title: Brucellosis in dairy cattle and goats in northern Ecuador.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to conduct a convenience study for brucellosis prevalence in dairy-producing animals in northern Ecuador. In total, 2,561 cows and 301 goats were tested. Cattle sera were tested using the Rose Bengal card antigen test (RBCT), yielding an overall apparent prevalence of 5.5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 4.7-6.5%) and true prevalence of 7.2% (95% CI = 6.0-8.5%). Prevalence varied by herd size and was highest in larger commercial herds. Polymerase chain reaction was used to test goat milk and lymph nodes, resulting in 9% and 8% positivity, respectively. The RBCTs from goat sera yielded an adjusted true prevalence of 17.8% (95% CI = 6.2-44.2%). Our findings are similar to other overall prevalence estimates for dairy herds but show higher prevalence in commercial herds compared with small groups (less than five animals). We also identify urban milking goats living in metropolitan Quito as a potential source of zoonosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Department of Sociology, Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky; Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Quito, Ecuador; Servicios Veterinarios, Cayambe, Ecuador; School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
authors.forename: Keith P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Frank T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.forename: Chase M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: Marlène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zabala
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barragan
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trueba
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bethel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002007:Brucellosis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006041:Goats; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial