Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Serological, molecular detection and potential risk factors associated with camel brucellosis in Pakistan

  • Regular Articles
  • Published:
Tropical Animal Health and Production Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonoses in developing countries and was considered the most widespread zoonosis in the world. Brucellosis was reported in camels and has been reported from all camel-keeping countries.

The present study was performed in three districts (Jhang, Chiniot, and Bhakkar) of Punjab province of Pakistan. A total of 200 camel (Camelus bactrianus) sera were collected using random and multistage cluster sampling from different areas. Fifty samples were collected from one organized governmental farm. One hundred fifty samples were collected randomly from nomadic/pastoral production systems. All sera were tested with Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT) and confirmed by ELISA. Genomic DNA was extracted from all serum samples and tested by real-time PCR. Various potential risk factors (season, rearing with other animals, and abortion or orchitis history) recorded through questionnaires were statistically analyzed by Chi-square test.

In total, 5 % of investigated sera were positive by RBPT. Only 2 % of the camel sera were CELISA positive. Brucella abortus DNA was detected in 1.5 % of the investigated animals. Season, rearing of camels with other ruminants, abortion, and orchitis history were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) disease for determinants.

Camel brucellosis is a zoonotic disease in the Pakistani Punjab with various risk factors maintaining and perpetuating its spread. Therefore, there is a need for implementing control measures and raising public health awareness in prevention of brucellosis in Pakistan.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbas, B., and Agab, H., 2002. A review of camel brucellosis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 55, 47–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Akbarmehr, J., and Ghiyamirad, M., 2011. Serological survey of brucellosis in livestock animals in Sarab City (East Azarbayjan province), Iran. African Journal of Microbiology Research 5, 1220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, S., Akhter, S., Neubauer, H., Melzer, F., Khan, I., Ali, Q., and Irfan, M., 2015. Serological, cultural, and molecular evidence of Brucella infection in small ruminants in Pakistan. Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 9, 470–475.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, S., Ali, Q., Abatih, E., Ullah, N., Muhammad, A., Khan, I., and Akhter, S., 2013. Sero-prevalence of Brucella abortus among dairy cattle and buffaloes in Pothohar Plateau, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of zoology 45, 1041–1046.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alshaikh, A., Al-Haidary, A., Aljumaah, R., Al-Korashi, M., El Nabi, G., and Hussein, M., 2007. Camel brucellosis in Riyadh region, Saudai Arabia. Journal of Camel Practice and Research 14, 113–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alton, G., 1988. Techniques for the brucellosis laboratory. Institut Nacional de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris.

  • Azwai, S., Carter, S., Woldehiwet, Z., and MacMillan, A., 2001. Camel Brucellosis: Evaluation of field sera by conventional serological tests and ELISA. Journal of Camel Practice and Research 8, 185–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boukary, A.R., Saegerman, C., Abatih, E., Fretin, D., Bada, R.A., De Deken, R., Harouna, H.A., Yenikoye, A., and Thys, E., 2013. Seroprevalence and potential risk factors for Brucella spp. Infection in traditional cattle, sheep and goats reared in urban, periurban and rural areas of niger. PloS one 8, e83175.

  • Dawood, H., 2008. Brucellosis in camels (Camelus dromedorius) in the south province of Jordan American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3, 623–626.

  • El-Sawalhy, A., Montaser, A., and Rizk, L., 1996. Diagnostic and biochemical evaluation of Camel brucellosis. Veterinary Medicine Journal Giza 44, 323–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faye, B., 2013. Camel farming sustainability: The challenges of the camel farming system in the XXIth century Journal of Sustainable Development 6, 74–82.

  • Gameel, S., Mohamed, S., Mustafa, A., and SM., A., 1993. Prevalence of camel brucellosis in Libya. Trop Anim Health Prod 25, 91–93.

  • Gautret, P., Benkouiten, S., Gaillard, C., Parola, P., and Brouqui, P., 2013. Camel milk-associated infection risk perception and knowledge in french hajj pilgrims. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 13, 425–427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghanem, Y., El-Khodery, S., Saad, A., Abdelkader, A., Heybe, A., and Musse, Y., 2009. Seroprevalence of camel brucellosis (Camelus dromedarius) in Somaliland. Trop Anim Health Prod 41, 1779–1786.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guanche Garcell, H., Guilarte Garcia, E., Vazquez Pueyo, P., Rodriguez Martín, I., Villanueva Arias, A., and Alfonso Serrano, R., 2016. Outbreaks of brucellosis related to the consumption of unpasteurized camel milk. Journal of Infection and Public Health.

