A cross-sectional study of brucellosis-related characteristics of smallholder cattle herds in Gauteng Province

Abstract

There has been an increase in the herd prevalence of brucellosis in cattle in Gauteng, especially among smallholder herds. This study was undertaken to provide information on the distribution, nature and farm behavior of smallholder cattle herds as well as the knowledge and practices of the smallholder cattle keepers in relation to brucellosis. A cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected herds that met a pre-determined criterion of herd size (between one and 30 cattle), using a standardized questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25. Fourteen herds had between one and five cattle whilst the highest number of herds (20) had between 25 and 30 cattle. A total of 72 herds had direct contact with other herds, most (80.5%) contacts occurring at grazing or at watering points. Herds belonging to 70% of the interviewees were reportedly vaccinated as part of health management, however only 47.7% were correctly vaccinated. Seventy-nine interviewees stated that they were aware of brucellosis in humans, 32.8% them of could provide a list of symptoms possibly caused by brucellosis; of these 88.1% provided at least one correct symptom. Of the interviewees that reported dystocia, 59% indicated gloves were used during the obstetric interventions. Some of the smallholder herds in this study engaged in commercial activity. The amount of contact among some herds is a risk for the spread of brucellosis. Inadequate knowledge among some cattle keepers presents an opportunity for education and policy development for the control of brucellosis.