BACKGROUND: Milk and dairy products are important sources of food-borne pathogens. Non-pasteurized dairy products are popular due to home production, beliefs about their higher nutritional value, high accessibility, and taste.OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the consumption pattern of local dairy products in women in Qom, Iran, in 2022, and determine the affecting factors.METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted in 2022, 319 women in Qom were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Their demographic information (age, educational level, employment status, and income) and consumption of local dairy products were surveyed. In addition, a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with 32 items and 4 subscales (attitude towards nutrition, subjective norms, behavioral intention, and nutritional behavior) was completed. The data was analyzed in SPSS software using ANOVA, and Chi-square test.RESULTS: Overall, the consumption rate of local milk was 82.3 %; yogurt, 85.1 %; cheese, 57.3%; cream, 53.7 %; butter, 42.3 %; and curd, 33.9 %. Regarding the daily consumption rate, the highest consumption rate was related to milk (13.9 %) and yogurt (11.8 %), and the lowest consumption was related to curd (3.1%) and cream (5.1 %). The type of dairy consumed was significantly related to behavioral intention and nutritional attitude (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in the type of consumed dairy in terms of the husband's occupation (P=0.001), but there was no significant difference in terms of educational level, marital status, employment status, and relationship with the villagers (P>0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of local dairy products consumption, especially milk and yogurt, is high in women living in Qom. Their behavioral intention to consume healthy dairy products is at good level, but they do not have proper nutritional attitude and nutritional behavior. Therefore, the risk of developing common zoonotic diseases, including brucellosis and crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is high in Qom.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis or Malta fever is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases considered as a health and economic concern.OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to employ several methods to detect Brucella in blood and milk samples of saanen goat and use a safe and definitive method to diagnose this disease.METHODS: In this study, 122 blood samples and 122 milk samples were collected from saanen goats. After culture and serological-based isolation methods (RBPT, Wright, 2ME, and Ring test), DNA was extracted from all the blood and milk samples. PCR was carried out using B4 and B5 primers on all the extracted DNAs in order to detect the B. abortus and B. melitensis; PCR was carried out with Br.a and Br.m primers.RESULTS: The results of all the blood samples were negative, but bacterial growth was observed in three milk samples, which was detected in biotyping, biovar 1 melitenensis. The PCR results for detection of Brucella spp. of nine blood samples and nine milk samples were positive. Using mPCR primers, B. melitensis were identified through all the nine milk and blood samples.CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we found that better bacterial diagnostic system and choosing an appropriate technique for rapid detection, such as PCR and Real Time PCR, in addition to popular awareness and other functions of national veterinary medicine institute could control the diseases and decrease their incidence successfully.

Cows naturally infected with Brucella abortus developed antibody (Ab) responses to a nonlipopolysaccharide antigen (NLA) purified from B abortus strain 1119-3. Sera from strain 19-vaccinated cows did not have detectable amounts of Ab. Weak lymphoproliferative responses to NLA were observed in blood mononuclear cell suspensions obtained from infected cows. There was no evidence of NLA-specific lymphoproliferation in cell suspensions from healthy cows. Nonlipopolysaccharide antigen binding to bovine blood mononuclear cells was observed by antigen-consumption assays and direct binding of radiolabeled antigen. Cells from infected cows bound less NLA than did cells from healthy cows when assays were conducted with intact blood mononuclear cell preparations (monocytes plus lymphocytes). Monocytes obtained from any group did not bind NLA. Purified B lymphocytes from infected and healthy vaccinated cows bound about 3 times more NLA than did T lymphocytes, but there were no apparent differences between the 2 groups in extent of binding. Results of the study indicate that bovine lymphocytes have binding sites for a NLA purified from B abortus strain 1119-3.

Heifers injected with 10(8) (n = 40), 10(9) (n = 39), or 10(10) (n =39) colony-forming units of Brucella abortus strain 19 were conjunctivally exposed to 10(7) colony-forming units of strain 2308 during gestation. At parturition, milk from each quarter of the udder, a piece of placenta, and 2 swab specimens of the uterus from the dam plus a swab specimen of the rectum from each calf were cultured for Brucella. If the calf was dead or died, additional specimens of lung, stomach contents, and a mediastinal lymph node also were cultured. Days in gestation was determined for each heifer, using data from rectal palpation after breeding and crown-rump length and weight of calf at parturition, with the median value used for data analysis. In each vaccine dosage group, the proportion (%) of heifers developing brucellosis increased as days in gestation at exposure increased. Strain 2308 was isolated from 3 (11%) of 26, 16 (25%) of 64, and 18 (64%) of 28 heifers that were grouped as less than 121, 121 to 150, and greater than 150 days in gestation at time of exposure, respectively. Thirty-two (86%) of the 37 infected heifers were less than 260 days in gestation at parturition, and calves were premature. Heifers with premature calves were more likely to be infected, and tissues were more likely to yield multiple isolations of strain 2308, regardless of days in gestation at exposure or of days after exposure to parturition. Days after exposure to premature parturition of infected heifers ranged from 35 to 110.

