Abstract
Brucellosis is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria in the genus Brucella. This disease causes devastating losses to commercial and small-scale farmers in endemic regions. However, the control of this disease is challenging as it is mainly focused on livestock but also occurs in wildlife. This presentation highlights the multidisciplinary approach to detecting and characterising brucellosis as the biology of Brucella infection and detection is essential. Accurate diagnosis of brucellosis using serological tests is an existing shortcoming complicating brucellosis control, which is further complicated by brucellosis in wildlife using tests developed for livestock. The isolations of Brucella species from cattle and wildlife that could be due to spillover in livestock or between wildlife and livestock were further investigated. Multiple transmission patterns were observed such as spillover in livestock, spread within a herd to the introduction of infected animals. This research emphasised vaccination and testing as basic control measures which are more challenging in wildlife than livestock. Despite the large body of research on brucellosis, breaking the chain of transmission and controlling this disease remains challenging and underscores the interdisciplinary and collaborative approach required to reduce the impact of this disease on livestock and wildlife.