  • GUL, S., and KHAN, A., 2007. Epidemiology and epizootology of brucellosis: A review. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 27, 145–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gul, S., Khan, A., Rizvi, F., and Hussain, I., 2014. Sero-prevalence of brucellosis in food animals in the Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 34, 454–458.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gumi, B., Firdessa, R., Yamuah, L., Sori, T., Tolosa, T., Aseffa, A., Zinsstag, J., and Schelling, E., 2013. Seroprevalence of Brucellosis and Q-Fever in Southeast Ethiopian Pastoral Livestock. Journal of Veterinary Science and Medical Diagnosis 2, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwida, M., Al Dahouk, S., Melzer, F., Rösler, U., Neubauer, H., and Tomaso, H., 2010. Brucellosis – Regionally emerging zoonotic disease? Croatian Medical Journal 51, 289–295.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gwida, M., El-Gohary, A., Melzer, F., Khan, I., Rösler, U., and Neubauer, H., 2012. Brucellosis in camels. Research in Veterinary Science 92, 351–355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gwida, M., El-Gohary, A., Melzer, F., Tomaso, H., Rösler, U., Wernery, U., Wernery, R., Elschner, M., Khan, I., Eickhoff, M., Schöner, D., and Neubauer, H., 2011. Comparison of diagnostic tests for the detection of Brucella spp. in camel sera. BMC Research Notes 4, 525–525.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hollingsworth, C.R., 1998. The Brucellosis Bacterium: Small but Mighty-An Infectious Animal Disease Decision Case (Abridged). Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education 27, 145–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain, I., Arshad, M., Mahmood, M., and Akhtar, M., 2008. Seroprevalence of brucellosis in human, cattle, and buffalo populations in Pakistan. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences 32, 315–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohammed, O., Megersa, B., Abebe, R., Abera, M., Regassa, A., Abdrehman, Y., and Mekuria, S., 2011. Seroprevalence of brucellosis in camels in and around Dire Dawa city, Eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances 10, 1177–1183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moustafa, T., Omar, E., Basyouni, S., and El-Badawi, A., 1998. Surveillance of Brucella antibodies in camels of the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates. In Proc. International Meeting on Camel Production and Future Perspectives, 2–3 May, College of Food and Agriculture, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates,, 160–166.

  • Mukhtar, F., 2010. Brucellosis in a high risk occupational group: seroprevalence and analysis of risk factors. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association 60, 1031–1034.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muma, J., Samui, K., Siamudaala, V., Oloya, J., Matope, G., Omer, M., Munyeme, M., Mubita, C., and Skjerve, E., 2006. Prevalence of antibodies to Brucella spp. and individual risk factors of infection in traditional cattle, goats and sheep reared in livestock–wildlife interface areas of Zambia. Trop Anim Health Prod 38, 195–206.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee, N., 2009. Blood harvesting guidelines. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/regs/animal-welfare/pubs/blood-harvestingguidelines Accessed September 10, 2015.

  • OIE, 2009. Bovine Brucellosis. Manual of diagnostic tests and vaccines for terrestrial animals. World Organisation for Animal Health OIE, Paris, France, 12–30.

  • Probert, W., Schrader, K., Khuong, N., Bystrom, S., and Graves, M., 2004. Real-time multiplex PCR assay for detection of Brucella spp., B. abortus, and B. melitensis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 42, 1290–1293.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rashid, A., Naz, N., and Fareeha, 1999. Brucella infection in human beings. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 19, 29–31.

  • Rhodes, H., Williams, D., and Hansen, G., 2016. Invasive human brucellosis infection in travelers to and immigrants from the Horn of Africa related to the consumption of raw camel milk. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease.

  • Roth, F., Zinsstag, J., Orkhon, D., Chimed-Ochir, G., Hutton, G., Cosivi, O., Carrin, G., and Otte, J., 2003. Human health benefits from livestock vaccination for brucellosis: case study. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 81, 867–876.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui, A., 2009. Incidence of camel brucellosis in Pakistan. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muhammad_Siddiqui/publication Accessed June 9, 2016.

