The Open Veterinary Science Journal

2010, 4 : 72-84
Published online 2010 November . DOI: 10.2174/1874318801004010072
Publisher ID: TOVSJ-4-72

Brucellosis - Risk Factors and Prevalence: A Review

L. B. Lopes , R. Nicolino and J. P.A. Haddad
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) and member of Instituto Nacional em Ciencia e Tecnologia - Informacao Genetico Sanitaria da Pecuaria Brasileira (INCTIGSPB), Brazil.

ABSTRACT

Brucella is one of the major zoonotic pathogens worldwide, and it is responsible for enormous economic losses as well as considerable human morbidity in endemic areas. The organism infects animals such as swine, cattle, goat, sheep, and dogs. Humans can become infected indirectly through contact with infected animals or by animal products consumption. Brucellosis occurs worldwide, but it is well controlled in most developed countries. The disease is rare in industrialized nations because of routine screening of domestic livestock and animal vaccination programmes. Clinical disease is still common in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, the Mediterranean Basin, and the Caribbean. This review article aims to describe the prevalence of brucellosis in some countries where data are available around different regions of world, and risk factors associated infections according regression models.