Herd and animal level seroprevalence and associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis in different agro-ecologies of southwest Ethiopia

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection that commonly affects cattle in Ethiopia, causing significant negative economic impact. A cross-sectional study was carried out between November 2020 and November 2021 in southwest Ethiopia to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis and its associated risk factors in cattle herds. Blood samples were taken from 461 randomly selected cattle to test for the presence of Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal Plate test, with positive serum confirmed through the complement fixation test. A multivariable random effect logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential risk factors for Brucella seropositivity. The study found 7.14% (95% CI: 4.44–9.01) seroprevalence at the animal level and 12.23% (95% CI: 6.52–16.05) at the herd level based on the complement fixation test. Age (OR = 6.9, 95%CI: 1.83–15.97), herd size (OR = 3.66, 95%CI: 1.39–9.61), introducing new animals (OR = 2.72, 95%CI: 1.17–6.29), management system (OR = 12.2, 95%CI: 1.53–26.80), species composition (OR = 4.24, 95%CI: 1.51–11.91), and abortion (OR = 7.1, 95%CI: 1.93–15.39) were found to be associated with Brucella seropositivity. The analysis also revealed two risk factors for Brucella infection at the herd level, including herd size (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.05–10.68) and species composition (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.20–7.88). The presence of Brucella antibodies in cattle highlights the need for increased awareness and measures to mitigate the identified risk factors of the disease to prevent its spread. Furthermore, further studies are necessary to investigate the zoonotic transmission of brucellosis to humans and its role in cattle reproduction disorders in the study area.