Abstract
Brucellosis is a neglected contagious bacterial disease of public health and economic importance. Nevertheless, its spread is not well known to many livestock farmers. Unmatched case control study was carried out to identify risk factors associated with brucellosis in cattle and goats at the herd level in Mpanda, Mlele and Nsimbo districts of Katavi region, in Tanzania between September 2012 and July 2013. A total of 138 adult respondents were selected randomly for the interview using a structured questionnaire. The criterion for inclusion was to have at least one Brucella-positive animal in the herd while the control was chosen from among the herds which these animals tested negative. The presence of seropositive herds were statistically linked (P < 0.1) by univariate analysis with such variables as lack of formal education among the herders; slaughtering of cattle or goats in the household; the history of occurrence of abortion in the herd; and the history of occurrence of retained foetal membranes in the herd following parturition. However, in the multivariate analysis, lack of formal education among the herders and the previous history of occurrence of retained foetal membrane in the herd following parturition were significantly associated with Brucella seropositive (P < 0.05). This study suggests the need for raising community awareness on the risk factors associated with the transmission of brucellosis between animals and humans and the implementation of disease prevention and control programmes.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Wellcome Trust through Afrique One Consortium for funding this work. We also appreciate the cooperation of Mpanda livestock officials and field officers for their tireless support during the conduction of this study in Katavi region.
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“All the procedures performed in studies involving humans participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards”. “For this type of study formal consent is not required”.
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“All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed”.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Assenga, J.A., Matemba, L.E., Malakalinga, J.J. et al. Quantitative analysis of risk factors associated with brucellosis in livestock in the Katavi-Rukwa ecosystem, Tanzania. Trop Anim Health Prod 48, 303–309 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0951-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-015-0951-z