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Bugeza JK, Roesel K, Mugizi DR, Alinaitwe L, Kivali V, Kankya C, Moriyon I, Cook EAJ. Sero-prevalence and risk factors associated with occurrence of anti-Brucella antibodies among slaughterhouse workers in Uganda. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012046. [PMID: 38498555 PMCID: PMC10977895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brucellosis is a febrile zoonosis occurring among high-risk groups such as livestock keepers and abattoir workers and is a public health priority in Uganda. The technical complexities of bacteriological and molecular methods make serological approaches the cornerstone of diagnosis of human brucellosis in resource limited settings. Therefore, proper application and interpretation of serological tests is central to achieve a correct diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence and factors associated with anti-Brucella antibodies among slaughterhouse workers processing ruminants and pigs in three regions of the country with serial testing using a combination of the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and the BrucellaCapt test. An authorized clinician collected 543 blood samples from consenting abattoir workers as well as attribute medical and social demographic data. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine factors associated with anti-Brucella sero-positivity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The sero-prevalence among ruminant slaughterhouse workers ranged from 7.3% (95% CI: 4.8-10.7) using BrucellaCapt to 9.0% (95% CI: 6.3-12.7) using RBT. Slaughterhouse workers from the Eastern regions (AOR = 9.84, 95%CI 2.27-69.2, p = 0.006) and those who graze animals for alternative income (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.91-6.63, p = 0.040) were at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. Similarly, those who wore Personal Protective Equipment (AOR = 4.83, 95%CI:1.63-18.0, p = 0.009) and those who slaughter cattle (AOR = 2.12, 95%CI: 1.25-6.0, p = 0.006) were at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. Those who slaughter small ruminants (AOR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.32-4.01, p = 0.048) were also at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Our study demonstrates the combined practical application of the RBT and BrucellaCapt in the diagnosis of human brucellosis in endemic settings. Both pharmaceutical (e.g., routine testing and timely therapeutic intervention), and non-pharmaceutical (e.g., higher index of suspicion of brucellosis when investigating fevers of unknown origin and observation of strict abattoir hygiene) countermeasures should be considered for control of the disease in high-risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Katamba Bugeza
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), Kampala, Uganda
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Kristina Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Lordrick Alinaitwe
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Velma Kivali
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clovice Kankya
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ignacio Moriyon
- Departamento Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Edificio de Investigación c/Irunlarrea 1, Pamplona, Spain
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Tumusiime D, Isingoma E, Tashoroora OB, Ndumu DB, Bahati M, Nantima N, Mugizi DR, Jost C, Bett B. Mapping the risk of Rift Valley fever in Uganda using national seroprevalence data from cattle, sheep and goats. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010482. [PMID: 37235591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Uganda has had repeated outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) since March 2016 when human and livestock cases were reported in Kabale after a long interval. The disease has a complex and poorly described transmission patterns which involves several mosquito vectors and mammalian hosts (including humans). We conducted a national serosurvey in livestock to determine RVF virus (RVFV) seroprevalence, risk factors, and to develop a risk map that could be used to guide risk-based surveillance and control measures. A total of 3,253 animals from 175 herds were sampled. Serum samples collected were screened at the National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC) using a competition multispecies anti-RVF IgG ELISA kit. Data obtained were analyzed using a Bayesian model that utilizes integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) and stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approaches to estimate posterior distributions of model parameters, and account for spatial autocorrelation. Variables considered included animal level factors (age, sex, species) and multiple environmental data including meteorological factors, soil types, and altitude. A risk map was produced by projecting fitted (mean) values, from a final model that had environmental factors onto a spatial grid that covered the entire domain. The overall RVFV seroprevalence was 11.39% (95% confidence interval: 10.35-12.51%). Higher RVFV seroprevalences were observed in older animals compared to the young, and cattle compared to sheep and goats. RVFV seroprevalence was also higher in areas that had (i) lower precipitation seasonality, (ii) haplic planosols, and (iii) lower cattle density. The risk map generated demonstrated that RVF virus was endemic in several regions including those that have not reported clinical outbreaks in the northeastern part of the country. This work has improved our understanding on spatial distribution of RVFV risk in the country as well as RVF burden in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Tumusiime
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
- International Livestock Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- Dahlem Research School (DRS) Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Isingoma
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
| | | | - Deo B Ndumu
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Milton Bahati
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Noelina Nantima
- Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Entebbe, Uganda
| | | | - Christine Jost
- United States Agency for International Development's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance 14 (USAID/BHA), Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Global Health Support Initiative III, Social Solutions International, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Bernard Bett
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
