The history of brucellosis in the Pacific Island and its re-emergence

Little has been published on brucellosis within the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and the cattle population has been reportedly free of the disease for many years until a re-emergence occurred in 2009. This paper reports on the outbreak of brucellosis in Fiji and its progression between 2009 and 2013 in the context of an overview of brucellosis in the Pacific Island community. Review of the literature found only 28 articles with the oldest record of brucellosis being in 1965 in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and from human cases in Tonga in 1980. The Fiji outbreak of Brucella abortus occurred in cattle in 2009 (Wainivesi basin) in the Tailevu province. Prior to this outbreak, Fiji declared freedom from B. abortus to OIE in 1989 after a successful eradication campaign. During the course of the outbreak investigation, serum samples were collected from between 9,790 – 21,624 cattle per annum between 2009 and 2013 from 87 farms on the main island of Fiji (Viti Levu). Blood samples were tested for brucellosis using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) in 2009 and the indirect ELISA test in subsequent years. At the time of the outbreak in Fiji (2009) the apparent prevalence in cattle