  • Sprague, L., Al-Dahouk, S., and Neubauer, H., 2012. A review on camel brucellosis: a zoonosis sustained by ignorance and indifference. Pathogens and Global Health 106, 144–149.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tassew, H., and Kassahun, F., 2014. Sero-epidemiological study of camel brucellosis in Mehoni district, south eastern Tigray, Ethiopia. Journal Microbiology Research 4, 18–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teklue, T., Tolosa, T., Tuli, G., Beyene, B., and Hailu, B., 2013. Sero-prevalence and risk factors study of brucellosis in small ruminants in Southern Zone of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 1809–1815.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teshome, H., Molla, B., and Tibbo, M., 2003. A seroprevalence study of camel brucellosis in three camel-rearing regions of Ethiopia. Trop Anim Health Prod 35, 381–390.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thrusfield, M., 2007. Veterinary Epidemiology Blackwell Science, Oxford, 22–60.

  • Treanor, J., Johnson, J., Wallen, R., Cilles, S., Crowley, P., Cox, J.J., Maehr, D., White, P., and Plumb, G., 2010. Vaccination strategies for managing brucellosis in Yellowstone bison. Vaccine 28, Supplement 5, F64-F72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullah, S., Jamil, T., Mushtaq, M., and Saleem, M., 2015. Prevalence of brucellosis among camels in district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Journal of Infection and Molecular Biology 3, 52–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wernery, U., 2014. Camelid brucellosis: a review. Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics) 33, 839–857.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiesch, Z., Schulze, J., Wichmann, D., Sobottka, I., Rohde, H., Schmoock, G., Wernery, R., Schmiedel, S., Dieter Burchard, G., and Melzer, F., 2010. Genomic Tandem Repeat Analysis Proves Laboratory‐Acquired Brucellosis in Veterinary (Camel) Diagnostic Laboratory in the United Arab Emirates. Zoonoses and public health 57, 315–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, X., Skyberg, J., Cao, L., Clapp, B., Thornburg, T., and Pascual, D., 2013. Progress in Brucella vaccine development. Frontiers in biology 8, 60–77.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yawoz, M., Jaafar, S., Salih, A., and Abdullah, M., 2012. A serological study of brucellosis in camels south of Kirkuk, Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences 26, 105–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zewolda, S., and Wereta, M., 2012. Seroprevalence of Brucella infection in camel and its public health significance in selected districts of Afar region, Ethiopia. Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science 1, 91–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zinsstag, J., Schelling, E., Solera, J., Blasco, J., and Moriyon, I., 2011. Brucellosis. Oxford Textbook of Zoonoses.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research work was financially supported by the International Research Project “Brucellosis in Pakistan” as part of the “German partnership program for excellence and healthy security” funded by Federal Foreign Office, Germany. I am thankful to Prof. Dr. Khushi Muhammad (University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore) for extending the diagnostic support at UVAS, Lahore, Pakistan. Authors are thankful to Dr Nasrullah Khan for statistical data analysis.

Authors’ contributions

SF, IK, MY, and AN participated in the conception and design of the study and SF performed the field work. IK, HE, FM, and HN analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. SF, IK, HE, FM, and HN were contributed to the analysis and helped in the manuscript discussion. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Epidemiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Pakistan

    Sana Fatima & Iahtasham Khan

  2. Section of Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Pakistan

    Amar Nasir

  3. Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Jhang, Pakistan

    Muhammad Younus

  4. Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Saqib

  5. Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of bacterial infections and zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Falk Melzer, Heinrich Neubauer & Hosny El-Adawy

  6. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, 335516, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt

    Hosny El-Adawy

Authors
  1. Sana Fatima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iahtasham Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amar Nasir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Muhammad Younus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Muhammad Saqib
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Falk Melzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Heinrich Neubauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hosny El-Adawy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hosny El-Adawy.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fatima, S., Khan, I., Nasir, A. et al. Serological, molecular detection and potential risk factors associated with camel brucellosis in Pakistan. Trop Anim Health Prod 48, 1711–1718 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-016-1148-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-016-1148-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation