[Clinical and epizootiological aspects of bovine, caprine, and ovine brucellosis in Greece].
The author reports on an investigation, in Greece, of the clinical and epizootiological aspects of bovine, caprine and ovine brucellosis. These three types of brucellosis are found in the abortive and latent forms. The abortive form is revealed by contagious abortions whose frequency depends principally on the composition of the animal population of the farm; during its evolution, numerous very high positive serological reactions are observed. It involves many complications, causes heavy economic losses and is passed on to a great number of breeders. The latent form is accompanied by chronic manifestations, but passes unnoticed for the most part and is discovered only by serological tests during a period of suspect abortions of human cases of brucellosis. There are fewer of these cases then when the disease evolves in the region in the abortive form. The latent form contributes to the multiplication of centres of infection (1) when apparently uninfected female animals coming from farms contaminated with the latent form are introduced into healthy herds, (2) when the latent form changes into the abortive form after the introduction of healthy female animals into farms contaminated with this form. Furthermore, because of its inapparent evolution, it is a constant danger to rural populations. Bovine brucellosis has been observed in 16 of the 52 departments in the country, and caprine and ovine brucellosis in 21. The proportion of infection throughout the bovine, caprine and ovine herds of the 38 departments in which the investigation was made is approximately 4.70, 1.29, and 0.33 per thousand, respectively. The usual pathogenic agent of bovine brucellosis is Br. abortus; Br. abortus resistant to thionin is found less frequently and Br. melitensis only occasionally. The usual pathogenic agent of caprine and ovine brucellosis is Br. melitensis; Br. intermedia is less frequent and Br. abortus is found only rarely. Four Tables show the clinical investigation of 150 bovine abortions of brucellic origin and observations on the sanitary conditions of 22 cattle-sheds and herds infected with abortive or latent brucellosis. The author concludes in favour of the necessity of medical prophylactic measures and the strict application of sanitary prophylactic measures. In general, new animals should not be introduced into farms but when this is necessary the animal should not be considered free from brucellosis simply because of negative serological reactions. The best policy, in this case, is to repopulate entire farms negative to serological tests by seronegative animals coming also from entirely negative farms.
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002007:Brucellosis, Bovine / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006115:Greece; D008297:Male; D009920:Orchitis / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
Aspects cliniques et épizootiologiques de la brucellose bovine, caprine et ovine, en Grèce