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Risk factor analysis for antibodies to Brucella, Leptospira and C. burnetii among cattle in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Brucellosis, leptospirosis and Q fever are important livestock diseases, commonly responsible for significant production losses, yet their epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa is largely unknown. Animal reservoirs pose the main risk of transmission to humans, where serious disease can occur. In the developing world setting, the flu-like symptoms of the acute stages of these diseases can be misdiagnosed as malaria, which can result in the administration of the wrong treatment, prolonged disease and increase in antibiotic resistance. Multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression models in this study revealed potential risk factors associated with the aforementioned pathogens in cattle in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon, with wildlife, namely, buffaloes, playing a major role in both Brucella and Coxiella burnetii seropositivity. Cattle mixing with other herds at night and cattle grazing in an area on a route taken by herds on transhumance appear to be positively associated with Leptospira seropositivity, while female cows and whether buffaloes are seen during grazing or transhumance are positively associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. On the other hand, animals that have been on transhumance in the past year and animals belonging to herdsmen of the Fulbe ethnic group appear to be protected against Leptospira and C. burnetii, respectively. Cattle of more than 2 years old appear to have increased odds of being seropositive to either pathogen. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and improve the knowledge of the epidemiology of these three pathogens in Africa, taking particular consideration of the wildlife involvement in the disease transmission.

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Acknowledgements

The Wellcome Trust provided funding for the original research project in Cameroon (grant no. 053840). IH and MB are supported by the Institute Strategic Grant funding from the BBSRC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetic and Genomics Department, The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, UK

    Stella Mazeri, Ian G. Handel & Barend M. deC. Bronsvoort

  2. Department of Farm Animal Health, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Francesca Scolamacchia

  3. Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK

    Kenton L. Morgan

  4. Technical Adviser N°1, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde, Cameroon

    Vincent N. Tanya

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  1. Stella Mazeri
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  2. Francesca Scolamacchia
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Correspondence to Stella Mazeri.

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Mazeri, S., Scolamacchia, F., Handel, I.G. et al. Risk factor analysis for antibodies to Brucella, Leptospira and C. burnetii among cattle in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon: a cross-sectional study. Trop Anim Health Prod 45, 617–623 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-012-0268-0

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