Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis in dairy cattle in Butemba Town Council, Kyankwanzi District, Uganda

Abstract

Bovine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of significant economic and public health importance, particularly in agro-pastoral systems within Uganda’s cattle corridor. However, localized data on its seroprevalence or specific risk factors is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis and identify associated risk factors among dairy cows in Butemba Town Council, Kyankwanzi District, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2026 to April 2026 and 144 cattle were sampled randomly from selected farms. Blood samples were collected and tested for antibodies against Brucella abortus using the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT). Data on animal-level, farm-level, and environmental factors were collected using a structured questionnaires and analysed using Stata version 14.2. The overall seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis among the screened cows was 10.4% (15/144, 95%CI; 5.9-16.6) and did not vary by ward in the town council. History of abortion (cOR = 7.0, p-value = 0.001), retained placenta (cOR = 10.3, p-value = 0.003) and proximity to wildlife (cOR = 0.26, pvalue = 0.045) were associated with brucella seropositivity among cows. However, grazing system, breeding method, age, and breed were not associated with brucella seropositivity in cows (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that bovine brucellosis is present among dairy cows in the study area and this may pose a public health risk to cattle handlers. Strengthening farmer awareness on proper and safe handling of abortuses and afterbirth; encouraging farmers to report abortions to the area veterinarians and enhancing routine surveillance for bovine brucellosis are recommended. Future research should employ sensitive techniques on larger samples to investigate the relationship between animal and human brucellosis.