Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to anthrax and animal care: A case-control study in Georgia.

Introduction: Anthrax is endemic in Georgia and recent outbreaks prompted a livestock-handler case-control study with a component to evaluate anthrax knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among livestock handlers or owners.

Methods: Cases were handlers of livestock with confirmed animal anthrax from June 2013-May 2015. Handlers of four matched unaffected animals were selected as controls, two from the same village as the case animal ("village control") and two from 3-10 km away ("area control").

Risk factors associated with the occurrence of anthrax outbreaks in livestock in the country of Georgia: A case-control investigation 2013-2015.

Introduction: Anthrax is considered endemic in livestock in Georgia. In 2007, the annual vaccination became the responsibility of livestock owners, while contracting of private veterinarians was not officially required. Six years later, due to increase in human outbreaks associated with livestock handling, there is a need to find out the risk factors of livestock anthrax in Georgia.

Tularemia transmission to humans: a multifaceted surveillance approach.

Tularemia has sustained seroprevalence in Eurasia, with estimates as high as 15% in endemic regions. The purpose of this report is to characterise the current epidemiology of Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica in Georgia. Three surveillance activities are summarised: (1) acute infections captured in Georgia's notifiable disease surveillance system, (2) infectious disease seroprevalence study of military volunteers, and (3) a study of seroprevalence and risk factors in endemic regions.

Changing livestock vaccination policy alters the epidemiology of human anthrax, Georgia, 2000-2013.

Anthrax is a widely spread zoonotic disease found on nearly every continent. To control the disease in humans and animals, annual livestock vaccination is recommended. However, in 2007, the country of Georgia ended its policy of compulsory annual livestock anthrax vaccination.

Expansion of brucellosis detection in the country of Georgia by screening household members of cases and neighboring community members.

Background: Brucellosis is considered as endemic zoonotic disease in the country of Georgia. However, the burden of the disease on a household level is not known. Therefore, this study sought to determine the benefits of active surveillance coupled to serological screening for the early detection of brucellosis among close contacts of brucellosis cases.