Brucella seropositivity in chicken and risk factors for Brucella infection at the animal-human interface in Anambra State, Nigeria

Research Article

International Journal of One Health, 4: 28-34

https://doi.org/10.14202/IJOH.2018.28-34

Joseph Ikechukwu Onunkwo^1,2, Emmanuel Okechukwu Njoga^1,2, Ugochinyere Juliet Njoga^3,2, Emmanuel Ezeokafor^1,2, and Samuel Okezie Ekere^3,2

1. Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
2. Enugu, Nigeria.
3. Department of Veterinary Obstetrics and Reproductive Diseases, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Background and Aim: Brucellosis is an important bacterial zoonosis devastating both animal and human populations in many parts of the world. A seroepidemiological study of avian Brucella infection was conducted to determine the disease prevalence, risk factors, and hence the role of chicken in the epidemiology of brucellosis in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: Rose Bengal plate test was used to test for Brucella antibody in sera samples collected from 410 chickens surveyed. The interview schedule was used to elicit information on the socioeconomic status, awareness of brucellosis and predisposing practices of poultry farmers, live bird sellers, and poultry carcass processors in the study area.

Results: An overall seroprevalence of 3% was recorded. Sex (female), free-range management system, breed (indigenous breed), and mix farming were the determinants of avian brucellosis in the state. Risk factors that may enhance human Brucella infection at the animal-human interface are non-use of personal protective clothing; poor awareness on brucellosis and methods of the disease spread or control, cohabitation with animals, and eating while on duty.

Conclusion: Chicken may be among the reservoirs of Brucella infection in Anambra State. There is an urgent need for an effective control program against brucellosis in the study area, using a coordinated One Health approach bearing in mind the public health and economic consequences of brucellosis. Keywords: Brucella antibodies, Brucella infection, Brucella, chickens, humans, risk factors.

Keywords: Brucella antibodies, Brucella infection, Brucella, chickens, humans, risk factors.

How to cite this article: Onunkwo JI, Njoga EO, Njoga UJ, Ezeokafor E, Ekere SO. Brucella seropositivity in chicken and risk factors for Brucella infection at the animal-human interface in Anambra State, Nigeria. Int J One Health 2018;4:28-34.

Received: 30-04-2018 Accepted: 24-05-2018 Published online: 24-06-2018

Corresponding author: Emmanuel Okechukwu Njoga E-mail: njoga.emmanuel@unn.edu.ng

DOI: 10.14202/IJOH.2018.28-34

Copyright: Onunkwo, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.