Serological survey and risk factors for brucellosis in water buffaloes in the state of Pará, Brazil.
To evaluate the prevalence and possible risk factors for brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus in water buffaloes in the state of Pará, Brazil, 3,917 female buffalo serum samples from pregnant and non-pregnant animals were examined: 2,809 from Marajó Island and 1,108 from the mainland. The buffered acidified plate antigen (BAPA) screening test positively diagnosed 4.8% (188/3,917) of the animals with brucellosis, and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) confirmatory test affirmed 95.7% (180/188) of the results. The brucellosis prevalence was 4.17 times greater in mainland animals than on Marajó Island, with the highest prevalence in Tailândia (11.30%) and Paragominas (12.38%). Brucellosis seroprevalence was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by reproductive status, with pregnant females being most vulnerable. These results demonstrate that brucellosis infection is active in the Brazilian region containing the largest buffalo population and that this disease poses a threat to public health and buffalo production in Pará.
Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV-UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, CEP 14884-900, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, jenevaldo@hotmail.com.
Jenevaldo Barbosa
JB
da Silva
Charles Passos
CP
Rangel
Adivaldo Henrique
AH
da Fonseca
Eziquiel
E
de Morais
Wagner Marcelo Souza
WM
Vinhote
Danillo Henrique
DH
da Silva Lima
Natália
N
da Silva e Silva
José Diomedes
JD
Barbosa
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002020:Buffaloes; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D062312:Islands; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial