Brucellosis in Iraqi Kurdistan: An overview

Abstract

Brucellosis, known as Malta fever in the region, is one of the most common bacterial zoonotic infections. In Iraqi Kurdistan, that is, the three Kurdish northern Iraqi Provinces, Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaimani, it is a widely spread disease and remains a challenging health problem. Sharing borders with Iran, Turkey, and Syria, wars and conflicts, insufficient preventive measures, the lack of adequate control programs, and uncontrolled animal transportation through “open” borders increase the risk that brucellosis will spread, although few studies on human seroprevalence of brucellosis have been conducted in the region. This article calls for collaborations between veterinary and public health authorities, establishing a surveillance program, conducting and prioritizing research, and implementing public health and other preventive measures and interventions.