Dubie Teshager, Kasa Trhas, Kinfe Getachew, Bulbula Abdallah, Asgedom Hagos
Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Samara University, P.O. Box 132, Samara, Ethiopia.
Animal Health Institute (AHI), P.O. Box 19, Sebeta, Ethiopia.
Vet Med Int. 2025 Apr 2;2025:7469192. doi: 10.1155/vmi/7469192. eCollection 2025.
Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease that leads to reproductive losses in animals, posing significant public health risks and economic challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. This study aims to estimate the seroprevalence and identify risk factors associated with small ruminant brucellosis in the region. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2022 in six selected kebeles of the Dubti district in the Afar region of Ethiopia to investigate the seroepidemiology of ovine and caprine brucellosis. Researchers collected 300 serum samples from apparently healthy sheep (69) and goats (231). The samples were initially screened for brucella antigens using the rose bengal plate test (RBPT). Reactors identified by the RBPT were then confirmed using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA) at the Animal Health Institution (AHI). The study employed descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square ( ), and univariable logistic regression analyses to analyze the data. The overall seroprevalence of brucella infection in small ruminants in this study was 6.7% (20 out of 300). Specifically, the seroprevalence rate in sheep was 7.2% (5 out of 69), and in goats, it was 6.5% (15 out of 231). The chi-square and univariable logistic regression analyses showed no significant association between brucella seropositivity and factors such as species, sex, age, parity, district, or abortion history ( > 0.05). The findings of this study reveal that brucella infection is circulating in small ruminants in the study area and the broader Afar region. Further research should be conducted across the entire region that focuses on determining the regional seroprevalence of brucella, conducting molecular-based isolation, and identifying biotypes.
布鲁氏菌病是一种细菌性人畜共患病，会导致动物繁殖能力下降，在撒哈拉以南非洲地区（包括埃塞俄比亚）构成重大的公共卫生风险和经济挑战。本研究旨在估计该地区小反刍动物布鲁氏菌病的血清流行率，并确定与之相关的风险因素。2022年2月至4月，在埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区杜布蒂区选定的6个凯贝勒开展了一项横断面研究，以调查绵羊和山羊布鲁氏菌病的血清流行病学。研究人员从表面健康的绵羊（69只）和山羊（231只）身上采集了300份血清样本。这些样本最初使用虎红平板凝集试验（RBPT）筛查布鲁氏菌抗原。然后，在动物卫生机构（AHI）使用间接酶联免疫吸附测定（I-ELISA）对RBPT检测出的反应阳性样本进行确认。该研究采用描述性统计、Pearson卡方检验（ ）和单变量逻辑回归分析来分析数据。本研究中小反刍动物布鲁氏菌感染的总体血清流行率为6.7%（300份样本中有20份）。具体而言，绵羊的血清流行率为7.2%（69只中有5只），山羊的血清流行率为6.5%（231只中有15只）。卡方检验和单变量逻辑回归分析表明，布鲁氏菌血清阳性与物种、性别、年龄、胎次、地区或流产史等因素之间无显著关联（ > 0.05）。本研究结果表明，布鲁氏菌感染在研究区域及更广泛的阿法尔地区的小反刍动物中传播。应在整个地区开展进一步研究，重点是确定布鲁氏菌的区域血清流行率、进行基于分子的分离以及鉴定生物型。
