SERO-PREVALENCE OF BRUCELLOSIS IN GOATS PURCHASED FOR SLAUGHTER IN SELECTED EXPORT ABATTOIRS, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT A cross sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in selected sheep and goat product export abattoirs and to assess the possible association of different epidemiological risk factors with the occurrence of the disease. A total of 450 sera were collected from goats in those selected export abattoirs, using systematic random sampling technique. Rose Bengal Plate Test was used as a screening test and detected 1.56% (N=7) of the samples as sero positive. Up on further testing by CFT for confirmation, only 1.11% (N=5) of the samples were positive. In this study there was no statistically significant relationship observed between the risk factors like age, origin and sex (P>0.05), although higher prevalence was observed in adults (1.97%), but statistically significant relationship was observed between sero-prevalence and body condition of animals, where higher prevalence was observed in poor body conditioned goats (p<0.05). In conclusion even though the overall prevalence observed in this study was relatively low, the finding still has the capability to indicate the presence of the disease and the importance of intervention in the areas from which the goats are supplied or produced as there is risk of spread of the disease which is economically important. The existence of the disease in those export abattoirs may lead to prohibition of export of slaughtered goats to Middle East and other countries to preclude risk of zoonosis. This in turn results in loss of income from the export sector. Therefore, awareness creation for animal owners and implementation of strategic control measure is necessary to prevent further spread of the disease in the study area. Keywords: Brucellosis, CFT, Ethiopia, Export abattoirs, Goats, RBPT, Zoonoses, cross sectional study