Seroprevalence Study of Brucella Infection in and around Rewa District, India

Bovine Brucellosis is a serious disease of livestock that has significant animal, public health and international trade consequences. Considering the damage done by the infection in animals such as death losses, decreased milk production, weight loss, infertility and lameness, this disease is a formidable threat to livestock. The fact that this disease can spread rapidly and be transmitted to humans makes it all the more serious. Brucella species are small, Gram-negative, non-motile, non-sporeforming, rod-shaped (cocco-bacilli) bacteria. Brucella abortus is the principal cause of Brucellosis in cattle. Once exposed, the likelihood of an animal becoming infected is variable, depending on age, pregnancy status, and other intrinsic factors of the animal, as well as the number of bacteria to which the animal was exposed (Radostitis et al., 2000). World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) considers the disease as a threat of public health importance and a boundary for international trade of animals (OIE, 2004).