Brucellosis: socio-economic problems and control in various countries

Brucellosis is a zoonosis, primarily a disease of domestic animals which, under special circumstances, may readily be transmitted to man through contact, ingestion, inhalation, and accidental inoculation (WHO, 1971). The animals that are commonly known to serve as sources of human infection are cattle, goats, sheep, and swine. The geographical distribution of human brucellosis is closely related to the endemicity of animal infection, the methods of animal husbandry, human food habits, the standard of hygiene, and other socio-economic activities (Abdussalam and Fein, 1975). Occupational risk of brucellosis is important because of the possibility of direct transmission of infection from infected animals to people employed in animal husbandry, especially in countries with developing livestock industry, where herding of animals still remain largely traditional and unscientific.