To compare the effects of milk stasis and milk flow on Brucella abortus infection of the mammary gland under the same systemic conditions, primiparous goats (n = 5) were inoculated IV with B abortus on the day of parturition, and suckling by their neonates was restricted to one mammary gland. Goats were euthanatized and necropsied at 3 weeks after inoculation, and milk, mammary glands, and supramammary lymph nodes were evaluated by bacteriologic, histologic, and immunoenzymatic staining techniques. Nonnursed mammary glands had high titers of brucellae in milk, moderate interstitial mastitis, and brucellar antigen in macrophages located primarily in alveolar and ductal lumina. Brucellae often filled the macrophage cytoplasm. In contrast, nursed mammary glands had fewer brucellae in milk, minimal inflammatory changes, and no detectable brucellar antigen in histologic sections. Hyperplastic changes were only seen in supramammary lymph nodes draining nonnursed mammary glands; these contained more brucellae than lymph nodes draining nursed mammary glands. These studies show that milk stasis may be the sole cause of increased susceptibility of nonnursed mammary glands to B abortus infection.

Serological diagnosis of brucellosis is still a great challenge due to the infeasibility of discriminating infected animals from vaccinated ones, so it is necessary to search for diagnostic biomarkers for differential diagnosis of brucellosis.

Serological diagnosis of brucellosis is still a great challenge due to the infeasibility of discriminating infected animals from vaccinated ones, so it is necessary to search for diagnostic biomarkers for differential diagnosis of brucellosis. Cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) from sheep (Ovis aries) (OaCdc42) was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and then tissue distribution and differential expression levels of OaCdc42 mRNA between infected and vaccinated sheep were analysed by RT-qPCR. The full-length cDNA of OaCdc42 was 1,609 bp containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 576 bp. OaCdc42 mRNAs were detected in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, rumen, small intestine, skeletal muscles, and buffy coat, and the highest expression was detected in the small intestine. Compared to the control, the levels of OaCdc42 mRNA from sheep infected with Brucella melitensis or sheep vaccinated with Brucella suis S2 was significantly different (P < 0.01) after 40 and 30 days post-inoculation, respectively. However, the expression of OaCdc42 mRNA was significantly different between vaccinated and infected sheep (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) on days: 14, 30, and 60 post-inoculation, whereas no significant difference (P > 0.05) was noted 40 days post-inoculation. Moreover, the expression of OaCdc42 from both infected and vaccinated sheep showed irregularity. OaCdc42 is not a good potential diagnostic biomarker for differential diagnosis of brucellosis in sheep.

The present study was aimed to assess the seroprevalence of brucellosis in sheep of Cauvery Delta region by collecting serum samples from apparently healthy sheep and sheep with the history of abortion. Serum samples from a total of about 123 animals including 64 from apparently healthy animals, 54 from animals with previous history of abortion and 5 from aborted animals were subjected to serological tests like Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Standard Plate Agglutination Test (SPAT) and indirect Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (i-ELISA). Molecular identification was carried out with the aborted materials from 5 animals with Bcsp31 gene. The prevalence rate of Brucellosis was 26.01 %, 22.76 % and 41.46 % by RBPT, SPAT and i-ELISA respectively. Among the 5 aborted animals, two were found to be positive for brucellosis with all the four diagnostic tests. Among the three serological tests, the highest seroprevalence of 41.46 % was observed when i-ELISA was used. However, RBPT was considered to be cost effective and easy to test. Hence, from this study it can be concluded that periodical screening of animals with cost effective serological tests for diseases like brucellosis, which is of economic and public health significance is mandatory to prevent the disease outbreak and economic loss to thefarmers.

Brucellosis is an important bacterial zoonosis responsible for considerable economic losses in livestock and health-related burden worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in communal and smallholder cattle farming in four districts of the North West province of South Africa (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Bojanala platinum and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts). Seven hundred and seventy blood samples from farmed animals (n = 378) and abattoir-slaughtered animals (n = 392) were collected. In addition, milk samples (n = 22) were collected from lactating farmed cows. Rose Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT) and milk ring test (MRT) were used to detect antibodies against Brucella species. The RBT showed a seroprevalence of 2% at 95% confidence interval (CI: 1.35-3.35), CFT confirmed an overall seroprevalence of 1.95% (95% CI: 1.14-3.12) for all four districts sampled. Although the seroprevalence of brucellosis was found to be low, the possibility of undetected cases of the disease could not be ruled out. Overall, the findings of this study confirmed that brucellosis is endemic in the surveyed areas of the North West province of South Africa. CONTRIBUTION: The outcome of this study will contribute to the National Brucellosis Project organised by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (2016-2026) to assist in the effective implementation of the disease control measures with a view to prevent further outbreaks in the country's cattle population

Animal-to-human brucellosis transmission methods in Kajiado NorthSub - Count y, Kenya are inadequately documented. The Sub- County’s main livelihood is livestock-keeping, putting it at risk to brucellosis infections. Objective of this study was to determine the knowledge of brucellosis among animal and humanhealth workers. These workers were stationed in Kajiado North Sub-County and were the key informants of this study from whom qualitative data was collected. The data was analysed based on emerging themes, e.g. brucellosis significance in the community, livestock birthing and milk hygiene. Results revealed that brucellosis a significant disease in the community, informants were knowledgeable on the need for pre-purchase livestock examination, the need for proper disposal of livestock abortive material and on good milk hygiene measures. However, it was found that not all had adequate knowledge about brucellosis transmission through livestock birthing. The results indicated that measures to control and prevent brucellosis transmission to man, and between animals were inadequate as health workers were unable to adequately advise the community. It is recommendedthat health workers should be trained on all methods of brucellosis transmission, especially transmission during livestock births.