Brucellosis in South Africa: challenges in diagnosis, transmission, and control
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| Författarna: | , , |
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| Materialtyp: | artículo original |
| Status: | Versión publicada |
| Utgivningstid: | 2026 |
| Beskrivning: | Brucellosis, a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Brucella spp., poses a major threat to livestock, wildlife, and human health. Infected animals act as reservoirs, facilitating cross-species transmission. In South Africa, Brucella abortus and B. melitensis have been reported in livestock and humans, even prior to the introduction of a partial bovine brucellosis control scheme in the 1980s targeting high-risk populations, such as dairy cattle. Despite this intervention, the disease remains endemic and continues to spread due to inadequate vaccination, poor husbandry, limited resources, and unrestricted animal move- ment. Diagnostic protocols rely on serological screening using the Rose Bengal Test, with confirmation by the Complement Fixation Test. While serological methods have proven effective in eradication campaigns in developed countries, they are less suitable in en- demic settings where only a small portion of the livestock population— mainly cattle—is tested. Chronic or latent infections often evade detection by serology and even by culture, which has low sensitivity unless performed on aborted material, rarely obtainable from wildlife. Cross-species transmission is well documented. Brucella melitensis has been iso- lated from cattle, while Brucella spp. Have been detected in wildlife, including African buffalo, sable antelope, giraffe, plains zebra, hippopotamus, elephant, and African wild dog. Diagnostic capacity remains limited, with serological testing restricted to bovine and buffalo specimens. Although brucellosis is a controlled disease, financial and logisti- cal constraints undermine effective government response. The current bovine brucelosis scheme has had limited success in halting transmission. Sustainable control in endemic countries like South Africa requires moving away from eradication models designed for non-endemic regions. Instead, a context-specific strategy focusing on vaccination of livestock, improved diagnostics, and integrated surveillance under a One Health framework is essential to limit transmission, protect public and animal health and reduce long-term socioeconomic impacts. |
| Land: | Portal de Revistas UNA |
| Organisation: | Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UNA |
| Språk: | Inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.revistas.una.ac.cr:article/22843 |
| Länkar: | https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/veterinaria/article/view/22843 |
| Nyckelord: | brucellosis South Africa diagnosis and treatment |