The contamination rate of Brucella spp. in unpasteurized dairy products used in urban and rural areas of Hamadan County, west of Iran

Abstract Background: Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent and important zoonotic diseases which is affecting the significant number of livestock and human population. Humans usually infected by Brucella spp. via contaminated milk and dairy products and direct contact with infected animals. This study was conducted to determine the Brucella spp. contamination of cottage dairy products in the rural and urban areas in the city of Hamadan, west of Iran.Results: In this descriptive-analytical study, 291 samples of nonboiling milk (227), fresh cheese (43), and cream (21) were collected from dairy products suppliers at the city center (No=103), villages (No=162), and industrial parks (No=26). We collected 72 samples from sheep and goats and 219 specimens from cattle. Samples were randomly selected from the target centers. The overall contamination rate of collected samples with Brucella spp. found to be 4.1%. Contamination of milk and dairy product in urban areas was 0.9%, rural 6.6%, and dairy farms 0%. Furthermore, the contamination rate varied from 9.7% and 2.5% for small ruminant and large ruminant, respectively, which was considerably significant (P value= 0.01).Conclusions: Due to the higher contamination of milk and dairy product taken from cattle, sheep, and goats it seems that control and prevention programs in sheep and goats must be taken more seriously. Also, since livestock are more kept in rural areas, must lay emphasis on preventive programs including training and hands-on workshops in such areas.