SERO-PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF LIVESTOCK BRUCELLOSIS WITH ITS ZOONOTIC IMPORTANCE IN SELECTED DISTRICTS OF FAFAN ZONE OF SOMALI NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to March 2017 to estimate the sero-prevalence of brucellosis in livestock (cattle, sheep, goats and camel) and human and to assess potential risk factors for transmission and spread of the disease in the study area. From each two woreda of Jijiga and Gursum, two kebeles were selected purposively namely Hadew and Shebele kebeles from Jijiga district and Fafan and Bombas kebeles from Gursum district. The study animals were livestock species. Out of the total 731 livestock sampled, 3.0% (n=22) animals were tested positive on screening and further, confirmation identified 0.4% (n=3) animals sero-positivity to Brucella antibodies. Therefore, the overall sero-prevalence of livestock brucellosis in this study was 0.4 % (n=3). The highest individual species level Sero-prevalence of 4.9% (n=9), was recorded in camels followed by goat 2.9 % (n=5), cattle 2.6% (n=7) and sheep 0.9% (n=1) using RBPT. Using CFT the highest species level sero-prevalence of 1.7% (n=3) was recorded in goats and no sero-positive animal was found in cattle, camel and sheep species. On species basis, Statistical analysis revealed that there was significant difference in sero-positivity (p<0.05). Among 211 serum samples from various people admitted to the community tested 5 were found positive for Brucella infection by the RBPT and 1 were confirmed by CFT tests. Thus, in human the overall sero-prevalence of Brucella infection in the study area was 2.4 % and 0.4% by using the RBPT and CFT respectively. The sero-prevalence of human brucellosis obtained from the community that has close contact with sampled animals might give an insight that brucellosis could pose a public health hazard, especially in those high risk groups, mainly the pastoralists in the study area.