A review of brucellosis in the Middle East and control of animal brucellosis in an Iranian experience

Abstract

To describe brucellosis infectious as a zoonotic disease, which is caused by Brucella spp. Brucellosis is considered to be a major health and economic challenge in developing countries, including Iran. This study focuses on epidemiology human's and animal's brucellosis and disease control strategies. Test-and-slaughter technique and extensive livestock vaccination programs are used for eradication of brucellosis. Test-and-slaughter is a general policy in Middle Eastern countries to eradicate the disease. Under this program, the Rose Bengal plate test is used as a screening measure to identify the infected herd, whereas the complement fixation test is applied as a confirmatory test. The prevalence of bovine brucellosis in 2015-2016 ranged between 7.2 and 18.1% in Kuwait and Jordan and ranged between 3 and 3.1% in Iraq and Iran in 2012-2014. Prevalence of goat brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) was 3.5% in Iran in 2014. Test-and-slaughter is used in most of the countries where the prevalence rate of the disease does not exceed 2%. Since 1963, testing the vaccine efficacy in goats and sheep has proven that vaccination can decrease the epidemic rate of the disease from 45 to 1.8%. This study indicated the test-and-slaughter technique alone has not proven successful in the eradication of brucellosis in Iran, and animal vaccination is essential to the control and eradication of animal and human brucellosis.

An educational intervention based on family-centered empowerment model to modify high-risk behaviors of brucellosis via mother education

“…Brucellosis has been recognized as one of the most important zoonotic infections in the world with more than 500,000 human cases occurring annually in the world 1 , 2 . Brucellosis is still endemic in many parts of the world, including Africa 3 , 4 , Central Asia 5 – 8 , Mediterranean Basin 8 – 10 , Latin America 11 , and the Middle East where health systems rarely prioritize this infection 9 , 12 . Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) is considered this disease as a neglected zoonosis 13 .…”

Brucellosis in livestock: First study on seroepidemiology, risk factors, and preventive strategies to manage the disease in Famenin, Iran

“…In cattle, this rate was 7.2% in Kuwait, 18.1% in Jordan, 6.7% in Egypt, 2-20% in Turkey, and 3% in Iraq [9,[30][31][32]. Furthermore, the prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants (sheep/goat) was 0-1.7% in Pakistan, 5.87-18.8% in Egypt, 22.2-45.4% in Jordan, and 2-4% in Yemen, 5.3-10.7% in United Arab Emirates, 15.6-3.9% in Saudi Arabia, and 15% in Iraq [9,[33][34][35]. Long borders with neighboring countries are a risk factor for increasing the disease in Iran.…”

“…Furthermore, bovine brucellosis was reported 1.3-5.6% in African countries and 12% in India [28,29]; whereas all of the sampled cattle were negative in our study. In neighboring countries, brucellosis was reported between 0.85% and 23.3% in animals [9]. In cattle, this rate was 7.2% in Kuwait, 18.1% in Jordan, 6.7% in Egypt, 2-20% in Turkey, and 3% in Iraq [9,[30][31][32].…”

“…In neighboring countries, brucellosis was reported between 0.85% and 23.3% in animals [9]. In cattle, this rate was 7.2% in Kuwait, 18.1% in Jordan, 6.7% in Egypt, 2-20% in Turkey, and 3% in Iraq [9,[30][31][32]. Furthermore, the prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants (sheep/goat) was 0-1.7% in Pakistan, 5.87-18.8% in Egypt, 22.2-45.4% in Jordan, and 2-4% in Yemen, 5.3-10.7% in United Arab Emirates, 15.6-3.9% in Saudi Arabia, and 15% in Iraq [9,[33][34][35].…”

“…There is a correlation between brucellosis in livestock and humans [6]. No treatment is recommended for brucellosis in animals; thus, culling is the best strategy to stop the transmission of the disease from animals to humans [9].…”