Epidemiosurveillance of brucellosis

Abstract

Brucellosis is one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, since it is not regarded as a priority by national and international health systems in many endemic regions, it is considered to be a neglected zoonosis. Measuresto prevent and control brucellosis rely upon direct approaches aimed at minimising the risk of spreading infection among animals. Collectively, these measures tend to reduce the exposure of animals to Brucella spp. and to increase resistance to infection in susceptible animals. To implement an effective disease control strategy, detailed information about the presence of the pathogen in a specific territory is of fundamental importance. For that reason, particular emphasis should be placed on active surveillance using serological methods. Serological surveillance provides useful information to aid in understanding epidemiological patterns and assess the impact of brucellosis in the targeted area, paving the way to define the most suitable approaches for confining the disease within acceptable limits.