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Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Brucellosis in Sheep in North Kordofan State Sudan

A cross-sectional study was carried out from April to July/2012 to estimate the prevalence of brucellosis in sheep and to investigate potential risk factors associated with the disease in North Kordofan state. A total of 318 serum samples were collected from sheep. 2.5% (8/318; 95% CI from 0.78 to 4.22) and 22.0% (70/318; 95% CI from 17.5 to 26.6) prevalences were parallel estimated by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Serum Agglutination Test (STA). All the RBPT and SAT positive serum samples were serially tested by a Competitive Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The investigated potential individual risk factors included: localities, breeds, age groups, body condition, sexes and parity while herd size, mixed herd, housing, feeding and drinking equipments, having aborter animals in the herd, disposal of the foetal membranes after abortion, practicing milking hygiene and presence of insects and dogs in the herd were the management risk factors. Univariate analysis using chi- square, with a confidence interval of 95% at a p-value of ≤0.05 was employed to identify potential risk factors associated with RBPT- and SAT-positivity statuses for brucellosis infection in sheep. With exception of age (Chi 2 = 5.69, p-value = 0.017) in SAT-positive status, none of the other individual or management risk factors had an effect on the occurrence of brucellosis in sheep in North Kordofan State, neither for RBPT- nor for SAT-seropositive statuses. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was not used because all risk factors had no effect on the spreading of the disease in the univariate analysis using chi square at p-value of ≤0.05. It is concluded that brucellosis in sheep is probably not a significant public health problem in North Kordofan State. However, more studies investigating potential risk factors that could enhance the spread and transmission of brucellosis in sheep in the Sudan are recommended, besides, eradication plans should take place when still the disease is at this low prevalence as the needed effort and cost to manage the disease would be small.