title: Seroprevalence and potential risk factors for Brucella spp. infection in traditional cattle, sheep and goats reared in urban, periurban and rural areas of Niger.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Niamey, Niger, interactions within the interface between animals, humans and the environment induce a potential risk of brucellosis transmission between animals and from animals to humans. Currently, little is known about the transmission of Brucella in this context.
  
  
  RESULTS
  5,192 animals from 681 herds were included in the study. Serum samples and hygroma fluids were collected. A household survey enabled to identify the risk factors for transmission of brucellosis. The true adjusted herd-level prevalence of brucellosis ranged between 11.2% and 17.2% and the true adjusted animal-population level prevalence was 1.3% (95% CI: 0.9-1.8%) based on indirect ELISA test for Brucella antibodies. Animals aged of 1-4 years were found to be more susceptible than animals less than 1 year old (Odds ratio [OR] of 2.7; 95% CI: 1.43-5.28). For cattle, the odds of brucellosis seropositivity were higher in rural compared to the periurban areas (OR of 2.8; 95% CI: 1.48-5.17) whereas for small ruminants the risk of seropositivity appeared to be higher in urban compared to periurban areas (OR of 5.5; 95% CI: 1.48-20.38). At herd level, the risk of transmission was increased by transhumance (OR of 5.4; 95% CI: 2.84-10.41), the occurrence of abortions (OR of 3.0; 95% CI: 1.40-6.41), and for herds having more than 50 animals (OR of 11.0; 95% CI: 3.75-32.46). Brucella abortus biovar 3 was isolated from the hygromas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  brucellosis in Niger is a serious problem among cattle especially in the rural areas around Niamey and among sheep in the urban areas of Niamey. The seroprevalence varies across strata and animal species with important risk factors including herd size, abortion and transhumance at herd level and age at animal population level. For effective control of brucellosis, an integrated approach seems appropriate involving all stakeholders working in public and animal health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Livestock promotion and Management of Natural Resources, ONG Karkara, Niamey, Niger ; Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis applied to the Veterinary Sciences (UREAR), University of Liege, Liege, Belgium ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium ; Faculty of Agronomy, University of Niamey, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: Abdou Razac
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Boukary
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis applied to the Veterinary Sciences (UREAR), University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saegerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abatih
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Veterinary and Agro-chemical Research Centre, Uccle, Belgium.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fretin
authors.affiliation: Service of Microbiology-Immunology-Infectious Pathology, Interstate School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Rianatou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alambédji Bada
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Deken
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Livestock, Direction of Animal Health, Maradi, Niger.
authors.forename: Halimatou Adamou
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Harouna
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, University of Niamey, Niamey, Niger.
authors.forename: Alhassane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yenikoye
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thys
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002002:Brucella / Q000276:immunology; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D009548:Niger / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial