A Snapshot of Brucellosis as an Occupational Health Hazard in Animal Handlers of an Agroecological Zone of Southern Punjab, Pakistan.

Background: Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease that may act as a potential occupational health hazard for animal handlers, including animal healthcare professionals. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of brucellosis in animal handlers of district Khanewal, Pakistan.

Methods: A total of 241 animal handlers (including butchers, animal-attendants/farmers, and veterinary assistants) were approached for inclusion in this study. However, 184 sera samples of animal handlers who gave consents to participate in this study were collected and screened for brucellosis by slide agglutination test (SAT) and commercially available iELISA kit (sensitivity = 96%, specificity = 99%). A total of 11 variables were statistically analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine their association with brucellosis, and differences were considered significant at p-value < .05.

Results: Results of SAT showed a seropositivity rate of 4.89% for anti-Brucella (B.) abortus antibodies and 6.52% for anti-B. melitensis antibodies. The co-existence of antibodies to both Brucella species in analyzed sera samples was 1.09%. All the sera-samples were also analyzed by iELISA, and results revealed an overall seroprevalence rate of 9.78% for anti-Brucella IgM antibodies. Statistical analysis revealed that gender (OR = 1.5; 95%OR = 0.135-18.54), occupation (OR = 0.163; 95%OR = 0.215-0.791), body mass index (OR = 9.3; 95%OR = 2.11-45.01), and consumption of unpasteurized milk (OR = 7.48; 95%OR = 2.23-28.94) were significantly associated (p-value < .05) with seroprevalence of brucellosis among animal handlers. Whereas some risk factors such as age, marital-status, consumption of semi/undercooked meat, educational status, and lack of awareness regarding brucellosis did not show any significant association (p-value > .05).

Conclusion: The study concluded that brucellosis is prevalent in animal handlers of the study area. Findings of this study underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, such as regular health screenings, improved occupational health policies, and better hygiene practices while dealing with animals. These findings also demand stronger public health policies, particularly in developing regions, to avoid brucellosis and improve overall occupational health standards.