title: Experimental infection of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with Brucella suis biovar 1 isolated from wild hares (Lepus europaeus).
abstract: Brucella suis biovar 1 is the causative agent of brucellosis in several domestic and wild animals and it is a common agent of human brucellosis. European hares (Lepus europaeus) have been shown to be infected by B. suis biovar 1 and the transmission to other animals has been suggested. In this work, experimental rabbits (Cuniculus orictolagus) were infected with B. suis biovar 1 isolated from wild hares. Infected rabbits showed high serological response in 2 weeks after discharge and typical granulomatous lesions (2mm diameter) were found in liver, spleen and kidneys after 50 days. B. suis biovar 1 was cultured from the lesion of the organs mentioned above as well as from urine, placenta and fetuses. These data suggest that hares are a potential source for horizontal transmission of B. suis biovar 1 to other mammalians.
authors.affiliation: INTA-Estación Experimental Agropecuaria de Anguil, La Pampa, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fort
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldone
authors.forename: Lumila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Giménez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Javier D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Breccia
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oyhenart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D041021:Brucella suis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D034621:Hares / Q000382:microbiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D011817:Rabbits / Q000382:microbiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology