Bovine brucellosis: seroprevalence, risk factors and assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of cattle owners in Lare and Jikawo districts of Gambella Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Bovine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes substantial economic losses and strongly impacts public health. Though it has been eradicated in many developed countries, it is still endemic in developing countries like Ethiopia: The study's objectives were to estimate the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis, determine the risk factors, quantify and assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of cattle owners in a few selected areas of Ethiopia's Gambella region. Lare and Jikawo were the two districts of the Gambella Region selected purposively. Kebeles, study animals and peasant associations were randomly chosen. A total of 384 serum samples from 70 herds were collected and screened using the Rose Bengal Plate Test and confirmed using the Complement Fixation Test. A semi-structured questionnaire survey was used to assess the risk factors for the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis and the knowledge, attitude and practice of farmers in the study areas about the disease. The seroprevalence of brucellosis was summarized using descriptive statistics, and the association between risk factors, and seroprevalence of brucellosis was evaluated using logistic regression. The principal findings of the current study showed that individual and herd level seroprevalence of brucellosis using the Rose Bengal Plate test was 6.8% (26/384) and 24.3% (17/70), respectively, and the respective confirmation by complement fixation test3.1% (12/384) and 12.9% (9/70). Among the risk factors, herd size and the presence of other species had statistically significant associations (p<0.05) with Brucella seropositivity. Female cattle with more parity and those with abortion history had higher odds of Brucella antibodies compared to their counterparts. Although the overall respondents' knowledge, attitude, and practice were 66.4%, most were unaware that the disease was zoonotic, the ability of the disease to cause abortion, and the mode of the disease's transmission. Most respondents also had a poor attitude toward the mode of disease transmission, and they have been practicing risky practices that predisposed them to brucellosis. In conclusion, the overall seroprevalence of brucellosis and cattle owners' knowledge, attitude, and practice in the current study were low. However, being a contagious disease, brucellosis can easily spread among cattle herds and poses a public health risk. Therefore, improvement of cattle owners’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and characterization of circulating Brucella species in the study areas are needed to design evidence-based disease control measures