{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T05:01:50Z","timestamp":1790226110783,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000774","name":"Defense Threat Reduction Agency","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["#HDTRA11910032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["#HDTRA11910032"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000774","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Brucellosis, a neglected zoonotic disease, is endemic in many sub-Saharan African countries, including Cameroon. Recent studies have shown that\n                    <jats:italic>Brucella abortus<\/jats:italic>\n                    infects multiple livestock species throughout Cameroon. While the presence and risk to humans have been identified at farms and abattoirs, the bacterium has never been detected in milk intended for human consumption. In Cameroon, milk is commonly sold at open-air markets for human consumption without regulation. This study investigates the presence of\n                    <jats:italic>Brucella<\/jats:italic>\n                    spp. in milk sold at these markets in three regions: the Far North, North, and West. Cow milk samples and surveys were collected from 380 merchants in each region, totaling 1,140 samples and surveys. Each sample underwent iELISA, culture, real-time PCR, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Surveys assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of milk merchants. Results indicate that\n                    <jats:italic>B. abortus<\/jats:italic>\n                    is not only endemic in livestock but present in milk sold for human consumption. Culture results show a countrywide positivity of 1.3% (1.1% Far North, 1.1% North, 1.8% West). Real-time PCR results indicate a 4.0% positivity rate (2.4% Far North, 5.5% North, 4.0% West). iELISA indicates 21% of the milk samples contained anti-\n                    <jats:italic>Brucella<\/jats:italic>\n                    antibodies, with significant regional variations (38.4% Far North, 15.5% North, 8.9% West). Finally, NGS revealed that the bacterial isolates from milk are epidemiologically linked to those obtained from animals across the region. KAP analysis shows that only 26.4% of merchants boil and 91.2% mix the milk from multiple cattle before sale. All surveyed merchants selling culture-positive milk engaged in risky behaviors, resulting in the sale of contaminated milk to approximately 720 people each week. This study highlights the risk of human brucellosis extending beyond farms and abattoirs to the general public. Future research should investigate milk consumers\u2019 habits and prevalence to better understand brucellosis risk in Cameroon.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0014051","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T17:39:22Z","timestamp":1774287562000},"page":"e0014051","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Brucella abortus and public health risk: Prevalence in milk sold at open markets in Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Pierre","family":"Gontao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2903-176X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Christopher G.","family":"Laine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gaelle Kamdjo","family":"Guela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles Olivier","family":"Gomsu Dada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hortense","family":"Abiba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles F\u00e9lix","family":"Bilong Bilong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wilfred","family":"Mbacham","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel G.","family":"Garcia-Gonzalez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sonia","family":"Vection","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John D.","family":"Gillece","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey T.","family":"Foster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abel","family":"Wade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1631-2653","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Angela M.","family":"Arenas-Gamboa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pntd.0014051.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-017-5016-y","article-title":"Brucellosis remains a neglected disease in the developing world: a call for interdisciplinary action","volume":"18","author":"KA Franc","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pntd.0014051.ref002","first-page":"355","article-title":"Brucellosis (Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis)","volume-title":"Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals","author":"WOAH","year":"2018","edition":"8"},{"key":"pntd.0014051.ref003","volume-title":"Brucellosis in humans and animals","author":"MJ Corbel","year":"2006"},{"issue":"9","key":"pntd.0014051.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1789","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2909.230052","article-title":"Global Estimate of Human Brucellosis Incidence","volume":"29","author":"CG Laine","year":"2023","journal-title":"Emerg Infect Dis"},{"key":"pntd.0014051.ref005","volume-title":"WOAH. 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