Guidelines For Coordinated Human and Animal Brucellosis Surveillance

Brucellosis is still a major disease problem in the Mediterranean region, western Asia, parts of Africa and Latin America. Reduction in human brucellosis cases is a good indicator of successful progress in the control of animal brucellosis. The zoonotic significance of brucellosis therefore requires concerted efforts for control through intersectoral collaboration between ministries of agriculture-veterinary/health-medical and other stakeholders. Such collaboration depends to a large extent on the availability of science-based information collected through efficient surveillance systems for the purpose of designing practical and feasible control strategies to reduce the prevalence of the disease and where feasible, to eradicate it. These guidelines have been prepared with that aim. They have been developed by reviewing programmes in countries that have successfully controlled and eradicated brucellosis as well as in those countries where the disease is still endemic.