Brucella abortus and public health risk: Prevalence in milk sold at open markets in Cameroon
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014051
- PMID
- —
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7140141832
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The detection of B. abortus in milk sold at open markets, combined with widespread risky practices among merchants (low boiling rates and milk pooling), indicates a pathway for human brucellosis exposure beyond traditional farm and abattoir settings.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
This study investigated the presence of Brucella spp. in milk sold at open-air markets across three regions of Cameroon (Far North, North, and West).
Study design
A cross-sectional survey was conducted using 1,140 milk samples collected from 380 merchants in each of three regions. Samples underwent iELISA, culture, real-time PCR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), along with KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) surveys of merchants.
Population and setting
Milk merchants at open-air markets in the Far North, North, and West regions of Cameroon, where milk is sold for human consumption without regulation.
Main findings
B. abortus was detected in milk sold for human consumption, with culture positivity at 1.3% countrywide and real-time PCR positivity at 4.0%. Anti-Brucella antibodies were found in 21% of samples, with regional variation (38.4% Far North, 15.5% North, 8.9% West). NGS confirmed bacterial isolates from milk were epidemiologically linked to those from animals. KAP surveys revealed only 26.4% of merchants boil milk, while 91.2% mix milk from multiple cattle. All merchants selling culture-positive milk engaged in risky behaviors, potentially exposing approximately 720 people to contaminated milk weekly.
Public-health relevance
The detection of B. abortus in milk sold at open markets, combined with widespread risky practices among merchants (low boiling rates and milk pooling), indicates a pathway for human brucellosis exposure beyond traditional farm and abattoir settings.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract/metadata and requires the original paper for decision-grade interpretation. The study reflects a single-point cross-sectional survey in three regions of Cameroon and does not provide data on milk consumer habits or human infection prevalence.
GIDS interpretation
This article provides context on brucellosis surveillance and food safety monitoring in Cameroon. No surveillance signal is reported or inferable from the supplied abstract.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 7 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.