Evaluating the impact of enhanced laboratory-based surveillance of animal and human brucellosis in Jordan
Abstract
Brucellosis is considered a disease of high consequence causing significant animal and human morbidity qualifying Brucella spp. as a potential bio-threat. Brucellosis is the most commonly reported zoonotic disease worldwide and is highly prevalent in the Middle East, including Jordan. Recent cross-sectional studies in animals and humans in Jordan suggest the brucellosis burden is much higher than reported. This underreporting is likely attributed to sub-optimal surveillance and diagnostic tools. To better judge the threat of brucellosis in Jordan, the Kingdom first needs to establish the true incidence and prevalence, and the nature and distribution of the disease. We propose to establish active surveillance and confirmatory testing in the human and animal sectors of Jordan in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards and assess the impact these enhancements have on the understanding of brucellosis in Jordan. This study will be implemented in three governorates where brucellosis is endemic: East Amman, Karak and Al-Mafraq. The general objectives of this study are to determine the true burden and major risk factors of brucellosis in humans and animals in the selected governorates and to describe the geographic distribution of the circulating Brucella sub-types that can be derived from animal and human clinical samples using non-culture based methods. We hypothesize that the true disease burden in animals and humans in Jordan is significant substantiating the genuine risk that Brucella spp. can be readily obtained in the environment and is a true biological threat in Jordan and the region. The objective of this work is to measure the impact of active laboratory based surveillance on the understanding of brucellosis in three endemic areas (East Amman, Karak and Al-Mafraq) of Jordan. This proposed work intends to first, incorporate surveillance and laboratory testing that will assist to estimate and characterize the true incidence of brucellosis in humans and animals; second, identify risk factors driving transmission between animals and from animals to humans; and finally, to characterize the circulating Brucella species in these areas. Confirmatory testing and molecular-based methods will be established at human and animal diagnostic laboratories to align laboratory and surveillance practices with WHO and OIE recommendations for the identification and confirmation of human and animal brucellosis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 10, 2018
- Source ID
- HDTRA11810043
Entities
People
- Mohannad Nsour
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network