Recent lessons learnt from the outbreak of brucellosis in Dekemhare, Anseba, Eritrea

Abstract

Brucellosis is an acute to chronic zoonotic disease which is endemic in some tropical developing countries with profound impact on infected animals and people. The study examined some of the risk factors for brucellosis following outbreak of the disease in Anseba, a region in Eritrea. Twenty three patients from Dekemhare, 2 of whom were admitted with confirmed diagnosis of brucellosis in Orotta National Referral Medical and Surgical Hospital in Asmara while the other 21, two thirds of whom confirmed positive for brucellosis according to the Rose Bengal slide agglutination test, sought services in local health facilities in Dekemhare following an outbreak of the disease in May 2008. More than 80% of the patients mostly students, consumed un-boiled milk. Two thirds of the animals in the area were sick but less than 20% received veterinary consultations with half of them testing positive for brucellosis. This report links contraction of brucellosis to human through contact with infected animals and drinking of un-boiled milk. Appropriate health promotion focusing on young people and targeting preventive measures such as regular use of veterinary services and consumption of boiled milk complemented by monitoring of brucellosis through integrated disease surveillance and response in Eritrea may cost effectively prevent brucellosis.Key words: PMTCT, LQAS

Keywords: Zoonosis, brucellosis, Eritrea, veterinary services