Spatial seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in India-A large random sampling survey.

Brucellosis caused by Brucella spp. is an important zoonosis and constitutes a serious public health hazard. In India, the disease is increasingly prevalent among bovine population with high zoonotic potential and negative impact on national economy. The investigation was conducted to study seroprevalence of brucellosis through random sample survey using survey tool box software. A total of 12,054 [cattle-9236, buffaloes-2818] bovine serum samples sourced from 15 states of India were tested by protein G indirect ELISA. The true prevalences of brucellosis observed in cattle and buffaloes were 8.3% and 3.6%, respectively. The highest prevalence of brucellosis was observed in the state of Punjab in both cattle and buffaloes (23.51 and 10.2%). Comparatively higher prevalence was recorded in cattle than the buffaloes in all the states except Manipur. The true prevalence greater than 5% was recorded in 8 and 3 states for cattle and buffaloes, respectively [(cattle- Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kerala) and (buffaloes-Punjab, Gujarat and Manipur)] indicating wider prevalence of brucellosis. This study conclusively highlighted the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis at state level which might be useful for prioritizing regions for vaccination, designing control strategies and improvisation of clinical surveillance system.