Brucella Infection in Cattle and Buffalo in Egypt
Author Information
Author(s): Holt Hannah R, Eltholth Mahmoud M, Hegazy Yamen M, El-Tras Wael F, Tayel Ahmed A, Guitian Javier
Primary Institution: Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
Hypothesis
Keeping cattle and buffaloes in a household with sheep and goats increases the risk of brucellosis.
Conclusion
Brucellosis is endemic at high levels in the studied village, with livestock owners engaging in high-risk behaviors despite having good general knowledge of the disease.
Supporting Evidence
- True individual seroprevalence was estimated to be 11.0%.
- Households with sheep and goats had 6.32 times the odds of testing seropositive for Brucella spp.
- Most participants did not wear gloves while assisting in animal parturition.
Takeaway
Brucellosis is a disease that affects cows and buffaloes, and many farmers in Egypt are not careful enough to prevent spreading it, even though they know about it.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a village in Menufiya Governorate, Egypt, where 107 households with lactating cattle and buffalo were sampled and tested for antibodies against Brucella spp.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the non-disclosure of the disease of interest to participants may have affected responses.
Limitations
The specific Brucella species infecting the animals was not isolated and typed.
Participant Demographics
All participants responsible for rearing livestock were male, and all those responsible for processing dairy products were female.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 3.06% to 18.4%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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