Skip to main content
Log in

A Seroprevalence Study of Camel Brucellosis in Three Camel-rearing Regions of Ethiopia

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

Abstract

A cross-sectional investigation was made into the seroprevalence of brucellosis in camels in three arid and semi-arid camel-rearing regions of Ethiopia (Afar, Somali and Borena) between November 2000 and April 2001. When sera collected from 1442 accessible camels were screened with the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), 82 (5.7%) of them reacted. The results of a complement fixation test (CFT) on those sera that had given a positive reaction to the screening test then indicated a 4.2% prevalence of brucellosis in the tested camels. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of brucellosis (χ2 = 7.91, p<0.05), which was highest in Afar (5.2%) followed by Somali (2.8%) and Borena (1.2%) regions. Camels in Afar had a four times higher risk of brucellosis with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.34 (confidence interval, CI = 1.76–10.72, p<0.001) compared to the risk in Borena. Likewise, Afar had higher risk (OR = 1.76, 1.13–2.74, p<0.05) than that in Somali. There was no significant difference in seroprevalence between the sexes (p>0.05). Although a higher prevalence (6.3%) was observed in camels over 3 years old in Afar, there was no significant overall age difference (p>0.05).

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Abbas, B., El Zubeir, A.E.A. and Yassin, T.T.M., 1987. Survey for certain zoonotic diseases in camels in Sudan. Revue d'Élevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 40, 231-233

    Google Scholar 

  • Abu Damir, H., Kenyon, S.J., Khalaf Alla, A.E. and Idris, O.F., 1984. Brucella antibodies in Sudanese camels. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 16, 209-212

    Google Scholar 

  • Alton, G.G., Jones, Lois M and Pietz, D.E., 1975. Serological methods. In: Laboratory Techniques in Brucellosis, 2nd edn, (WHO, Geneva)

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumann, M.P.O. and Zessin, K.H., 1992. Productivity and health of camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Somalia: associations with trypanosomosis and brucellosis. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 24, 145-156

    Google Scholar 

  • Bekele, A., 1999. Bovine brucellosis: a sero-epidemiological study in selected farms and ranches in southeastern Ethiopia, (DVM thesis, FVM, AAU, Debre Zeit,Ethiopia)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohoo, I.R., Wright, P.F., Ruckerbauer, G.M., Samagh, B.S., Robertson, F.J. and Forbes, L.B., 1985. A comparison of five serological tests for bovine brucellosis. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 50, 485-493

    Google Scholar 

  • Domenech, J., 1977. Enquête sérologique sur la brucellose du dromadaire en Ethiopie. Revue d'Élevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 30, 141-142

    Google Scholar 

  • Gameel, S.E.A., Mohamed, S.O., Mustafa, A.A. and Azwai, S.M., 1993. Prevalence of camel brucellosis in Libya. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 25, 91-93

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamada, S., El-Hidik, M., Sherif, I., El-Sawah, H. and Yousef, M., 1963. Serological investigation on brucellosis in cattle, buffaloes and camels. Journal of Arab Veterinary Medical Association, 23, 173-178

    Google Scholar 

  • National Meteorological Service, 2000. Annual Report, (Ethiopian National Meteorological Services, Addis Ababa)

    Google Scholar 

  • 00048.htm)

  • Radostits, O.M., Blood, D.C. and Gay, C.C., 1994. Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis. In: Veterinary Medicine. Textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Goats and Horses, 8th edn, (Baillière Tindall, London)

    Google Scholar 

  • Radwan, A.I., Bekairi, S.I. and Prasad, P.V.S., 1992. Serological and bacteriological study of brucellosis in camels in central Saudi Arabia. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l'Office International des Epizooties, 11, 837-844

    Google Scholar 

  • Radwan, A.I., Bekairi, S.I., Mukayel, A.A., Al-Bokmy, A.M., Prasad, P.V.S., Azar, F.N. and Coloyan, E.R., 1995. Control of Brucella melitensis infection in a large camel herd in Saudi Arabia using antibiotherapy and vaccination with Rev. 1 vaccine. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l'Office International des Epizooties, 14, 719-732

    Google Scholar 

  • Richard, D., 1979. Study of the pathology of dromedary in Borena Awraja (Ethiopia), (Thesis for Doctor Vétérinaire Maisons-Alfort, IEMVT Institute)

  • SAS, 1994. SAS Procedures Guide for Personal Computers, Version 8 edition, (Statistical Analysis System Institute Inc., Cary, NC)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, H.J., 1992. Introduction. The camel (Camelus dromedarius) in eastern Africa. In: H.J. Schwartz and M. Dioli (eds), The One-humped Camel in Eastern Africa. A Pictorical Guide to Diseases, Health Care and Management, (Verlag Josef Margraf Scientific Books, Berlin)

    Google Scholar 

  • Staak, C., Brauning, J., Clausen, P.H. and Salchow, F., 1996. The service-laboratory: a project on adapted serological techniques, (German Foundation for International Development (GFID); Food and Agriculture Development Centre, Feldafing)

    Google Scholar 

  • Thimm, B.H., 1982. Brucellosis: Distribution in Man, Domestic and Wild Animals, (Springer-Verlag, Berlin)

    Google Scholar 

  • Thrusfield, M., 1995. Diagnostic testing. In: Veterinary Epidemiology, 2nd edn, (Blackwell Science, Cambridge, MA)

    Google Scholar 

  • van Straten, M., Bercovich, Z. and Rahman, Zia-ur, 1997. The diagnosis of brucellosis in female camels (Camelus dromedarius) using the milk ring test and milk ELISA: a pilot study. Journal of Camel Practice and Research, 42, 165-168

    Google Scholar 

  • Waghela, S., Frazil, M.A., Gathuma, J.M. and Kagunya, D.K., 1978. A serological survey of brucellosis in camels in northeastern province of Kenya. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 10, 28-29

    Google Scholar 

  • Wernery, U., 1999. New aspects on infectious diseases of camels. Journal of Camel Practice and Research, 6, 87-91

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Tibbo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Teshome, H., Molla, B. & Tibbo, M. A Seroprevalence Study of Camel Brucellosis in Three Camel-rearing Regions of Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production 35, 381–390 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025874310261

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025874310261

Navigation