Serological survey of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) for tularaemia and brucellosis in South Moravia, Czech Republic

Abstract

Sera of 204 wild boars (Sus scrofa), shot by hunters in the South-Moravian district of Břeclav during 1993-2001, were tested by microagglutination reaction using safranin-stained antigens of Francisella tularensis and Brucella abortus: 10.8% and 8.7% seroreactors, respectively, were detected. The highest (17%) prevalence of tularaemia antibodies was found in wild boars during 1993-1994 at the beginning of a widespread outbreak of tularaemia in South Moravia that started in 1994, a nonsignificantly lower (13%) seroprevalence in 1995-1996 during the continuing epizootic, whereas it decreased markedly to 3% in the years 1997-2001 during the disappearance of the epizootic. Brucella sp. antibodies were significantly most frequent (15%) in wild boars in the years 1995-1996. This Brucella seroreactivity has been attributed to B. suis biotype 2 (B. melitensis biovar Suis biotype 2 according to new nomenclature) infection, because B. abortus in both cattle and humans (Bang's disease) was eradicated in the former Czechoslovakia in 1964. The hare brucellosis (B. suis biotype 2) has occurred in the Břeclav district in a number of natural foci revealing an increased activity since 1994.

The status of tularemia in Europe in a one-health context: a review

“…However these species are not considered to be particularly susceptible to developing disease. Their potential role as asymptomatic carriers, shedding and/or spreading the infection in nature, has not been investigated [1,7,9,89,90].…”

Brucellosis in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Republic of Croati

“…B. suis biovar 2 was demonstrated in wild boar in the countries of Central Europe. Kormendy and Nagy (1982) reported on the findings of B. suis biovar 2 in Hungary, Hubalek et al (2002) in Czech Republic, Brglez and Batis (1981) in Slovenia. Godfroid et al (1994) reported on the findings of B. suis biovar 2 in wild boar in Belgium, where it was isolated from 13 (9.2%) out of 141 analysed samples of wild boar.…”

“…In France Garin-Bastuji et al (2000) also isolated B. suis biovar 2 in about 10% of the analysed materials (spleen) of wild boar. In Central and Western Europe the most o�en causal agent of brucellosis in pigs is B. suis biovar 2 whose natural carriers are hares (Lepus capensis) (Brglez and Batis, 1981;Szulowski et al, 1999) and wild boar (Quinn et al, 1994;GarinBastuji et al, 2000;Hubalek et al, 2002). Brucellosis was diagnosed in different countries and continents by serological examination too.…”

“…Garin-Bastuji et al (2000) reported that in different regions of France positive serological reactions to brucellosis were found in wild boar in the range from 20% to 35%. Hubalek et al (2002) reported that in the Czech Republic the frequency of positive reactions to brucellosis in wild boar was 15%. Dedek et al (1986) reported serologically positive findings in 7.9% of wild boar in Germany.…”

Spatio-temporal aspects of tularemia in Southern Moravia, Czech Republic

“…In the la�er case tularemia can be brought to such a diseasefree territory either by transfer of animals when re-populating the area or by the migrating reservoir host -the wild boar (Sus scrofa). As far as the wild boar is concerned, Hubalek et al (2002) found up to 17% of seroprevalence for tularemia and the home range of this species is much larger (about 35 km 2 ; Saunders and Kay, 1996) than in other reservoir hosts of tularemia. The wild boar is a species preferring riverine woodlands (Choquenot and Ruscoe, 2003) and as natural foci of tularemia are most frequent in alluvial areas (Pikula et al, 2003), the wild boar could be the species responsible for the spread of tularemia to new areas.…”