Data Sheet 2_Scoping review of brucellosis in Armenia: persistent neglect, significant knowledge gaps, and a necessity for innovative research, surveillance, and control.docx

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of nearly worldwide distribution. Despite its endemic presence in many regions, the true burden of the disease remains poorly defined. Armenia, a small country situated in the South Caucasus, exemplifies this lack of clarity. To better understand the epidemiological landscape of brucellosis in Armenia, we conducted a scoping review of studies addressing both human and animal brucellosis within the country. Comprehensive database and manual searches identified only 19 relevant articles published between 1982 and 2023. Reported individual seroprevalence estimates for animal brucellosis ranged dramatically from 0.26 to 18.04% (median—3.33%) in cattle and from 0.75 to 29.90% (median—1.94%) in small ruminants. Only one study investigated swine; however, the sample size was too small and precluded meaningful interpretation. None of the studies identified the Brucella species or strains involved, leaving unresolved the question of the primary livestock reservoirs. In humans, brucellosis was predominantly reported among individuals residing in rural areas, with an average incidence of approximately 8 cases per 100,000 population per year. Although constrained by limitations due to the scarcity of available data, this review highlights the neglected nature of brucellosis in Armenia underscoring the potential public health risk posed by this bacterium. Reporting inconsistencies, the absence of readily available diagnostic tools, and the lack of standardized testing procedures hinder an accurate assessment of the disease burden. This review summarizes and identifies critical gaps in research and control efforts, offering insight that can support the need for a comprehensive, long-term national surveillance and control strategy.

布鲁氏菌病（Brucellosis）是一种几乎遍布全球的人畜共患病。尽管该疾病在诸多地区呈地方性流行态势，但其真实疾病负担仍未得到明确界定。坐落于南高加索（South Caucasus）地区的小国亚美尼亚，便是这种认知模糊的典型例证。为更深入了解亚美尼亚布鲁氏菌病的流行病学概况，我们针对该国境内涉及人类与动物布鲁氏菌病的相关研究开展了范围综述。通过全面的数据库检索与人工筛查，最终仅筛选出1982年至2023年间发表的19篇相关文献。报道的动物布鲁氏菌病个体血清阳性率差异悬殊：牛群血清阳性率范围为0.26%至18.04%（中位数为3.33%），小反刍动物则为0.75%至29.90%（中位数为1.94%）。仅有一项研究针对猪开展相关调查，但样本量过小，无法得出有意义的解读。所有研究均未明确所涉及的布鲁氏菌种（Brucella species）或菌株，这使得确定主要家畜储存宿主的问题仍悬而未决。在人类病例中，布鲁氏菌病主要集中于农村地区居民，年均发病率约为每10万人中8例。尽管受限于可用数据匮乏带来的诸多限制，本范围综述仍凸显了亚美尼亚布鲁氏菌病被忽视的现状，强调了该病原菌所带来的潜在公共卫生风险。报告不一致、缺乏易用的诊断工具以及标准化检测流程的缺失，均阻碍了对疾病负担的准确评估。本综述总结并明确了研究与防控工作中的关键空白，可为制定全面、长期的国家监测与防控策略提供参考依据。