Preface

Brucellosis is a major zoonotic disease. Elimination of human disease depends on the prevention and control of animal infections. In endemic settings, brucellosis typically affects rural communities with inadequate access to healthcare and preventative education. There is often a history of illness in the family, occupational exposure, or travel from an endemic area.

The clinical features are variable, most commonly presenting as nonspecific fever, accompanied by musculoskeletal pain in almost half of the patients. The most important differential diagnosis is tuberculosis, especially in localized infections. Less common manifestations include prostatitis, cystitis, interstitial nephritis, or glomerulonephritis. Infection among children is generally more benign than in adults with respect to likelihood and severity of complications and response to treatment. Brucellosis in pregnancy is associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion, premature delivery, miscarriage, and intrauterine infection with fetal death. The diagnosis should be confirmed by culture of blood or other sterile fluids, e.g. joint aspirates or by serological tests.

The microbiology laboratory should be warned if brucellosis is suspected, both to optimize testing strategies and to reduce the significant risk of laboratory-acquired infection. Treatment regimens should include at least two antimicrobial agents for at least 6 weeks, in order to prevent relapse. Aminoglycoside-containing regimens are superior. More prolonged treatment with a triple antimicrobial combination may be required for complicated infections.

The approach taken by the authors in this book is resolutely practical as they have tried to introduce and discuss therapeutic trials in cattle, the *brucella* spp. vaccines and their possible implications to control programs, molecular targets, and methods for differentiation of species and biovars. In addition, the latest updates of antibiotic therapy of brucellosis are described, which makes the book easier to consult. Kidney involvement in brucellosis and neonatal brucellosis are included in this book.

This book is the result of several months of outstanding efforts by authors and revision of the content by experts in the field of brucellosis. This book is a valid resource and is intended for everyone interested in infectious disease to learn the most important aspects of brucellosis.

Please do not hesitate to share with us your invaluable comments to improve the next editions. We are deeply appreciative of our colleagues as this work would not have been possible without their contribution.

**II**

**Chapter 9 107**

**Chapter 10 121**

Lateral Flow Assay for *Salmonella* Detection and Potential Reagents

Applications of Genomics in Regulatory Food Safety Testing in Canada *by Catherine D. Carrillo, Adam Koziol, Neil Vary and Burton W. Blais*

*by Dilek ÇAM*

#### **Mitra Ranjbar, MD**

Professor of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

#### **Maria T. Mascellino**

Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

#### **Marzieh Nojomi**

**1**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

Bovines

*and Muhammad Husnain* 

Evaluation of Therapeutic Trials in

*Aneela Zameer Durrani, Muhammad Usman, Zain Kazmi* 

Brucellosis is one of the most common and economically important zoonotic diseases globally. Office International des Epizooties (OIE) listed it as the second most important zoonotic disease. The disease affects almost all animals but importantly buffalo. The disease manifests itself in the form of abortion, still births, weak calves, infertility, and specific lesions on reproductive organs. It is prevalent worldwide but still a neglected disease. As a zoonotic disease its importance is multifarious for animals as well as public health. Taking into account poor health facilities and unawareness, its control becomes very significant. The difficulty to treat this disease and its zoonotic potential compel slaughtering as a best strategy to get rid of this disease. There are not too many therapeutic trials conducted to control bovine brucellosis. Instead many therapeutic trials have been conducted for treating human brucellosis. The therapeutic trial requires long term administration of drugs (almost 6 weeks) without any surety of complete recovery so it is a pre-

ferred practice to eradicate the animal or sell it out instead of treating.

**Keywords:** *Brucella*, bovines, therapeutic trial, slaughtering, zoonotic

Brucellosis is one of the most common and economically important zoonotic diseases globally [1]. It was first discovered by Bruce in 1887. It is also known as undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, Epizootic abortion, Enzootic abortion, Malta fever, and Bang's disease [2, 3]. It is considered as the most rapidly spreading disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Office International des Epizooties (OIE) [4]. Significant economic losses due to brucellosis are abortion, low milk yield, low conception rate and culling of animal [5]. Central Asia, the Middle East and adjacent subtropical geographies are among those with the highest incidence of brucellosis among humans and livestock worldwide [6]. There is a reason to believe that the burden caused by brucellosis in low-income countries in Asia and Africa is large [1]. Important animal species that can get this disease include cattle, buffalo, swine, sheep, goats, camels, dogs and being zoonotic can also infect humans [7]. Prevalence of brucellosis in Buffalo is 5.05% in Pakistan [8]. This is suggested by quite an old study and conduction of a new research is required to study the current trends of brucellosis in Pakistan. It is for sure that its prevalence has increased to threatening level. *Brucella* is Gram-negative, nonmotile, coccobacilli or small rods intracellular pathogen that are taxonomically categorized in the in the class α-proteobacteria, order

Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

#### **Chapter 1**
