title: Serologic and molecular evidence of Brucella ovis infection in ovine and caprine flocks in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brucella ovis infection is one of the leading causes of sub fertility and infertility in ovine, been characterized mainly by epididymitis, orchitis and testicular atrophy in rams. This study aimed to determine the frequency of B. ovis positivity in rams and goats flocks in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, by agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGID), ELISA, Rose Bengal, PCR and bacteriological isolation as diagnostic tools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum and urine samples were collected from properties with sheep or goat flocks, or from properties with mixed flock. Out of 50 sheep flocks, 6% (3/50) were seropositive by AGID while 4% (2/50) were positive by urine PCR for B. ovis. Out of five goat farms, 20% (1/5) were seropositive for B. ovis by AGID. Mixed flock farms had 11.1% (2/18) of positivity by AGID. By ELISA, 19.5% (8/41) of sheep properties and 61.1% (11/18) of the properties with mixed flocks were positive for B. ovis. No samples were positive in the test of Rose Bengal, ruling out exposure to smooth LPS Brucella species (particularly Brucella melitensis) and indicating that the positive in the ELISA was associated with Brucella spp. LPS rough (presumably B. ovis). No urine sample from sheep or goat was positive by bacteriological isolation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate serologic or molecular evidence of B. ovis infection in several rams and billy goats from meso-regions of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Also, this study report the indirect ELISA as an important tool for the diagnosis of B. ovis infection, as indirect ELISA in this study demonstrated to be the most sensitive diagnostic method adopted.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Fachini
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moisés Sena
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laís Bitencourt
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 39.404-006, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anne Karoene Silva
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 39.404-006, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Pereira
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Morão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Pinto da Silva
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luize Néli Nunes
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 39.404-006, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anna Christina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aurora Maria Guimarães
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Xavier
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane Alves
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Paixão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal Minas Gerais, CEP 31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. rsantos@vet.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Renato Lima
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D042061:Brucella ovis / Q000502:physiology*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats / Q000382:microbiology*; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012756:Sheep / Q000382:microbiology*; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Brucella ovis; Brucellosis; Goats; Rams