Abstract

AGUDELO-FLOREZ, Piedad; CASTRO, Bibiana; ROJO-OSPINA, Raúl  and  HENAO-VILLEGAS, Santiago. Canine brucellosiss: Seroprevalence and risk factorsin pets from eleven neighbourhoods in Medellin, Colombia. Rev. salud pública [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.4, pp.644-656. ISSN 0124-0064.

ObjectiveDeterminingBrucella canisprevalence in domestic dogs (pets) from 11 districts in Medellín. A survey of risk factors was also carried out. Materials and MethodsImmunoassay was used for analysing441 dog serum samples and several risk factors regarding their owners and some related to the immediate environment were established. ResultsBrucellosis prevalence was 2.76 % (1.11-4.42 95 %CI), being highestin the Buenos Aires (6.9 %) and Villa Hermosa districts (5.7%). Seroprevalence was higher in male dogs (4.6 %),mongrels (4.8 %),dogs less than one year old (3.7 %), in homes having nearby water sources (4.5 %) andindogs living with their owners for more than five months (3.1 %).The dogs’ breed was associated with antibody presence (p<0.05). Seroprevalence became increased to 7.5 % when the home was shared with other pets. Higher prevalence was found when the dogs lived in homes without drinking water (6.7 %) and homes lacking a fixed water supply or sewerage connection (7.7 %). No association was found for any of the aforementioned variables with the presence of antibodies. ConclusionApart from cases involving occupational risk, the risk ofBrucella canistransmission to humans in domestic settings may increase if the aforementioned risk factors continue increasing in urban areas, such as those explored in this study.

Keywords : Brucella canis; risk factor; epidemiology; zoonosis.

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