title: Identification of Brucella spp. in feral swine (Sus scrofa) at abattoirs in Texas, USA.
abstract: Various tissues, nasal swabs, urine and blood samples were collected from 376 feral swine at two federally inspected abattoirs in Texas during six separate sampling periods in 2015. Samples were tested for Brucella spp. by culture and serology. Brucella spp. were cultured from 13.0% of feral swine, and antibodies were detected in 9.8%. Only 32.7% of culture-positive feral swine were also antibody positive, and 43.2% of antibody-positive feral swine were culture positive. Approximately, the same number of males (14.0%) and females (12.1%) were culture positive, and slightly more males (10.5%) than females (8.7%) were antibody positive. Our results indicate that serology likely underestimates the prevalence of feral swine infected, and that those who come in contact with feral swine should be aware of the symptoms of infection with Brucella spp. to ensure prompt treatment.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2980-9618
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arenas-Gamboa
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Sibley
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gidlewski
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: 
  Sus scrofa
  ; Brucella spp.; abattoir; brucellosis; feral swine; slaughter