Survey The Rate of Malta Fever in dairy cattle in Northern Iran

Abstract
Malta Fever or Brucellosis is an infectious and contagious bacterial disease of animals and
humans caused by Brucella.spp. In This survey, the Brucella infection rate was studied in dairy
cattle of industrial and non-industrial herds in Sari in Mazandaran province. 800 milk specimens
were randomly collected from whole 3,000 heads of cow in the area. It must be indicated that
400 samples of milk samples were taken from dairy cows of industrial farms and 400 samples
of them from dairy cows of traditional herds. Milk Ring Test were done on milk samples. The
results showed that Brucella infection in province was 0.5% for industrial farms, 5.25% for
non-industrial herds and 2.875% for total cows of province (23 Reactor of 800 samples).
Generally according to the results of this survey, the prevalence and gradual increasing of the
infection in province is not due to consumption of raw cow milk and its products, and the
invasion of Brucella infection to the human being in this area must be searched in other animals
like sheep and goat.
Keywords: Iran, Brucellosis, Malta Fever, cattle.