Clinical, Serological and Molecular Diagnosis of Brucellosis in Domestic Animals

Abstract

Animals that are mostly infected by this bacterium include cattle, goats, sheep, dogs, pigs and camels among others. Humans act as accidental host to this disease while animals are its natural reservoirs (CDC, 2019). In animals, it leads to abortion, stillbirth, epididymitis, orchitis and placentitis (OIE, 2009). Early and accurate diagnosis is the key to control Brucellosis. Here we discuss various aspects of diagnosis of Brucellosis in domestic animals. Aetiology of BrucellosisBrucellosis is caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. There are six main species of Brucella. They are B. suis, B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. ovis, B. neotomae, and B. canis (WHO, 2006). Some of these are pathogenic to man as well. They are B. canis, B. abortus, B. suis, and B. melitensis in the ascending order of pathogenicity (Corbel, 2006). Different species of Brucella infect different animals, for example B. canis is infectious to canines, cattle is infected by B. abortus, sheep are infected by B. ovis and B. melitensis, goats and camels by B. melitensis, swine by B. suis