Seroepidemiology of Brucellosis in Cattle Farm and Slaughterhouse Staff in Tehran, 2012

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, which is mainly transmitted from animals to human through ingestion of unpasteurized dairy products or direct contact with infected animal secretions. Since the people in contact with animals are considered to be at risk of Brucellosis, the aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of this disease in staff of cattle farms and slaughterhouses in Tehran in 2012. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was performed on 430 staff of cattle farms and slaughterhouses (regular and specialized slaughterhouses for slaughtering animals suspected to brucellosis) in Tehran, 2012. Serum samples were prepared and evaluated through Rose Bengal, Wright, and 2-Mercaptoethanol tests. Demographic information and occupational characteristics of the participants were collected using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression via Stata 12. Results: The serologic test for brucellosis were positive in 5 patients and brucellosis seroprevalence rate was 1.16%. All participants in this study were male and 97.4 % of them were Iranian. The participants' mean age was 34.45 ± 9.46 years. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between a positive test and independent variables (including age, education, workplace, dangerous occupational exposure, past dangerous occupational exposure, consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, occupational background, and keeping livestock at home). Conclusion: Continuing implementing prevention programs such as educational programs and using personal protective equipment in at-risk groups are necessary