A review of Brucella seroprevalence among humans and animals in Bangladesh with special emphasis on epidemiology, risk factors and control opportunities

Brucellosis is a neglected bacterial zoonotic disease in many countries affecting both humans and animals. The aim of this paper is to review published reports of the seroprevalence of brucellosis in humans and animals (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and dogs) in Bangladesh. The prevalence studies are based primarily on the following serological tests: rose bengal plate agglutination test (RBT), plate agglutination test (PAT), tube agglutination test (TAT), mercaptoethanol agglutination test (MET), standard tube agglutination test (STAT), slow agglutination test (SAT), milk ring test (MRT), indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (I-ELISA), competitive ELISA (C-ELISA) and fluorescent polarization assay (FPA). Seroprevalences of brucellosis were found to be affected by the sensitivity and specificity of serological tests employed. Brucellosis prevalence varied based on occupations of people (2.5-18.6%) and species of animals (3.7% in cattle, 4.0% in buffalo, 3.6% in goats and 7.3% in sheep). The prevalence of brucellosis in humans was reported in livestock farmers (2.6-21.6%), milkers (18.6%), butchers (2.5%) and veterinarians (5.3-11.1%) who have direct contact with animal and its products or who consume raw milk. According to published reports brucellosis does affect people and livestock of Bangladesh. There is an immediate need for a concerted effort to control and eradicate brucellosis from domesticated animals in Bangladesh.