Sero-diagnosis of brucellosis in Gharbiya governorate, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Vet. Med., Benha University

2 Brucella Research Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki

Abstract

A total 1006 animals (300 cattle, 300 buffaloes, and 300 sheep and106 goats) were selected from private farms and
suspected to suffer from brucellosis from different localities in Gharbiya governorate, as well as 50 rats (31Rattus rattus
&19 Rattus norvegicus) and 15 stray dogs were collected from the same localities associated with examined animals. In
addition, 160 persons suffering from fever suspected to be brucellosis were collected (80 workers contact with examined
animals and 40 from fever hospitals). Serological tests were carried out by using Rose Bengal plate (RBPT), Buffered
Acidified plate test (BAPAT), Complement Fixation test (CFT), Tube Agglutination test (TAT) and 2- Mercapto-Ethanol
test (2-MET). The results showed that the percentage of positive reactors were 9%, 7.3%, 9.3% 8.5%, 8% and 0% using
RBPT in cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, rats and dogs respectively. Meanwhile the percentage of positive reactors using
BAPAT was 9.6%, 8.3%, 10.7%, and 9.6% in cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats and by using CFT the percentage was
9.3%, 8%, 10.3% and 10.3% in previously examined animals. Also the result of TAT was 8% in rats and 0.0% in dogs.
The occurrence of brucellosis in sheep and goats was higher than cows and buffaloes. Finally, the results in humans were
13.1%, 11.3% and 10% by using RBPT, TAT and 2MET respectively. The incidence of brucellosis was higher in males
(14.9%) than females (3.8%) and higher in humans aged between 20-30 years

Keywords