Seroprevalence of brucellosis in man.

ABSTRACT

A total of 352 human serum samples were screened for brucellosis. A combination of serological tests including Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), standard tube agglutination test (STAT) and dot-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) were employed for the purpose. The study revealed a prevalence rate of 4.97 per cent in samples that included specimens from persons occupationally exposed to animals. The number of seropositives through all tests used was higher among males (5.95 per cent) than females (3.15 per cent). A markedly higher prevalence of 17.39 per cent was recorded among field veterinarians. A low prevalence (2-6 per cent) was observed in humans with unknown history of animal contact. Dot-ELISA yielded 4.97 per cent positives compared to 1.38 and 0.82 per cent through RBPT and STAT respectively.