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Hoffman T, Rock K, Mugizi DR, Muradrasoli S, Lindahl-Rajala E, Erume J, Magnusson U, Lundkvist Å, Boqvist S. Molecular detection and characterization of Brucella species in raw informally marketed milk from Uganda. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2016; 6:32442. [PMID: 27839533 PMCID: PMC5107632 DOI: 10.3402/iee.v6.32442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study identified and characterized Brucella species in the informal milk chain in Uganda. A total of 324 cattle bulk milk samples were screened for the genus Brucella by real-time PCR with primers targeting the bcsp31 gene and further characterized by the omp25 gene. Of the samples tested, 6.5% were positive for Brucella species. In the omp25 phylogeny, the study sequences were found to form a separate clade within the branch containing B. abortus sequences. The study shows that informally marketed cattle milk in Uganda is a likely risk factor for human brucellosis and confirms that B. abortus is present in the cattle population. This information is important for potential future control measures, such as vaccination of cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove Hoffman
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medical Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kim Rock
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Denis Rwabiita Mugizi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-Security, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Shaman Muradrasoli
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.,Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Joseph Erume
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-Security, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ulf Magnusson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Medical Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sofia Boqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden;
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Rock KT, Mugizi DR, Ståhl K, Magnusson U, Boqvist S. The milk delivery chain and presence of Brucella spp. antibodies in bulk milk in Uganda. Trop Anim Health Prod 2016; 48:985-94. [PMID: 27026231 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-016-1052-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the influence of informal milk delivery chains on the risk of human exposure to Brucella spp. through milk consumption in two regions of Uganda (Gulu and Soroti Districts). The work involved describing milk delivery chains, investigating brucellosis awareness amongst milk deliverers and determining the presence of Brucella spp. antibodies in cattle milk on delivery to primary collection points (boiling points and dairies). Milk samples (n = 331) were collected from deliverers at primary collection points and from street vendors at point of sale and analysed using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA). A written questionnaire was used to collect data from deliverers (n = 279) on their milk delivery chains and their brucellosis awareness. The most common delivery points in Gulu District were small dairies and in Soroti District boiling points. The presence of Brucella spp. antibodies in milk samples was higher in Soroti (40 %) than in Gulu (11 %) (P < 0.0001). There are possible public health risk consequences of this finding as 42 % of deliverers in Soroti District reported drinking raw milk, compared with 15 % in Gulu District (P < 0.0001). Awareness of brucellosis was low, with 70 % of all milk deliverers reporting not having heard of the disease or the bacterium. Application of quality controls for milk (colour and odour) along the delivery chain varied depending upon supply and demand. This study provides evidence of the diversity of informal milk markets in low-income countries and of the potential public health risks of consuming unpasteurised milk. These results can be useful to those planning interventions to reduce brucellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Toeroek Rock
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Denis Rwabiita Mugizi
- Department of Biomolecular Resources and Biolab Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Karl Ståhl
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute, 751 89, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulf Magnusson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sofia Boqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Mugizi DR, Boqvist S, Nasinyama GW, Waiswa C, Ikwap K, Rock K, Lindahl E, Magnusson U, Erume J. Prevalence of and factors associated with Brucella sero-positivity in cattle in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Uganda. J Vet Med Sci 2015; 77:557-64. [PMID: 25716482 PMCID: PMC4478735 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.14-0452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a key zoonosis of major public health, animal welfare and economic significance, and is endemic in livestock in Uganda. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out to estimate the sero-prevalence of brucellosis and identify factors associated with sero-positivity in cattle in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Northern and Eastern Uganda, respectively. A total of 1007 sera and data on biologically plausible risk factors from 166 herds and their spatial locations, were collected from cattle reared in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Uganda. The sera were analyzed using indirect ELISA and sero-positive reactors confirmed by competitive ELISA. Multivariable models were used to investigate for risk factors. The overall animal-level and herd-level sero-prevalence was 7.5% (76/1007, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 6.15-9.4%) and 27.1% (45/166, 95% CI: 20.9-34.3%), respectively. Herd-level sero-prevalence was significantly (P<0.001) higher in Soroti than Gulu. In Gulu town, sero-positivity increased with an increase in herd size (P=0.03) and age (P=0.002), and was higher in cattle brought in from western Uganda (P<0.0001). In Soroti town, introduction of new cattle into a herd was significantly (P=0.027) associated with herd sero-positivity. There was a geographically differential risk (clustering) of Brucella sero- positivity in herds in Soroti, while sero-positivity was homogeneously distributed in Gulu. The data highlight brucellosis occurrence and major risk factors for its transmission in cattle in urban and peri-urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Rwabiita Mugizi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
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