Human and animal brucellosis in the Sultanate of Oman: an epidemiological study.

INTRODUCTION: Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by direct contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with Brucella. Brucella is a Gram-negative aerobic coccobacillus that infects different types of animals and is considered to be an important zoonotic disease. METHODOLOGY: Brucella were isolated from blood samples and identified following biochemical tests and agglutination with A and M monospecific antisera. Furthermore, Brucella antibody titers of the tested sera were obtained by the microtiter agglutination method (MAM). RESULTS: The main Brucella species isolated in Oman was B. melitensis. However, in countries bordering Oman and their neighboring countries, both B. melitensis and B. abortus have been isolated and identified. A total of 412 human patients with suspected cases of brucellosis were admitted to the Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control in the Dhofar Governorate for diagnosis and treatment. During the year 2015, a total of 343 human cases were positively diagnosed with brucellosis in the Dhofar Governorate. During the years 2015 to 2019, a total of 10,492 animals were examined in different Governorates of Oman for brucellosis. The results indicated that 1161 (11%) animals were serologically positive for brucellosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirmed that Brucella melitensis is the main species responsible for human brucellosis in Oman. It was not surprising that the Dhofar Governorate exhibited a high percentage of infected patients since it is culturally acceptable to drink raw camel milk (unpasteurized), unlike cow milk which is pasteurized.

An outbreak of dermatophilosis and caseous lymphadenitis mixed infection in camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Jordan.

INTRODUCTION: This study describes and reports, for the first time, an outbreak of dermatophilosis that occurred concurrently with caseous lymphadenitis involving two camel herds (Camelus dromedaries) in north Jordan. METHODOLOGY: The affected animals were part of two herds comprising 52 Arabian camels in herd 1 and 65 camels in herd 2. The age of infected camels ranged from 18 months to 5 years. Pus and skin scab samples were aseptically collected and bacteriologically examined. Affected camels were treated by long-acting oxytetracycline injection in a dose rate of 10 mg/kg body weight every 48 hours for three successive treatments, and local antiseptic and antibiotic cutaneous spray treatment for five successive days. RESULTS: The main clinical signs on affected camels were skin dermatitis and abscess formation. The isolated organisms were Dermatophilus congolensis and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis were the causative agents of dermatophilosis and caseous lymphadenitis, respectively. Other organisms were isolated from skin abscesses, including α-hemolytic streptococci, hemolytic E. coli, Actinomyces pyogenes, and S. aureus. The affected camels were rapidly and effectively cured by the above-mentioned treatment protocol. No mortality was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing purchased camels from animal auctions without pre-examination and keeping camels in over-crowded small barns under cold, humid, and rainy conditions during winter may predispose the eruption of mixed infection of dermatophilosis and caseous lymphadenitis. Treatment by long-acting oxytetracycline injection with local antiseptic and antibiotic cutaneous spray can control such infection. A survey on camel herds raised near Jordan's borders is needed to monitor the possibility of emerging infectious disease.