MUGIZI, Rwabiita DenisBOQVIST, SofiaNASINYAMA, George WilliamWAISWA, CharlesIKWAP, KokasROCK, KimLINDAHL, ElisabethMAGNUSSON, UlfERUME, Joseph2018-07-252018-07-252015Rwabiita Mugizi, D., Boqvist, S., Nasinyama, G., Waiswa, C., Ikwap, K., Rock, K., Lindahl, E., Magnusson, U. and Erume, J., 2015. Prevalence of and factors associated with Brucella sero-positivity in cattle in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Uganda.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12280/525Brucellosis is a key zoonosis of major public health, animal welfare and economic significance, and is endemic in livestock in Uganda. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out to estimate the sero-prevalence of brucellosis and identify factors associated with sero-positivity in cattle in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Northern and Eastern Uganda, respectively. A total of 1007 sera and data on biologically plausible risk factors from 166 herds and their spatial locations, were collected from cattle reared in urban and peri-urban Gulu and Soroti towns of Uganda. The sera were analyzed using indirect ELISA and sero-positive reactors confirmed by competitive ELISA. Multivariable models were used to investigate for risk factors. The overall animal-level and herd-level sero-prevalence was 7.5% (76/1007, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 6.15–9.4%) and 27.1% (45/166, 95% CI: 20.9–34.3%), respectively. Herd-level seroprevalence was significantly (P<0.001) higher in Soroti than Gulu. In Gulu town, sero-positivity increased with an increase in herd size (P=0.03) and age (P=0.002), and was higher in cattle brought in from western Uganda (P<0.0001). In Soroti town, introduction of new cattle into a herd was significantly (P=0.027) associated with herd sero-positivity. There was a geographically differential risk (clustering) of Brucella sero- positivity in herds in Soroti, while sero-positivity was homogeneously distributed in Gulu. The data highlight brucellosis occurrence and major risk factors for its transmission in cattle in urban and peri-urban areas. KEY WORDS: brucellosis, risk factor, sero-positivity, Uganda, urban and peri-urban cattleenBrucella sero-positivity in cattleLivestock farmingArticle