title: Seroprevalences and local variation of human and livestock brucellosis in two villages in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt.
abstract: This study aimed at assessing the epidemiology of brucellosis among both human and livestock populations in an endemic area in Egypt. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two villages, where 616 inhabitants (aged 3-75 years) and 350 livestock of 97 households were enrolled. Sera were tested for Brucella spp. antibodies by tube agglutination test for both populations. Proportions of seropositive sera were 0.0 and 1.7% among the inhabitants, and 0.0 and 16% among livestock of villages I and II, respectively. Calculated seroprevalences considering the clustering of brucellosis within households were 0.03 for people and 5.2 for livestock in village II. The village variable (P=0.07) and keeping sheep in the household (P=0.01) were significant risk factors for human brucellosis, whereas only the village was significant for livestock (P<0.001). Sheep showed the highest seropositive proportions of brucellosis among livestock. No association could be detected between human and livestock brucellosis. In conclusion, we found local variation of seroprevalences of brucellosis among human and livestock in the two surveyed villages. Further epidemiological studies have to be conducted in randomly selected governorates, not only to confirm the low seroprevelance of human brucellosis, but also to assess the risk factors of livestock infection for terms of prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, Tanta Fever Hospital, Taha El-Hakim St., Tanta 3111, Egypt. azza_el_sherbini@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Azza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Sherbini
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kabbash
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schelling
authors.forename: Salama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Shennawy
authors.forename: Nagwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shalapy
authors.forename: Gamal Hasab
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Elnaby
authors.forename: Abdel Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Helmy
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial