Brucellosis: Trends in the Development of Situation in the World and Forecast for 2022 in the Russian Federation

An analysis of trends in the development of situation on brucellosis in the world over past decade and the data on the main risk factors for the occurrence of epidemiological complications regarding this infection in various regions of the world are provided in the paper. An expert assessment of the current epizootiological and epidemiological situation on brucellosis, the coverage of population and animals with immunization in the Russian Federation is given. Over 9 months of 2021, 210 potentially hazardous as regards brucellosis in cattle areas and 24 sites – as regards brucellosis in small ruminants – were registered in Russia. Compared to the same period in 2020, there was a decrease in the number of newly identified hazardous sites for bovine brucellosis by 35.8 % (117 areas). However, long-term upward trend in epizootiological adversity for bovine brucellosis in Russia persists. The epidemiological situation on brucellosis in the country for the period of 2012–2021 is characterized as unfavorable. Decrease in the number of newly detected human brucellosis cases (by 25.1 % of long-term average values) is observed against the background of persistent unfavorable epizootic conditions for brucellosis among epidemiologically significant species of small ruminants and cattle in regions with developed animal husbandry. In 2021, clusters of human cases were registered in the Republic of Dagestan and Penza Region. In the Republic of Dagestan, against the background of aggravation of epizootiological and epidemiological situation on brucellosis, there was also an alarming trend towards prevalence of a relatively high incidence among minors. The proportion of cases of brucellosis among children under the age of 17 in the Republic amounted to 60.3 % of the total number of minors with newly diagnosed brucellosis in Russia over the past 10 years. Taking into account current epizootic, epidemic situations and the long-term dynamics of the development of situation on  brucellosis in the Russian Federation, the incidence of brucellosis among the population  is predicted to be 10–15 % lower than the average long-term values – 0.18–0.20 per 100000 of the population – in 2022. The number of human cases of brucellosis can range from 250 to 300.

1. Ponomarenko D.G., Skudareva O.N., Khachaturova A.A., Germanova A.N., Lukashevich D.E., Logvinenko O.V., Rakitina E.L., Kostyuchenko M.V., Zinchenko D.A., Semenko O.V., Maletskaya O.V., Kulichenko A.N. [Epizootiological and epidemiological situation on brucellosis around the world in 2011–2020 and forecast for the Russian Federation for 2021]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2021; (2):41–51. DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2021-2-41-51.

2. Wang X.H., Jiang H. [Global prevalence of human brucellosis]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi. 2020; 41(10):1717–22. [In Chinese]. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20191022-00751.

3. Ponomarenko D.G., Rusanova D.V., Khachaturova A.A., Skudareva O.N., Logvinenko O.V., Rakitina E.L., Kostyuchenko M.V., Semenko O.V., Maletskaya O.V., Kulichenko A.N. [Analysis of the epidemic and epizootic situation on brucellosis around the world in 2019 and the forecast for the Russian Federation for 2020]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2020; (2):48–56. DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2020-2-48-56.

4. Abedi A.S., Hashempour-Baltork F., Alizadeh A.M., Beikzadeh S., Hosseini H., Bashiry M., Taslikh M., Javanmardi F., Sheidaee Z., Sarlak Z., Mofid V., Fakhri Y., Mousavi Khaneghah A. The prevalence of Brucella spp. in dairy products in the Middle East region: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Trop. 2020; 202:105241. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105241.

5. Al Anazi M., AlFayyad I., AlOtaibi R., Abu-Shaheen A. Epidemiology of brucellosis in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal. 2019; 40(10):981–8. DOI: 10.15537/SMJ.2019.10.24027.

6. Bagheri Nejad R., Krecek R.C., Khalaf O.H., Hailat N., Arenas-Gamboa, A.M. Brucellosis in the Middle East: Current situation and a pathway forward. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2020; 14(5):e0008071. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008071.

7. Rubach M.P., Halliday J.E., Cleaveland S., Crump J.A. Brucellosis in low-income and middle-income countries. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 2013; 26(5):404–12. DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3283638104.

8. Musallam I.I., Abo-Shehada M.N., Hegazy Y.M., Holt H.R., Guitian F.J. Systematic review of brucellosis in the Middle East: disease frequency in ruminants and humans and risk factors for human infection. Epidemiol. Infect. 2016; 144(4):671–85. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268815002575.

