A Review on Epidemiology and Public Health Importance of Brucellosis with Special Reference to Sudd Wetland Region South Sudan

Abstract

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases of public health implications causing socio-economic impacts on the livelihoods of the poor rural pastoralist communities and the urban population worldwide. Bovine brucellosis is one of the top five priority diseases of livestock in South Sudan. This review casts light on some epidemiological parameters and public health importance of brucellosis to enable key stakeholders to understand the magnitude of the disease in South Sudan. Of which over 85% of the population is associated with cattle directly or indirectly for improving their livelihoods and enhancing food and nutrition security. Rural people commonly contract the disease through drinking of raw milk or ingestion of improperly cooked meat from infected cattle or even aborted feti and stillbirths. Cattle are infected through ingestion of contaminated feed or water in the endemic areas. In the Sudd Wetland region of Terekeka County and Jonglei State brucellosis poses threats to socioeconomic development. Biotyping of Brucella species and One Health approach are needed to mitigate prevalence of the disease among the livestock and the rural farming communities in South Sudan.