Caprine brucellosis: A historically neglected disease with significant impact on public health

Abstract

Caprine brucellosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by the gram-negative cocci-bacillus Brucella melitensis. Middle- to late-term abortion, stillbirths, and the delivery of weak offspring are the characteristic clinical signs of the disease that is associated with an extensive negative impact in a flock’s productivity. B. melitensis is also the most virulent Brucella species for humans, responsible for a severely debilitating and disabling illness that results in high morbidity with intermittent fever, chills, sweats, weakness, myalgia, abortion, osteoarticular complications, endocarditis, depression, anorexia, and low mortality. Historical observations indicate that goats have been the hosts of B. melitensis for centuries; but around 1905, the Greek physician Themistokles Zammit was able to build the epidemiological link between “Malta fever” and the consumption of goat milk. While the disease has been successfully managed in most industrialized countries, it remains a significant burden on goat and human health in the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia (including India and China), sub-Saharan Africa, and certain areas in Latin America, where approximately 3.5 billion people live at risk. In this review, we describe a historical evolution of the disease, highlight the current worldwide distribution, and estimate (by simple formula) the approximate costs of brucellosis outbreaks to meat- and milk-producing farms and the economic losses associated with the disease in humans. Successful control leading to eradication of caprine brucellosis in the developing world will require a coordinated Global One Health approach involving active involvement of human and animal health efforts to enhance public health and improve livestock productivity.

Socio-economic impacts of brucellosis on livestock production and reproduction performance in Koibatek and Marigat regions, Baringo County, Kenya

“…Brucellosis is considered a neglected disease that significantly affects countries where resources are limited, and as such, there are only a few studies that has measured the socio-economic impact of brucellosis in livestock. Even though the estimated socio-economic impacts vary with Presented are N (%) for all categories the location, production system, facilities, and miscellaneous factors including indirect health effects of the disease in humans [16], the current study focused on respondent's perceived socio-economic impact of brucellosis on livestock production and reproduction performance with a focus on milk, meat and blood, and fat production, infertility, sale value, dowry and cost of treatment relative to suspected brucellosis symptoms (abortions, still births, swollen testes, weak calf or lamb, and swollen joints). The current study was focused in Baringo County, since in this region, brucellosis prevalence is unknown due to weakened animal and public health systems majorly attributed by the remoteness of the region and a huge insecurity making it almost impossible to carry out detailed analyses on the Brucella disease dynamics in the population.…”

Infection by Brucella melitensis or Brucella papionis modifies essential physiological functions of human trophoblasts

“…Brucellosis is a serious zoonosis within the world's Top 10 infectious diseases (Godfroid et al, 2014;Rossetti, Arenas-Gamboa, & Maurizio, 2017). It remains endemic around the Mediterranean basin, in Asia and Central and South America.…”

Sero-epidemiology and associated risk factors of brucellosis among sheep and goat population in the mid southern Nepal: A comparative study

“…Brucellosis is an economically important zoonotic disease of both animals and humans caused by the gram-negative bacteria of Brucella species [1][2]. People contract Brucellosis by the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products [3][4][5] occupational exposures through handling aborted fetus or placenta of infected animals [3], and inhalation of contaminated aerosol while processing of the animal products [7][8]. Brucellosis creates signi cant economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide because it usually results in abortion, infertility, and a decrease in milk and meat production [5].…”

“…People contract Brucellosis by the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products [3][4][5] occupational exposures through handling aborted fetus or placenta of infected animals [3], and inhalation of contaminated aerosol while processing of the animal products [7][8]. Brucellosis creates signi cant economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide because it usually results in abortion, infertility, and a decrease in milk and meat production [5]. The disease has been successfully managed or eradicated from several developed countries, but it is still endemic in livestock and humans in resource-poor countries [9][10].…”