9. Craighead L., Meyer A., Chengat B., Musallam I., Akakpo J., Kone P., Guitian J., Häsler B. Brucellosis in West and Central Africa: A review of the current situation in a changing landscape of dairy cattle systems. Acta Trop. 2018; 179:96–108. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.12.026.

10. Ducrotoy M., Bertu W.J., Matope G., Cadmus S., CondeÁlvarez R., Gusi A.M., Welburn S., Ocholi R., Blasco J.M., Moriyón. I. Brucellosis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current challenges for management, diagnosis and control. Acta Trop. 2017; 165:179– 93. DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.10.023.

11. Ntirandekura J.B., Matemba L.E., Kimera S.I., Muma J.B., Karimuribo E.D. Association of brucellosis with abortion prevalence in humans and animals in Africa: A review. Afr. J. Reprod. Health. 2018; 22(3):120–36. DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2018/v22i3.13.

12. Simpson G., Thompson P.N., Saegerman C., Marcotty T., Letesson J.J., de Bolle X., Godfroid J. Brucellosis in wildlife in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci. Rep. 2021; 11:5960. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85441-w.

13. Echoroukonline: Batna. Goats milk causes 31 cases of brucellosis. (Cited 17 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: https://bit.ly/3d3riSR

14. Echoroukonline: Confirmed cases of brucellosis in Bouira and warnings about uncontrolled milk. (Cited 17 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: https://bit.ly/3DC6ADW.

15. Lyamkin G.I., Ponomarenko D.G., Khudoleev A.A., Vilinskaya S.V., Zaitsev A.A., Kulichenko A.N. [Epidemiological situation of brucellosis in the Russian Federation and the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States]. Infektsionnye Bolezni: Novosti, Mneniya. Obuchenie. [Infectious Diseases: News. Opinions. Training]. 2016; 1(14):68–74.

16. Akhvlediani T., Bautista C.T., Garuchava N., Sanodze L., Kokaia N., Malania L., Chitadze N., Sidamonidze K., Rivard R.G., Hepburn M.J., Nikolich M., Imnadze P., Trapaidze N. Epidemiological and clinical features of brucellosis in the country of Georgia. PloS ONE. 2017; 12(1):e0170376. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170376.

17. Beauvais W., Coker R., Nurtazina G., Guitian J. Policies and livestock systems driving brucellosis re-emergence in Kazakhstan. Ecohealth. 2017; 14(2):399–407. DOI: 10.1007/s10393-0151030-7.

18. Charypkhan D., Sultanov A.A., Ivanov N.P., Baramova S.A., Taitubayev M.K., Torgerson P.R. Economic and health burden of brucellosis in Kazakhstan. Zoonoses Public Health. 2019; 66(5):487–94. DOI: 10.1111/zph.12582.

19. Sargsyan L., Davtyan K., Hann K., Gasparyan S., Davidyants V., Shekoyan V., Poghosyan G., Petrosyan D. Acute and chronic brucellosis eleven-year audit from a tertiary hospital in Armenia. J. Infect. Dev. Ctries. 2019; 13(5.1):42S–50S. DOI: 10.3855/jidc.10934.

20. Kracalik I.T., Abdullayev R., Asadov K., Ismayilova R., Baghirova M., Ustun N., Shikhiyev M., Talibzade A., Blackburn J.K. Human brucellosis trends: re-emergence and prospects for control using a one health approach in Azerbaijan (1983–2009). Zoonoses Public Health. 2016; 63(4):294–302. DOI: 10.1111/zph.12229.

21. Zheng R., Xie S., Lu X., Sun L., Zhou Y., Zhang Y., Wang K. A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiology and clinical manifestations of human brucellosis in China. BioMed Res. Int. 2018; 2018:5712920. DOI: 10.1155/2018/5712920.

22. Sun G.Q., Li M.T., Zhang J., Zhang W., Pei X., Jin Z. Transmission dynamics of brucellosis: Mathematical modelling and applications in China. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 2020; 18:3843– 60. DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.014.

