Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana.
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance infecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Little is known about the epidemiology and persistence of brucellosis in wildlife in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana.Archived wildlife samples from Botswana (1995-2000) were screened wi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3297602?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1811319600146546688 |
|---|---|
| author | Kathleen Anne Alexander Jason Kenna Blackburn Mark Eric Vandewalle Risa Pesapane Eddie Kekgonne Baipoledi Phil H Elzer |
| author_facet | Kathleen Anne Alexander Jason Kenna Blackburn Mark Eric Vandewalle Risa Pesapane Eddie Kekgonne Baipoledi Phil H Elzer |
| author_sort | Kathleen Anne Alexander |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance infecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Little is known about the epidemiology and persistence of brucellosis in wildlife in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana.Archived wildlife samples from Botswana (1995-2000) were screened with the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) and included the African buffalo (247), bushbuck (1), eland (5), elephant (25), gemsbok (1), giraffe (9), hartebeest (12), impala (171), kudu (27), red lechwe (10), reedbuck (1), rhino (2), springbok (5), steenbok (2), warthog (24), waterbuck (1), wildebeest (33), honey badger (1), lion (43), and zebra (21). Human case data were extracted from government annual health reports (1974-2006).Only buffalo (6%, 95% CI 3.04%-8.96%) and giraffe (11%, 95% CI 0-38.43%) were confirmed seropositive on both tests. Seropositive buffalo were widely distributed across the buffalo range where cattle density was low. Human infections were reported in low numbers with most infections (46%) occurring in children (<14 years old) and no cases were reported among people working in the agricultural sector.Low seroprevalence of brucellosis in Botswana buffalo in a previous study in 1974 and again in this survey suggests an endemic status of the disease in this species. Buffalo, a preferred source of bush meat, is utilized both legally and illegally in Botswana. Household meat processing practices can provide widespread pathogen exposure risk to family members and the community, identifying an important source of zoonotic pathogen transmission potential. Although brucellosis may be controlled in livestock populations, public health officials need to be alert to the possibility of human infections arising from the use of bush meat. This study illustrates the need for a unified approach in infectious disease research that includes consideration of both domestic and wildlife sources of infection in determining public health risks from zoonotic disease invasions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:45:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a343551c533845d0ba06ad8cb93824f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:45:49Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a343551c533845d0ba06ad8cb93824f82022-12-22T02:46:22ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0173e3284210.1371/journal.pone.0032842Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana.Kathleen Anne AlexanderJason Kenna BlackburnMark Eric VandewalleRisa PesapaneEddie Kekgonne BaipolediPhil H ElzerBrucellosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance infecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Little is known about the epidemiology and persistence of brucellosis in wildlife in Southern Africa, particularly in Botswana.Archived wildlife samples from Botswana (1995-2000) were screened with the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) and included the African buffalo (247), bushbuck (1), eland (5), elephant (25), gemsbok (1), giraffe (9), hartebeest (12), impala (171), kudu (27), red lechwe (10), reedbuck (1), rhino (2), springbok (5), steenbok (2), warthog (24), waterbuck (1), wildebeest (33), honey badger (1), lion (43), and zebra (21). Human case data were extracted from government annual health reports (1974-2006).Only buffalo (6%, 95% CI 3.04%-8.96%) and giraffe (11%, 95% CI 0-38.43%) were confirmed seropositive on both tests. Seropositive buffalo were widely distributed across the buffalo range where cattle density was low. Human infections were reported in low numbers with most infections (46%) occurring in children (<14 years old) and no cases were reported among people working in the agricultural sector.Low seroprevalence of brucellosis in Botswana buffalo in a previous study in 1974 and again in this survey suggests an endemic status of the disease in this species. Buffalo, a preferred source of bush meat, is utilized both legally and illegally in Botswana. Household meat processing practices can provide widespread pathogen exposure risk to family members and the community, identifying an important source of zoonotic pathogen transmission potential. Although brucellosis may be controlled in livestock populations, public health officials need to be alert to the possibility of human infections arising from the use of bush meat. This study illustrates the need for a unified approach in infectious disease research that includes consideration of both domestic and wildlife sources of infection in determining public health risks from zoonotic disease invasions.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3297602?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Kathleen Anne Alexander Jason Kenna Blackburn Mark Eric Vandewalle Risa Pesapane Eddie Kekgonne Baipoledi Phil H Elzer Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. PLoS ONE |
| title | Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. |
| title_full | Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. |
| title_fullStr | Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. |
| title_short | Buffalo, bush meat, and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in Botswana. |
| title_sort | buffalo bush meat and the zoonotic threat of brucellosis in botswana |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3297602?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kathleenannealexander buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana AT jasonkennablackburn buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana AT markericvandewalle buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana AT risapesapane buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana AT eddiekekgonnebaipoledi buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana AT philhelzer buffalobushmeatandthezoonoticthreatofbrucellosisinbotswana |