title: Seroprevalence and "Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices" (KAPs) survey of endemic ovine brucellosis in Egypt.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Between February and July 2014, a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in sheep in the Kafrelsheikh district of Egypt was carried out, together with a survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) among local shepherds. A total of 273 serum samples were collected from 28 sheep flocks in 10 villages within the study area. These samples were analysed by the Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) test, with all positive samples being confirmed by complement fixation test (CFT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  True seroprevalence was 20 % (95 % CI 15.3-24.7 %) with the prevalence of villages with at least one seropositive sheep estimated at 95.5 % (95 % CI 92.2-100 %); village flock seroprevalence ranged from 0 to 46.8 %. Results of the KAPs survey demonstrated that despite good knowledge regarding brucellosis being potentially present within their flocks, shepherds lacked knowledge regarding routes of livestock to humans disease transmission and the symptoms of brucellosis in humans. This lack of knowledge regarding disease transmission resulted in high-risk practices being widespread-practices such as assisting parturition without protective measures, throwing aborted material into water canals and a reluctance to remove animals that had aborted from the flock.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study proposes potential measures to reduce seroprevalence of brucellosis in sheep and reduce public health risks from brucellosis such as culling aborted livestock and educational campaigns among shepherds regarding disease risks and modes of transmission.
authors.affiliation: Animal Medicine Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt. yamen12@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yamen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hegazy
authors.affiliation: Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (Zoonoses) Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt. walid.elmonir@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elmonir
authors.affiliation: Brucellosis Research Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Nadi El-Seid Street, Dokki, Giza, 12618, Egypt. nour78_78@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nour Hosny
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Abdel-Hamid
authors.affiliation: Brucellosis Research Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Nadi El-Seid Street, Dokki, Giza, 12618, Egypt. elbauomyessam@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Essam Mohamed
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Elbauomy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002002:Brucella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012395:Rose Bengal / Q000737:chemistry; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D012395:Rose Bengal