Back
|
Brucellosis
Local names:
Embua: kuvuna /
Luo: tuo bwogo /
Kikuyu: muhono, kihuna /
Maasai: Aibiriu, olik ibiroto /
Samburu:ikiboroto /
Swahili: homa ya kutupa mamba /
Turkana: akiyech /
Maragoli: luhusidza /
Luvugusu: livure /
Nandi: sutonik /
Common names:
contagious abortion, Bang's disease
Description:
Zoonotic disease
|
Introduction
 |
| Geographical Distribution of Brucellosis |
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection affecting domestic animals such as cattle, camels, donkeys, goats and sheep. People can catch the disease from animals.
The disease occurs world wide and is also known to occur in all tropical countries. It is caused by four strains of the bacterium Brucella, in various livestock. Only one species Brucella abortus is of economic importance in cattle. Brucella melintensis and Brucella suis
occasionally affect cattle that come in contact with small ruminants and pigs respectively. Brucella arbortus has worldwide distribution. Cattle of all ages and sex can be infected with B. abortus.
Mode of spread
The disease is spread when aborting animals discharge B. abortus bacteria in the placenta, foetus and vaginal discharges to the ground where they can survive for several weeks. The cattle become infected when they ingest or inhale contaminated material with the pathogens. Humans are affected when they consume milk from infected cows. The disease can be transmitted to the unborn calf through the placenta by the infected dam. The disease has negative economic consequences to stockmen in both modern intensive dairy systems and as well as pastoral production systems.
Signs of Brucellosis
- In in-calf females, the bacteria invade and cause abortion from the seventh month of pregnancy.
- After abortion, afterbirth doesn't come out (retained placenta). This can further develop to Metritis, which often cause infertility.
- In bulls, symptoms may not show up but if so; they may include inflammation of the testes, lack of sexual activity and even infertility.
- There is subcutaneous swellings containing infected fluid on the legs of infected cattle and the placenta often has a thickened leathery appearance with necrosis on the cotyledons
Diagnosis. Abortions occurring after 6 months of pregnancy are indicative. However, blood samples should be taken for detailed laboratory analysis to confirm the disease. Blood samples should be taken for agglutination test. When abortion occurs, aborted fetuses should be taken intact in a sealed container to the laboratory for detailed examination. The fetuses should be handled carefully with gloves to avoid human infection.
Prevention - Control - Treatment
- Managing effective sanitary measures in the cattle environment
- Vaccination. Calves under eight months can be vaccinated with live vaccines (S.19) to prevent infection. Such vaccinations can provide lifelong immunity. However, the live vaccine should be used with care in adult animals because it can cause abortion in in-calf females and inflammation of the testes in adult males. Adult cattle should be vaccinated annually with dead B. abortus vaccine (45/20).
- Because of the danger of human infection, infected fetuses, placenta and cows should be handled with great care. Handlers of such material should always wear gloves for protection. They should also ensure that keep their hands away from the mouth, nose and eyes until after the hands are thoroughly disinfected.
Recommended treatment
Brucella infections are known to be persistent and hence treatment with antibiotic is not recommended. It is therefore not practical and not viable to make any treatment attempt.
Other useful home remedies
- Isolate all cows that have aborted until all the discharges have stopped
- Burn or burry all contaminated materials such as fetuses, foetal membranes
- Clean and disinfect all cattle premises which may be contaminated with fetuses and foetal membranes.
- With the risk of human infection, proper hygienic precautions should be taken when handling abortions and where infection is known to occur in certain herds of cattle, drinking of raw milk and un pasteurized milk products should be prohibited
Common traditional practices
- Samburu: Crush a piece of sokotei root (Salvadora persica, toothbrush tree) about two fingers long. Boil in 5 litres of water for 1 hour. Allow the mixture to cool, than sieve and drench the animal has aborted. Use 2 litres for cows, 1 litre for sheep and goats.
Information Source Links
- Barber, J., Wood, D.J. (1976) Livestock management for East Africa: Edwar Arnold (Publishers) Ltd 25 Hill Street London WIX 8LL. ISBN: 071310063X
- Blood, D.C., Radostits, O.M. and Henderson, J.A. (1983) Veterinary Medicine - A textbook of the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep, Goats and Horses. Sixth Edition - Bailliere Tindall London. ISBN: 0702012866
- Blowey, R.W. (1986). A Veterinary book for dairy farmers: Farming press limited Wharfedale road, Ipswich, Suffolk IPI 4LG
- Force, B. (1999). Where there is no Vet. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands. ISBN 978-0333-58899-4.
- Hall, H.T.B. (1985). Diseases and parasites of Livestock in the tropics. Second Edition. Longman Group UK. ISBN 0582775140
- Hunter, A. (1996). Animal health: General principles. Volume 1 (Tropical Agriculturalist) - Macmillan Education Press. ISBN: 0333612027
- Hunter, A. (1996). Animal health: Specific Diseases. Volume 2 (Tropical Agriculturalist) - Macmillan Education Press. ISBN:0-333-57360-9
- ITDG and IIRR (1996). Ethnoveterinary medicine in Kenya: A field manual of traditional animal health care practices. Intermediate Technology Development Group and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Nairobi, Kenya. ISBN 9966-9606-2-7.
- Pagot, J. (1992). Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics. MacMillan Education Limited London. ISBN 0-333-53818-8
- The Organic Farmer magazine No. 50 July 2009
