A Collaborative Interdisciplinary Approach to an Endemic Zoonotic Disease in Cameroon: Enhancing Capabilities to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Brucellosis
Abstract
The project team will work in 3 regions of the country (Far-North, North, and West) to: 1) Evaluate brucellosis prevalence in major livestock including cattle, pigs, and small ruminants (sheep and goats) in the country using molecular and serological based approaches with the ultimate goal of reducing biothreat, 2) Improve livestock diagnostic capacity in the country using molecular and serological based approaches, 3) Develop and provide appropriate education, extension, and training capacity in the prevention, detection, and response to brucellosis for veterinary health, research, and public health personnel, and 4) Publish and disseminate research findings to better inform future policymakers and veterinary and public health professionals. Few epidemiological studies have attempted to establish prevalence of brucellosis in Cameroon, and such studies were based mainly on serological methods to screen for the disease without providing a definite answer of disease prevalence. For the first time in this country, a comprehensive study will be done with appropriate sample sizes and diagnostic methods to determine the prevalence of specific strains of Brucella which will further the country s vision of establishing a vaccination campaign to manage disease spread. Most importantly, building local awareness and diagnostic capacity will increase the ability for Cameroon to accurately and promptly diagnose the disease with the intention of implementing rapid countermeasures which will stop disease spread, ultimately decreasing the pathogen prevalence and the risk of bacterial acquisition for nefarious acts which is aligned with the mission of the Biological Threat Reduction Program (BTRP) of reducing biological threats.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 2019
- Source ID
- HDTRA11910032
Entities
People
- Angela Arenas
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Texas A&M AgriLife