PREVALENCE OF BRUCELLOSIS AMONG MEAT HANDLERS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

This study was designed to determine the prevalence of brucellosis among meat handlers in Karachi, Pakistan. The presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Brucellae species in the serum samples of 72 meat handlers from different slaughter houses were determined by ELISA. The prevalence of brucellosis in 12 out of 72 samples was obtained. Out of 72 samples, 8 were positive for IgM and 4 were positive for IgG. The percent of positivity for IgM was 11.11% and the positivity for IgG was 5.5%. The differential leucocyte count showed normal range of leucocytes in almost all of the samples except for two that had elevated number of basophils and that could be due to other physiological or pathological reasons. This finding indicates a significant prevalence of brucellosis among meat handlers of seven slaughter houses of Karachi, Pakistan, which calls for a proper surveillance system and vaccination programs of the animals in order to control the transmission of the infection to healthy animals and subsequently preventing the human population from infection.