Brucellosis is a highly infectious bacterial zoonosis. People contract the disease through direct contact with the infected animal, or its secretions and excretions. Veterinary specialist in public health Dr Jan H du Preez explains the science, symptoms and treatment of the disease.
Brucellosis is a direct anthropozoonosis, which means that people contract the illness after direct contact with the infected animal, its excretions and secretions, including raw milk, and other products made with affected animal by-products.
Bovine brucellosis is widely prevalent in South Africa. Veterinarians, livestock handlers and abattoir personnel are most at risk of exposure to the infective agent.
Because of the economic importance of bovine brucellosis and the danger it presents to public health, it is a controlled animal disease in South Africa and regulated in terms of the Animal Disease Act No. 35 of 1984.
Vets in private practice also assist in the control of brucellosis.
Human brucellosis is known as Mediterranean or Malta fever (when caused by a Mediterranean species of Brucella), brucella fever, abortus fever and undulant fever (when caused by Brucella abortus).
The disease in cattle is also known as contagious abortion (CA).
Various species of Brucella bacteria cause brucellosis in humans. These include B. abortus, which is derived from cattle; B. melitensis, which occurs mainly in goats and sheep; B. suis, which occurs in pigs; and B. canis, which occurs in dogs.
B. abortus and, to a lesser extent, B. melitensis, are of particular significance to human health in Southern Africa.
AN EVER-PRESENT GLOBAL PROBLEM
Although the disease has been eradicated in some countries, it still occurs worldwide.
In South Africa, many cattle herds and game, especially buffalo and sable, are known to be infected with B. abortus.
B. melitensis occurs on a limited scale in isolated areas in Namibia, while B. canis and B. suis are not known to occur in South Africa.
COMMON WAYS OF CONTRACTING THE DISEASE
Esta historia es de la edición Farmer's Weekly 27 April 2018 de Farmer's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición Farmer's Weekly 27 April 2018 de Farmer's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
