<i>Brucella</i> Species Circulating in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Tanzania
Isaac Joseph Mengele,
James Miser Akoko,
Gabriel Mkilema Shirima,
Shedrack Festo Bwatota,
Shabani Kiyabo Motto,
Luis E. Hernandez-Castro,
Daniel Mushumbusi Komwihangilo,
Eliamoni Lyatuu,
Barend Mark de Clare Bronsvoort,
Elizabeth Anne Jessie Cook
Affiliations
Isaac Joseph Mengele
Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
James Miser Akoko
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Gabriel Mkilema Shirima
Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
Shedrack Festo Bwatota
Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
Shabani Kiyabo Motto
Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
Luis E. Hernandez-Castro
National Health Service (NHS) Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0XH, UK
Daniel Mushumbusi Komwihangilo
Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Dodoma P.O. Box 834, Tanzania
Eliamoni Lyatuu
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Dar Es Salaam P.O. Box 34441, Tanzania
Barend Mark de Clare Bronsvoort
The Epidemiology, Economics and Risk Assessment (EERA) Group, The Roslin Institute at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
Elizabeth Anne Jessie Cook
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which results in economic losses relating to livestock and threatens public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the molecular prevalence of Brucella species in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania from July 2019 to October 2020. Dairy cattle (n = 2048) were sampled from 1371 farms. DNA extracted from blood and vaginal swabs was tested for Brucella using qPCR targeting the IS711 gene and positives were tested for the alkB marker for B. abortus and BMEI1172 marker for B. melitensis. The molecular prevalence was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8–4.4) with the highest prevalence 8.1% (95% CI: 4.6–13.0) in Njombe region. B. melitensis was the predominant species detected (66.2%). Further studies are recommended to understand the source of B. melitensis and its implications for veterinary public health. Livestock keepers should be informed of the risks and biosecurity practices to reduce the introduction and control of Brucella. Cattle and small ruminant vaccination programs could be implemented to control brucellosis in high-risk populations in the country.
