Prevalence and factors associated with human brucellosis in livestock professionals

Mufinda, Franco Cazembe; Boinas, Fernando; Nunes, Carla

doi:10.1590/S1518-8787.2017051006051

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Original Articles • Rev. Saúde Pública 51 • 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S1518-8787.2017051006051 copy

Prevalence and factors associated with human brucellosis in livestock professionals

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of human brucellosis in livestock professionals and analyze the factors associated with brucellosis focusing on sociodemographic variables and the variables of knowledge and practices related to the characteristics of the activities carried out in livestock.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional seroepidemiological study with a population of 131 workers of butchers, slaughter rooms, and slaughterhouse and 192 breeders sampled randomly in Namibe province, Angola. The data were obtained from the collection of blood and use of questionnaires. The laboratory tests used were rose bengal and slow agglutination. The questionnaire allowed us to collect sociodemographic information and, specifically on brucellosis, it incorporated questions about knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of livestock professionals. In addition to the descriptive statistical approach, we used the Chi-square test of independence, Fisher’s test, and logistic regression models, using a significance level of 10%.

RESULTS

The general weighted prevalence of brucellosis was 15.6% (95%CI 13.61–17.50), being it 5.3% in workers and 16.7% (95%CI 11.39–21.93) in breeders. The statistical significance was observed between human seroprevalence and category (worker and breeder) (p < 0.001) and education level (p = 0.032), start of activity (p = 0079), and service location (p = 0.055). In a multivariate context, the positive factor associated with brucellosis in professionals was the professional category (OR = 3.54; 95%CI 1.57–8.30, related to breeders in relation to workers).

CONCLUSIONS

Human brucellosis in livestock professionals is prevalent in Namibe province (15.6%), where the professional category was the most important factor. The seroprevalence levels detected are high when compared with those found in similar studies.

Brucellosis, epidemiology; Animal Husbandry; Occupational Risks; Socioeconomic Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies

Test	Negative		Positive		Total analyzed

	n	%	n	%
RBT	279	86.4	44	13.6	323
SAT*	5	87.9	39	12.1	44

Municipality	Workers			Breeders			Total

	NT	TP	PT (%)	NC	CP	PC (%)	PP (%)
Namibe	103	4	3.9	9	1	11.1	10.4
Tombwa	9	1	11.1	7	2	28.6	26.9
Bibala	8	1	12.5	113	19	16.8	16.4
Kamucuio	5	1	20.0	44	6	13.6	14.3
Virei	6	0	0	19	4	21.0	19.0

Total	131	7	5.3	192	32	16.7	15.6

Variable	Total		Human seroprevalence				p

			Positive		Negative

	n	%	n	%	n	%
Category	323	100					0.001^a
Worker	131	40.6	7	5.3	124	94.7
Breeder	192	59.4	32	16.7	160	83.3
Gender	323	100					0.703^a
Male	248	76.8	29	11.7	219	88.3
Female	75	23.2	10	13.3	65	86.7
Age group (years)	323	100					0.469^b
10–19	25	7.7	5	20.0	20	80.0
20–29	102	31.6	14	13.7	88	86.3
30–39	79	24.5	5	6.3	74	93.7
40–49	55	17.1	8	14.5	47	85.5
50–59	46	14.2	5	10.9	41	89.1
> 60	16	4.9	2	12.5	14	87.5
Place of birth	323	100					0.785^b
Namibe province	209	64.7	26	12.4	183	87.6
Other	114	35.3	13	11.4	101	88.6
Education level	323	100					0.032^b
No education	189	58.5	29	15.3	160	84.7
Basic education	134	41.5	10	7.5	124	92.5
Start of activities	323	100					0.079^b
Minor	226	70.0	32	14.2	194	85.8
Adult	97	30.0	7	7.2	90	92.8
Formal entry in the activity	323	100					0.103^b
Legacy (heir)	116	35.9	20	17.2	96	82.8
Entrepreneur	109	33.7	10	9.2	99	90.8
Contract	98	30.4	9	9.2	89	90.8
Service location	323	100.					0.055^c
Slaughterhouse SOFRIO and butchers of Namibe	103	31.9	4	3.9	99	96.1
Municipal slaughter rooms	28	8.7	3	10.7	25	89.3
Farms of Namibe	9	2.7	1	11.1	8	88.9
Farms of Tombwa	7	2.2	2	28.6	5	71.4
Farms of Bibala	113	35.0	19	16.8	94	83.2
Farms of Kamucuio	44	13.6	6	13.6	38	86.4
Farms of Virei	19	5.9	4	21.1	15	78.9

Variable	Crude OR	95%CI	p
Category
Worker*
Breeder	3.54	1.57–8.30	0.004
Gender
Male*
Female	0.86	0.39–1.86	0.703
Age group (years)
> 60*
10–19	0.64	0.21–1.97	0.433
20–29	0.27	0.07–1.03	0.055
30–39	0.68	0.19–2.33	0.541
40–49	0.49	0.13–1.89	0.297
50–59	0.57	0.09–3.38	0.537
Education level
Basic education*
No education	2.25	1.06–4.79	0.036

Knowledge and prophylaxis	Total		Human seroprevalence				p

			Positive		Negative

	n	%	n	%	n	%
Knowledge: professionals (workers and breeders)
Have ever heard of brucellosis	323	100
Yes	37	11.5	6	15.4	31	10.9	0.411^a
No	286	88.5	33	84.6	253	89.1
Fresh milk and unpasteurized dairy products (cheese and butter) transmit brucellosis	37	100
Yes	10	27.0	2	33.3	8	25.8	0.704^b
No	27	73.0	4	66.7	23	74.8
Animal fetal materials transmit brucellosis	37	100
Yes	9	24.3	1	16.7	8	25.8	0.633^b
No	28	75.7	5	83.3	23	74.2
Practice and characteristics of farms (breeders)
Pasture is near water sources (rivers and ponds)	192	100
Yes	76	39.6	7	21.9	69	43.1	0.029^c
No	116	60.4	25	78.1	91	56.9
Existence of wetlands along the pasture	192	100
Yes	62	32.2	6	18.7	56	35.0	0.073^a
No	130	67.8	26	81.3	104	65.0
Replacement of herd with cattle from other pens	192	100
Yes	179	93.2	32	100	147	91.9	0.096^c
No	13	6.8	0	0	13	8.1
Sale of unpasteurized milk and dairy products	192	100					0.032^c
Yes	163	84.9	23	71.9	140	87.5
No	29	15.1	9	28.1	20	12.5
Abortion remains are abandoned in the pasture and eventually ingested by dogs and pigs	192	100					< 0.001^a
Yes	91	47.4	25	78.1	66	41.3
Does not know/No answer	61	31.8	4	12.5	57	35.6
No	40	20.8	3	9.4	37	23.1

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[1] Correspondence: Franco Cazembe Mufinda. Direcção Provincial de Saúde do Namibe-Angola. Rua Padre Carlos Esterman Moçâmedes, Namibe, Angola. E-mail: fcmufinda@gmail.com