Abstract
Aim: Brucellosis is a highly zoonotic and infectious disease caused by different species of the Brucella genus around the world. This disease has a substantial impact on animal and human health, and also on socioeconomic aspects, therefore it could pose a serious impediment to the development of livestock production. There has been a lack of extensive research on the seroprevalence of brucellosis in sheep, as well as risk factor analysis in Bangladesh. As a result, the current investigation was undertaken to estimate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for ovine brucellosis in Bangladesh.
Methods: A total 394 blood samples were randomly collected from eight districts of Bangladesh between July 2021 and June 2022. These samples were examined using both the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) to detect Brucella antibodies. To understand the potential risk factors, a structured questionnaire was used to gather information about sheep rearing from sheep owners through direct interview. Data analysis was done using STATA version 18.0, and logistic regression models were employed to identify relevant risk factors.
Results: The study revealed an overall seroprevalence of ovine brucellosis was 5.84% (95% CI: 3.7-8.6) and 3.55% (95% CI: 1.9-5.8) using RBPT and iELISA, respectively. Age (over 3 years; OR: 6.56, 95% CI: 1.73–31.48) and parity of ewes (> 3 times; OR: 13.11, 95% CI: 2.82–60.92) were found to be significant risk factors for Brucella seropositivity (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: In conclusion, the prevalence of ovine brucellosis in the study area was quite low. Efficient measures are required to be implemented in order to control the transmission of the disease.

Key words: Bangladesh, Brucellosis, Risk factors, Seroprevalence, Sheep