Contents - Medicinski Fakultet u Sarajevu - University of Sarajevo

Folia Medica 2011; 46 No 1:22-27Analysis of disease spreading shows thatbrucellosis has become and endemic diseasefor the last ten years (12,13,14,15). From thefirst reported case it has had characteristicsof continuing epidemic in Canton Sarajevo,Canton Herzegovina-Neretva and CantonCentral Bosnia. In Canton Tuzla, and CantonUna-Sana disease emerged in form ofepidemic in 2007 and 2008 respectively, withmore than a hundred of infected individuals.All this leads to conclusion that thereis extremely high proportion of infectedcattle that were managed by poorly educatedcattle-breeders, which anticipate diseasespreading among people and animals. Noserious preventive precautions have beenundertaken in the past time in order to stopmixing of infected and uninfected cattle.Due to after-war division of Bosnia andHerzegovina, and lack of political will forthe past ten years, the disease has not beeneradicated or controlled, even though Bosniaand Herzegovina has State VeterinaryInstitute. Only palliative measures havebeen undertaken. Cattle have been testedfor brucellosis in both Bosnian Entities, butonly 10-30% of total population.There was not a single cattle cemetery inBosnia and Herzegovina before 2008, andeuthanized cattle ended at garbage dumps,in rivers or improperly buried. Two mobilecrematories started to operate at the end of2007. Bosnia and Herzegovina still properbutcheries. Veterinary Institute started cattlevaccination program at the end of 2008 inboth Bosnian Entities. Vaccination is obligatoryfor all cattle (young, old, pregnant, etc).Major concern is that there is no continuousand systemic cooperation between animaland human medicine specialists. Cooperationis based on personal contacts, and it’snot supported in any way.Conclusions– Human and animal brucellosis inBosnia and Herzegovina was reportedonly as a sporadic and isolateddisease, with no spreading before thewar 1992-1995.– After the war, brucellosis was confirmedfor the first time in 1999.– After emerging, brucellosis keptspreading, gathering characteristicsof continuous epidemic.– From 2006 the disease emerged incertain areas in form of high scaleepidemic.– Brucellosis in Bosnia and Herzegovinahas been emerging zoonosis since1999/2000.– For the past ten years, brucellosis hasbecome an endemic disease in Bosniaand Herzegovina.– Government of Bosnia and Herzegovinahasn’t started sufficient andproper actions over the past ten yearsto eradicate or control the disease becauseof lack of political will.– There wasn’t any systematic cooperationbetween human and animalmedicine specialists.– Government and related institutionsmust take full responsibility for endangeringof human and animalhealth on national level.– A cohort of experts and scientistsmust be formed in order to start seriousand systematic work, and createnational programs for eradicatingbrucellosis, as well as other infectiousdiseases.26