Nyasha Munjeri Gauteng* and Cheryl McCrindle

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Pretoria School of Health Sciences a Public Health

*Corresponding Author: Nyasha Munjeri Gauteng, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Pretoria School of Health Sciences a Public Health.

Received: September 04, 2023 Published: December 08, 2023

Abstract

Abattoir workers could be exposed to bovine brucellosis when positive animals with known and unknown status are sent for slaughter. In veterinary science risk analysis consists of hazard characterisation, risk assessment, risk mitigation and risk communication. Occupational risk assessment is done by multiplying the likelihood by the magnitude or consequences of exposure. While the risk of zoonotic transmission during slaughter has been recognised, the likelihood of exposure at Gauteng abattoirs was not known.

The study estimated of the sero-prevalence of brucellosis in cattle in Gauteng. The risk of zoonotic transmission at different critical control points along the slaughter line was analysed using the risk matrix suggested for occupational health.

This was a cross-sectional study using mixed methods to include desk review. Sero-prevalence in cows was calculated from secondary data of 62 471 cows from mixed farming sectors from the Gauteng province. The blood samples were tested as they were collected over a period of 32 months. The proportion of cattle presented for slaughter without being tested for brucellosis was calculated from information from the abattoirs during the survey. Risk of occupational exposure was assessed using Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) method.

Sero-prevalence in cows was calculated to be 1.12% (n = 700) from secondary data of 62 471 mixed cattle from both communal and commercial farming sectors. An average of 43 020 cows passed through the 21 abattoirs in Gauteng per month. Eighty percent (n = 34 416) of these animals are presented without being tested for brucellosis.

Keywords: Brucellosis; Risk Assessment; HACCP; CCP; Occupational Exposure

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Citation

Citation: Nyasha Munjeri Gauteng and Cheryl McCrindle. “Assessing the Zoonotic Risk of Bovine Brucellosis Transmission in Gauteng Abattoirs".Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences 6.1 (2024): 20-29.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Nyasha Munjeri Gauteng and Cheryl McCrindle. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.