23. Pathak A.D., Dubal Z.B., Karunakaran M., Swapnil P., Doijad S.P., Raorane A.V., Dhuri R.B., Bale M.A., Chakurkar E.B. , Kalorey D.R., Kurkure N.V., Sukhadeo B., Barbuddhe S.B. Apparent seroprevalence, isolation and identification of risk factors for brucellosis among dairy cattle in Goa, India. Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 2016; 47:1–6. DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.05.004.

24. Lindahl J.F., Vrentas C.E., Deka R.P., Hazarika R.A., Rahman H., Bambal R.G., Bedi J.S., Bhattacharya C., Chaduhuri P., Fairoze N.M., Gandhi R.S., Gill J.P.S., Gupta N.K., Kumar M., Londhe S., Rahi M., Sharma P.K., Shome R., Singh R., Srinivas K., Swain B.B. Brucellosis in India: results of a collaborative workshop to define One Health priorities. Trop. Anim. Health Prod. 2020; 52(1):387–96. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-019-02029-3.

25. Tiwari H.K., Proch V., Singh B.B., Schemann K., Ward M., Singh J., Gill J.P.C., Dhand N.K. Brucellosis in India: Comparing exposure amongst veterinarians, para-veterinarians and animal handlers. One Health. 2021; 14:100367. DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100367.

26. Islam M.A., Khatun M.M., Were S.R., Sriranganathan N., Boyle S.M. A review of Brucella seroprevalence among humans and animals in Bangladesh with special emphasis on epidemiology, risk factors, and control opportunities. Vet. Microbiol. 2013; 166(3–4):317–26. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.06.014.

27. ECDC: Data disclaimer for Surveillance atlas of infectious diseases. (Cited 24 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: http://atlas.ecdc.europa.eu/public/index.aspx?Dataset=27&HealthTopic=8.

28. Buhmann G., Paul F., Herbst W., Melzer F., Wolf G., Hartmann K., Fischer A. Canine brucellosis: Insights into the epidemiologic situation in Europe. Front. Vet. Sci. 2019; 6:151. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00151.

29. Van Dijk M.A.M., Engelsma M.Y., Visser V.X.N., Keur I., Holtslag M.E., Willems N., Meij B.P., Willemsen P.T.J., Wagenaar J.A., Roest H.I.J., Broens E.M. Transboundary spread of Brucella canis through import of infected dogs, the Netherlands, November 2016 – December 2018. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2021; 27(7):1783–8. DOI: 10.3201/eid2707.201238.

30. Khurana S.K., Sehrawat A., Tiwari R., Prasad M., Gulati B., Shabbir M.Z., Chhabra R., Karthik K., Patel S.K., Pathak M., Iqbal Yatoo M., Gupta V.K., Dhama K., Sah R., Chaicumpa W. Bovine brucellosis – a comprehensive review. Vet. Q. 2021; 41(1):61–88. DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2020.1868616.

31. Sarmiento C.A., Amerson-Brown M.H., Foster C.E. An ado lescent with neurobrucellosis caused by Brucella abortus cattle vaccine strain RB51. Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 2021; 40(9):e353–5. DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003200.

32. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC and Texas health officials warn about illness linked to raw milk from Texas Dairy. (Cited 21 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0915-raw-milk-brucella.html.

33. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Exposure to RB51 through raw milk or milk products: How to reduce risk of infection. (Cited 21 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/clinicians/rb51-raw-milk.html.

34. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Risks from unpasteurized dairy products. (Cited 21 Jan 2022). [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/exposure/drug-resistant-brucellosis-linked-raw-milk.html.

35. Pedersen K., Bauer N.E., Olsen S., Arenas-Gamboa A.M., Henry A.C., Sibley T.D., Gidlewski T. Identification of Brucella spp. in feral swine (Sus scrofa) at abattoirs in Texas, USA. Zoonoses Public Health. 2017; 64(8):647–54. DOI: 10.1111/zph.12359.

36. Pierce C.F., Brown V.R., Olsen S.C., Boggiatto P., Pedersen K., Miller R.S., Speidel S.E., Smyser T.J. Loci associated with antibody response in feral swine (Sus scrofa) infected with Brucella suis. Front. Vet. Sci. 2020; 7:554674. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.554674.