Abstract:
Across -section study was conducted from December 2013 to Novemer 2015, to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Alzulfi Governorate, north Sudi Arabia. A total of 750 camels in 59 herds were included in the study from In farming (375) , and Around grazing (375) . Of these, 71.9% (539 out of 750) and 28.1% (211 out of 750) were female and male camels respectively. A total of 750 blood samples were collected and screened by RBPT. Forty nine samples tested positive giving an individual prevalence rate of 6.5% (49/ 750).
All RBPT positive reactors were further tested by C-ELISA for confirmation. C-ELISA confirmed 24 seropositive out of 49 RBPT reactors (49%). Thirty three herds were found seropositive among the 59 herds included in the study giving herd prevalence of 55,9% .
The prevalence of the disease in infarming camels was 9,9% which is higher than those in around grazing 3,2 with significant statistical difference at the multiveriate level(p < 0.05). Seroprevalence of brucellosis according to RBPT 7,2 in female camels was 7.2%which is relatively higher than that of male camels which was 4.2 %. There was also an increase in seropositivity with respect to increasing herd size.Seroprevelance was 15 % in small herds (< 10), 6.4 % in medium herds (10-20) and 6.5 % in large herds (> 5). Immature animals (< 5 years) had statistically significant lower reactors than adult camels (> 5 years). In this study the seroprevalence ofbrucellosiswas3,9 % in young and 7.7 % in adult camels. Mixed rearing of camels with other ruminants (cattle, sheep and goat) showed no significant effect on the prevalence of camel brucellosis (P <0.05). Camels reared with other ruminants showed a seroprevalence of 6,9% which was higher than that in camels kept alone.
Conversely, breed, herd, herdtype, feeding, production type, contact with other camel herd type, milking hygiene, herd man education, awareness of brucellosis (P <0.02) in the multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that herd size comprising more than 20 camels was significantly associated with seroprevalence of camel brucellosis. The results of the present study provide the status of seropositivity to Brucella in camels in Alzulfi governorate and the risk factors that contribute to seropositivity in dromedaries and showed that brucellosis is widely distributed disease among camel herds in Alzulfi governorate
