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ISDS 2016 Conference Abstracts

Seroprevalence of zoonotic diseases among farm 
animals in Kvemo Kartli (Georgia)
K Goginashvili*1, M donduashvili1, Gaga Osiashvili1, Ryan Arner2 and Lile Malania3
1Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tbilisi, Georgia; 2Metabiota Inc, San Fransisco, CA, USA; 3National Center for Disease 
Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia

Objective
The purpose of this research was to study the seroprevalence of 

zoonotic diseases among farm animals in the Kvemo Kartli region 
of Georgia.

Introduction
Zoonotic diseases are an important cause of human morbidity 

and mortality; around 75% of recently emerging human infectious 
diseases are zoonoses. Herein we report the first seroprevalence study 
to include a range of emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens of 
economic concern (including: Bacillus anthracis, Coxiella burnetii, 
Francisella spp., Brucella spp., and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic 
fever virus (CCHFV)) affecting domestic animals (e.g., cattle, sheep, 
goat, and dog) in Georgia.

Methods
Cattle (n=177) from Gardabani, Marneuli, and Tsalka  

(Kvemo Kartli region) were sampled for the study as were small ruminants 
and dogs (n=30). Bacillus anthracis, Brucella spp., CCHFV, and  
C. burnetii (Phase I) were detected using ELISA methods. Francisella 
tularensis was detected using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT).

Results
Of the cattle sampled, 11 were positive for F. tularensis, 39 were 

positive for Brucella spp., and seven were positive for C. burnetii. All 
samples were negative for CCHFV. Three goat samples were positive 
for C. burnetii, one goat sample and one dog sample were positive for 
F. tularensis.

Conclusions
Domestic animals serve as a source of disease that can spread 

to humans through vectors or direct contact. In Georgia, domestic 
animals were not previously studied for exposure to zoonotic diseases, 
with the exception of cattle, which were surveyed for brucellosis.  
In particular, the finding of F. tularensis seropositive animals is 
novel in Georgia, as this region was considered free of the pathogen. 
Screening studies of domestic/farm animals for zoonotic pathogens 
such as this can serve as a source of baseline data for regional risk 
assessments and to better inform One Health measures.

Keywords
Emerging diseases; Re-emerging diseases; Zoonotic diseases; 
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Acknowledgments
The research study described in this presentation was made possible by 
financial support provided by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency. 
The findings, opinions and views expressed herein belong to the authors 
and do not reflect an official position of the Department of the Army, 
Department of Defense, or the US Government, or any other organization 
listed

*K Goginashvili
E-mail: Goginashvili@lma.ge

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 9(1):e159, 2017