Investigating the Prevalence of Brucellosis, as an Occupational Disease, in Employees of Traditional Dairy Workshops in Sarab

Aims: Brucellosis is one of the most common diseases between humans and animals (zoonosis); one of its transmission routs is through the consumption of infected cattle dairy products. Since Sarab city has a large cattle population, and traditional dairy production and processing practices are still prevalent in this region and are known as tourist attractions and souvenirs of the region, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of infection in employees of traditional dairy products workshops in Sarab in 2018. Materials & Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 196 employees of traditional dairy production and packaging workshops. Blood samples were obtained from all subjects in order to determine the serological status of the patients. After sera isolation, Rose Bengal, seroagglutination in tube (Wright), 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME), and ELISA tests were used to evaluate them. Findings: In this study, the disease prevalence in the subjects with the mean age of 33±4.2 years was determined as 2, 1, 1, and 1% using Rose Bengal, Wright, 2-mercaptoethanol, and ELISA tests, respectively. The mean knowledge score of the employees in dairy products workshops was 31±5.7, and by increasing age and duration of work, knowledge about brucellosis was also increased Conclusion: In this study, the mean knowledge score showed the average knowledge of the subjects about brucellosis. The disease prevalence in this occupational group was lower than that reported in other studies conducted on other at-risk occupational groups in other parts of Iran and the world. Therefore, health personnel should take the necessary measures against brucellosis.