This is a representative study from Pakistan conducted in three districts of Punjab i.e.,
Jhang, Chiniot and Bhakkar which are rich in livestock population. There is a lot of research
work on livestock and dairy animals but camels are neglected and under-investigated animals.
Nomads mainly depend upon camels for milk, meat, milk byproducts and their earnings. Indeed,
it is a precious animal for them and therefore, to ensure the good health of their animals it is
essential that owners maintain healthy husbandry conditions. Brucellosis is one of the major and
unreported problems amongst the camels of our country. It results in losses to the economics of
the farmers/owners in terms of poor health, abortions, long calving interval, production of weak
offspring’s and poor quality of milk and meat. This disease is under-investigated and hence
people are ignorant of this insidious problem. Serological surveillance is a good and cheaper tool
to diagnose this problem. Determination of the seroprevalence is important to know the load of
disease and pockets of infections in the areas of central Punjab, Pakistan. There is also a need to
know which diagnostic antigen is more sensitive and specific from disease eradication and
control point of view.
A total of 200 camel serum samples were collected from three districts of the Punjab
province and tested by conventional screening test i.e., Rose Bengal Plate Agglutination Test
(RBPT) by using two antigens of different countries origin i.e. RBPT (IDEXX, Pourquier,
France) and RBPT (VRI, Pakistan) and then tested with confirmatory competitive Enzymelinked
Immunosorbent assay (cELISA). The data thus obtained regarding seroprevalence was
analyzed by using Chi-square and logistic regression IBM SPSS Statistics 20 (Apache software
license,USA).
Summary
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Of the total 200 camels (50 male and 150 female), 5% (10 of 200), 4% (8 of 200) were
seropositive for anti-Brucella antibodies. Different risk factors were also included in study like
origin (nomadic and organized), area, age, gender, season, type of herd, abortion history and
orchitis in male. All of these risk factors were statistically analyzed to reveal the truth about
camel brucellosis. Of the various risk factors studied, the risk factors including camels (cows)
positive history of abortion (45.5%), orchitis (camel bulls) (33.3%), rearing with other ruminants
(9.4%), winter season (11.5%), nomadic production system (2.67-6.67%), and area Jhang (6-
12%) and Chiniot (2-8%) were statistically significant which could be potential source of threat
for humans and other animals. The testing was performed using conventional methods as well as
using cELISA. It is concluded that cELISA is more specific than conventional screening tests but
molecular diagnosis is highly suggestive for future studies. ELISA performed in Pakistan
(cELISA, Svanovir) and the ELISA (iELISA, ID VET Kit, France) performed in OIE reference
lab for brucellosis in Germany showed perfect agreement between them (both tested four camel
sera positive). The current study will help to minimize and eradicate the low prevalence of camel
brucellosis by creating awareness amongst the farmers and through vaccination and herd
immunization of all camel calves at age of 4-8 months. Adopting the policy of testing and culling
of positive reactors will be pivotal to achieve the objectives.