Epidemiology of caprine brucellosis in family farms in the south east of Algeria.

This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and the potential risk factors of Brucella infection among goats in family farms in the southern east of Algeria. A total of 196 sera samples were randomly collected from 59 family farms and tested in parallel by Rose Bengal test (RBT) and indirect ELISA (iELISA). A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on potential risk factors. Apparent seroprevalence values were 8.7% (95% CI: 5.49-13.45) and 2.04% (95% CI: 0.8-5.13) for RBT and iELISA respectively. The estimated true prevalence values were 11.1% (95% CI: 6.87-17.42) for the RBT test and 1.58% (95% CI: 0.3-4.74) for iELISA. Dog presence in family farm was significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.03) using iELISA, with at least 38 times the odds of brucellosis seropositivity (OR: 38.55, 95% CI: 1.42-1049.17). Goats with previous history of stillbirth were significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.04) using RBT, with almost six (6) times higher odds (OR: 6.62, 95% CI: 1.06-41.55). Origin of animals reared on family farms was also significantly associated with Brucella spp. seropositivity (p=0.05) using iELISA with higher odds in foreign goats (OR: 12.99, 95% CI: 1.03-163.22) and lower odds in goats born in farms (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.97). Based on these findings, further epidemiological studies related to the perception of the disease by animal owners and brucellosis in herding dogs needed to be conducted.