Bile Mustafe Mohamed, Wubaye Ambachew Motbaynor, Ambaw Yihenew Getahun, Shimelis Shihun, Kallu Simegnew Adugna
Red Sea University, Somalia, Sudan.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
Environ Health Insights. 2024 Oct 4;18:11786302241287112. doi: 10.1177/11786302241287112. eCollection 2024.
Brucellosis is an important neglected bacterial zoonotic disease in sub-Saharan Africa, including Somalia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Garowe district, Nugal region, Somalia, from May 2022 to January 2023 to estimate the seroprevalence of small ruminant brucellosis and assess owners' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward brucellosis. A total of 384 sheep and goats were selected using a simple random sampling technique and screened for antibodies by the Modified Rose Bengal Plate Test, and positive samples were then further confirmed using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For the questionnaire survey, 384 households were selected randomly, and a structured questionnaire was used to assess owners' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward brucellosis. The overall brucellosis seroprevalence was 4.7% in small ruminants (95% CI: 2.8-7.3), and the true seroprevalence was calculated as 5.2%. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, sex was found to be a potential risk factor for small ruminant brucellosis ( < .05). More specifically, female sheep and goats were 9.13 times (aOR 9.13, 95% CI: 1.18-70.33) more likely to become seropositive than males. The owners' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward brucellosis were found to be low, and education level was associated with owners' knowledge (χ = 16.78; < .001), attitudes (χ = 19.4; < .001) and practices (χ = 34.0; < .001). There is also a significant association between owner knowledge, attitudes, and practices and seropositivity of brucellosis in sheep and goats. Moderate seroprevalence, together with insufficient knowledge, attitudes, and practices of owners, makes brucellosis a threat to animals and the entire community. Hence, raising community awareness of the disease is essential to reduce the impact on small ruminant productivity and the risks to public health.
布鲁氏菌病是撒哈拉以南非洲地区（包括索马里）一种重要的被忽视的细菌性人畜共患病。2022年5月至2023年1月，在索马里努加尔地区的加罗韦区开展了一项横断面研究，以估计小反刍动物布鲁氏菌病的血清阳性率，并评估养殖户对布鲁氏菌病的认知、态度和行为。采用简单随机抽样技术共选取384只绵羊和山羊，通过改良玫瑰红平板试验筛查抗体，阳性样本再用间接酶联免疫吸附试验进一步确认。对于问卷调查，随机选取384户家庭，使用结构化问卷评估养殖户对布鲁氏菌病的认知、态度和行为。小反刍动物布鲁氏菌病的总体血清阳性率为4.7%（95%置信区间：2.8 - 7.3），计算得出的真实血清阳性率为5.2%。根据多变量逻辑回归分析，发现性别是小反刍动物布鲁氏菌病的一个潜在风险因素（P < 0.05）。更具体地说，母羊和母山羊血清阳性的可能性是公羊的9.13倍（调整优势比9.13，95%置信区间：1.18 - 70.33）。发现养殖户对布鲁氏菌病的认知、态度和行为水平较低，教育程度与养殖户的认知（χ² = 16.78；P < 0.001）、态度（χ² = 19.4；P < 0.001）和行为（χ² = 34.0；P < 0.001）相关。养殖户的认知、态度和行为与绵羊和山羊布鲁氏菌病血清阳性之间也存在显著关联。中等程度的血清阳性率，加上养殖户知识、态度和行为的不足，使布鲁氏菌病对动物和整个社区构成威胁。因此，提高社区对该疾病的认识对于减少对小反刍动物生产力的影响和公共卫生风险至关重要。
