SEROPREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS AMONG HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS OF MYMENSINGH DIVISION IN BANGLADESH
Authors: Nayan M. N. B. , Ferdausi T. , Siddique F. I. , Rahman M. S. 
Published: January 2025

Background: Brucellosis is a common emerging and re-emerging zoonotic disease in animals and humans globally. It has drastically changed over the past decade because of various risk factors, including the drastic growth of animal husbandry, socioeconomic, political, and global trade, travel, and immigration. Domestic animals are a natural reservoir of Brucella spp., and animal-to-human transmission occurs through the consumption of raw milk and milk products; however, it is recognized as an occupational disease of veterinarians, animal farmers, and abattoir workers as they handle infected animals and aborted fetuses or placentae. Surveillance and epidemiology of domestic animals and humans are urgently needed to eradicate this zoonotic disease effectively nationally and globally. Although serological data on the prevalence of brucellosis in different domestic animals have been reported, studies on the seroprevalence of human brucellosis are very limited in Bangladesh.
Objective: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to estimate seroprevalence and risk factors of human brucellosis among high-risk individuals of Mymensingh.
Materials and Methods: Bood samples were collected from 182 animal handlers, and sera were separated by standard laboratory method. They were tested using the Rose Bengal plate test (RBT) and confirmed for brucellosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA).
Results: The overall seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be 2.20%. Individuals over 30 years old have a higher seroprevalence of brucellosis (9.09%), while those aged 20-30 have the lowest (0.72%). Only males were found to be seropositive for brucellosis (2.5%). The study revealed that artificial inseminators had the highest prevalence of human brucellosis (10.0%), while animal owners had the lowest (5.0%). The study found that human brucellosis is most prevalent in individuals with contact durations of 10 to 20 years (6.38%), while the lowest prevalence is seen in individuals less than 10 years. The study found that the seroprevalence of human brucellosis was higher (5.80%) in individuals who consumed raw milk than those who did not.
Conclusions: This study has recorded the prevalence of brucellosis at low levels among high-risk individuals in the study area. The surveillance reports on human brucellosis are still limited in South Asia, including Bangladesh. Animals are carriers of Brucella, and infection in humans is often transmitted by consumption of raw milk and milk products and contact with aborted animals. Therefore, human brucellosis could be eradicated nationally and globally by eradicating animal brucellosis, which requires a ‘One Health’ strategy. Epidemiological surveillance and prevention of zoonotic brucellosis in South Asian countries is a great challenge due to weak interdisciplinary collaboration on the ‘One Health’ concept and low socio-economic status. However, avoiding risky practices like consuming raw milk and milk products and handling aborted materials without protective equipment are required, along with control of this disease in animals.