodborne or occupation‐associated infection of humans, whose effective control depends on maximum cooperation of high‐risk populations. Objectives The study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among cattle farmers (communal and commercial), meat handlers (abattoir and butchery workers) and medical professionals (nurses and doctors) in Namibia. Methods Between June 2019 and September 2020, self‐administered questionnaires and questionnaire interviews were carried out in cattle farmers ( n = 264), meat handlers ( n = 143) and medical professionals ( n = 124) in Namibia. Results Overall, 43.50% (231/531) of respondents were aware of brucellosis, with the highest awareness among medical professionals (73.39%, 91/124) and the least in meat handlers (13.99%, 20/143). Awareness of brucellosis was associated with tertiary education ( p < 0.001) and the medical profession ( p < 0.001). However, most medical professionals (98.39%, 122/124) did not consider brucellosis as a differential diagnosis in cases of persistent febrile illness. A proportion of communal (85.60%) and commercial (71.00%) farmers; abattoir workers (44.40%); butchers (53.50%); nurses (55.60%); and medical doctors (28.00%) consumed raw milk. Conclusions The study identified the purchase of animals of unknown health status; assisting cow delivery; handling of aborted fetuses with no protective wear; consumption of raw milk, homemade cheese, cattle testes and undercooked livers, as risk factors for Brucella infection in cattle and humans. Thus, intensified risk communication, including public health education, is recommended, in particular, among meat handlers and communal farmers, to promote awareness and discourage risky practices.

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“…In addition, in these settings, BB control measures such as mass herd vaccinations and annual testing are implemented more stringently to adhere to specific standards. However, in communal farming, grazing land is shared amongst farmers where cattle herds interact with other herds, increasing the risk of transmission ( Madzingira et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and occupational exposure to zoonotic diseases in high-risk populations in the Free State Province, South Africa

van der Westhuizen,

Burt,

van Heerden

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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IntroductionZoonotic diseases are responsible for 2.5 billion human cases globally and approximately 2.7 million deaths annually. Surveillance of animal handlers and livestock for zoonotic pathogens contributes to understanding the true disease burden and risk factors within a community. This study investigated the prevalence of selected zoonoses in cattle, farm workers and occupational exposure to endemic zoonotic diseases and their associated risk factors.MethodsSputum samples from farmworkers were screened for Mycobacterium bovis. Blood specimens from farmworkers and archived sera were tested for serological evidence of Brucella sp., hantaviruses, and Leptospira sp. Communal and commercial cattle herds were tested for bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis.ResultsMycobacterium bovis was not isolated from human samples. A total of 327 human sera were screened, and 35/327 (10.7%) were Brucella sp. IgG positive, 17/327 (5.2%) Leptospira sp. IgM positive, and 38/327 (11.6%) hantavirus IgG positive (95% CI). A higher proportion of Brucella sp. IgG-positive samples were detected among veterinarians (value of p = 0.0006). Additionally, two cattle from a commercial dairy farm were bovine tuberculosis (bTB) positive using the bTB skin test and confirmatory interferon-gamma assay. A higher percentage of confirmed brucellosis-positive animals were from communal herds (8.7%) compared to commercial herds (1.1%).DiscussionThese findings highlight the brucellosis and M. bovis prevalence in commercial and communal herds, the zoonotic disease risk in commercial and subsistence farming in developing countries, and the occupational and rural exposure risk to zoonotic pathogens.

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A retrospective sero-epidemiological survey of bovine brucellosis on commercial and communal farming systems in Namibia from 2004 to 2018

Cited by 8 publications

References 45 publications

Progressive Area Elimination of Bovine Brucellosis, 2013–2018, in Gauteng Province, South Africa: Evaluation Using Laboratory Test Reports

Progressive Area Elimination of Bovine Brucellosis, 2013–2018, in Gauteng Province, South Africa: Evaluation Using Laboratory Test Reports

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among cattle farmers, meat handlers and medical professionals in Namibia

Prevalence and occupational exposure to zoonotic diseases in high-risk populations in the Free State Province, South Africa

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