Brucellosis

Abstract

Brucellosis has been successfully controlled and eliminated in a number of countries by effective, well managed vaccination and test-slaughter strategies. Their cost was essentially borne by national governments including the cost of acceptable compensation for culled animals. Brucellosis is, however, endemically persisting in livestock and causing human disease in the Mediterranean region, Africa, the Near East and Central America and is re-emerging as a major preventable disease in countries of the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. There has been significant progress in knowledge of the molecular biology of Brucellosis and with new antibiotics for the treatment of human cases. Significantly more efficacious and safe animal vaccines in terms of reduction of transmission are still lacking. Control strategies that have been successful in Western countries are not directly applicable to low income and transition countries because their national governments do not have the finance to compensate farmers and lack the technical capacity for effective control campaigns. However, new staged control approaches in developing economies are proving effective.