An survey of brucellosis infection and exposure status of sheep farmers' family members in the western pastoral areas of Jilin Province / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To find out the current situation of brucellosis infection and exposure status of family members of sheep farmers in the western pastoral areas of Jilin Province,and to provide a reference for control of human brucellosis spreading among family members.Methods On November 2012,Qianguo County was randomly selected using a multi-stage sampling method,and two townships,Chaganhua and Wulantala,were randomly selected in the county; half of the villages were selected from each township; all family members of the sheep farmers in these villages were investigated about their demographic characteristics (sex,age,education),high-risk behavior and information about brucellosis infection by using a questionnaire survey.Based on the principle of informed consent,respondents venous blood samples were collected.Brucellosis was confirmed with serum agglutination test (SAT).The effects of gender,age,education and other demographic data,high-risk behavior and high-risk behavior protection on the prevalence of brucellosis were studied.Results Out of the 403 copies of qualified questionnaires collected,84 people were found infected with brucellosis,and the infection rate was 20.84％ (84/403).Men infection [24.78％ (57/230)] was higher than that of women [15.61％ (27/173),x2 =5.038,P ＜ 0.05].The rates of eight kinds of high-risk behaviors werehelping feeding 86.85％ (350/403),cleaning sheepfold 80.40％ (324/403),holding lamp 71.71％ (289/403),delivering sheep 61.54％ (248/403),vaccinating sheep 53.85％ (217/403),apoblema 47.39％ (191/403),milking 22.08％ (89/403) and slaughtering sheep 14.89％ (60/403).The highest risk behavior was vaccinating sheep[24.40％(53/217)],and the lowest was milking [16.90％ (15/89)].The highest rate of basic protection was delivering a sheep [31.85％ (79/248)],the next was apoblema[27.23％ (52/191)],and the lowest was slaughtering sheep [8.33％ (5/60)].There was no statistical significant difference between brucellosis infection and the eight kinds of high-risk behaviors as well as the basic protective behaviors.Conclusions The prevalence of brucellosis infection among sheep farmers' family members is higher than others.Brucellosis infection-related contact manner is ubiquitous and the level of basic protection is low.We should carry out targeted health education on sheep farming household members to improve their level of protection,so as to reduce the risk of brucellosis infection.