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The Kerala government launched preventive measures after a few cases of brucellosis, a zoonotic infection, was detected in animals.
Brucellosis Disease
- It is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs.
- It is also called Malta fever or Mediterranean fever.
Human transmission
- Last year around 3,245 people in China’s Gansu province were diagnosed with Brucellosis.
- Humans can get infected under if they
- Directly contact with infected animals
- Eat or drink contaminated animal products
- Inhaling airborne agents carrying bacteria.
- According to the WHO, most cases of the disease are caused by ingesting unpasteurised milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep.
- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that person-to-person transmission of brucellosis is “extremely rare”.
Symptoms
- Includes fever, sweats, malaise, anorexia, headache and muscle pain.
- Others include recurrent fevers, arthritis, swelling of the testicles and scrotum area, swelling of the heart, neurologic symptoms, chronic fatigue, depression and swelling of the liver or spleen.
Treatment & Prevention
- It is usually treated with antibiotics, including rifampin and doxycycline.
- Avoiding raw/unpasteurised dairy products and taking safety precautions such as wearing rubber gloves, gowns or aprons, when handling animals or working in a laboratory can help prevent or reduce the risk of getting brucellosis.
- Other preventive measures include cooking meat properly, vaccinating domestic animals, etc.
- To control the disease, the WHO recommends the vaccination of cattle and, in some cases, testing and culling.
Brucellosis in the Context of India
- In India, expansion of animal industries and urbanization, and the lack of hygienic measures in animal husbandry and in food handling making high ground for its spread.
- It is also endemic in India causing huge economic losses to the dairy industry due to:
- Infertility
- Abortion
- The birth of weak offsprings and
- Reduced productivity.
- India has the world’s largest livestock population of 125-crore plus heads, but cattle productivity is low, and animal diseases are a major concern.
India’s Efforts
National Control Programme on Brucellosis
- The Programme envisages 100% vaccination coverage of female cattle and buffalo calves (4-8 months of age) once in their lifetimes.
- It is a 100% centrally funded programme.
- The government has planned to immunize four crore female calves in India in the first phase against Brucella through vaccination.
- In India, calf-hood vaccination is practised using live attenuated B. abortus S19 strain for control of the disease.
- B. abortus S19 strain is a very strong immunogen and provides lifelong immunity.
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Zoonotic Diseases
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Source: TH
