The incidence of human brucellosis in Pakistan is relatively low, although it has been reported as 21.7% in high-risk groups such as slaughterhouse employees. Furthermore, various investigations have revealed changing prevalence rates in different species of animal in Pakistan and nearby regions, with some cattle herds exhibiting a prevalence rate of up to 19%.
1. A 2021 research conducted in Sindh, the third largest province of Pakistan and the second most populous, found that brucellosis primarily affects cattle and camels in Karachi and Hyderabad, while no cases were reported in sheep and goats. The seroprevalence rates in cattle ranged from 17.5% to 25%, while in camels, it varied from 12.12% to 32.35%.
2. The prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants and cattle has been documented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province situated in northwestern Pakistan, where seropositivity rates vary from 0% to 13.4% in bovines and bubaline, and from 3.2% to 16.67% in ovine and caprine.
3. In the districts of Quetta and Turbat, estimates of seroprevalence in cattle and buffaloes ranged from 0.26% to 5.9%, while in sheep and goats it ranged from 2% to 2.67%.
4. In the northern region of Pakistan, specifically in the capital city of Islamabad, Brucellosis has been frequently observed in both cattle and small ruminant herds. The seroprevalence in cattle and buffaloes ranges from 1.6% to 8.3%, while in sheep and goats it ranges from 2.2% to 13.1%.
5. Gilgit-Baltistan, a region in northern Pakistan encompassing the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakoram Mountains, has reported brucellosis cases in both cattle (10.93%) and wild animals.
6. In a study conducted in AJK, a self-governing region of Pakistan situated in the southern part of the Himalayan mountain range, it was found that 13.33% of goats were seropositive for brucellosis.
In 1979, the first research on human brucellosis in Pakistan was published. At present, the largest proportion of cases is believed to occur in Punjab, where the reported incidence ranges from 5.8% to 10.7% in hospitals and 6.87% to 38.94% in occupational settings. Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hospital-based studies have found prevalence rates of 2% to 36.4%. Nonetheless, brucellosis is still widely underestimated and misdiagnosed in the country.