title: Seroprevalence of brucellosis in livestock within three endemic regions of the country of Georgia.
abstract: Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect diagnostic test. Regional posterior median true prevalence estimates ranged from 2.7% (95% CI: 1.4, 7.2) in Kvemo Kartli, 0.8% (95% CI: 0.0, 3.6) in Kakheti, to an estimate of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.0, 2.9) in Imereti. Accurate and efficient surveillance of brucellosis is not only of economic value, but also informs efforts to reduce the disease impact on the human population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tbilisi, Georgia.
authors.forename: Eliso
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mamisashvili
authors.forename: Ian T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Kracalik
authors.forename: Tinatin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onashvili
authors.forename: Lela
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerdzevadze
authors.forename: Ketevan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goginashvili
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tigilauri
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donduashvili
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikolaishvili
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Beradze
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakareishvili
authors.forename: Maka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kokhreidze
authors.forename: Makvala
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelashvili
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vepkhvadze
authors.forename: S Elizabeth
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rácz
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Elzer
authors.forename: Mikeljon P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nikolich
authors.forename: Jason K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Blackburn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002007:Brucellosis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000453:epidemiology; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012395:Rose Bengal / Q000737:chemistry; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D012395:Rose Bengal