Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2020 Jan;32(1):77-86.
doi: 10.1177/1040638719891083. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Diagnosis of canine brucellosis: comparison of various serologic tests and PCR

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Diagnosis of canine brucellosis: comparison of various serologic tests and PCR

Juliana P S Mol et al. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Canine brucellosis is an infectious and contagious disease associated with reproductive losses in breeding kennels. As a zoonotic disease, it poses a risk to human health, especially for veterinarians and breeders who handle materials potentially contaminated with Brucella canis. However, canine brucellosis is a neglected and underestimated disease given the difficulties in establishing a definitive diagnosis. We evaluated the frequency of detection of B. canis in 5 breeding kennels by using various serologic methods and PCR. Circulation of B. canis in these kennels was confirmed by bacterial isolation. The frequency of positive serologic results varied from 6.3% by AGID to 16.5% by dot-ELISA. There was no positive serology for smooth Brucella. PCR testing was positive in 13.9% of samples. The only detection tests with reasonable agreement were PCR and 2ME-MAT. The diagnosis of canine brucellosis remains challenging. The use of a single laboratory method, or even the use of different laboratory methods, may not be sufficient to reach a definitive diagnosis.

Keywords: Brucella canis; breeding kennels; detection methods; reproductive diseases; zoonosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PCR and serologic tests for Brucella sp. performed in samples from dogs from 5 kennels (A–E, designated by panel letter) in Brazil. AGID = agar gel immunodiffusion; RBPT/2ME-RBPT = rose Bengal plate test, and 2-mercaptoethanol–rose Bengal plate test; CFT = complement fixation test; MAT/2ME-MAT = microagglutination, and microagglutination with 2-ME.

References

    1. Aguiar DM, et al. Ocorrência de anticorpos anti-Brucella abortus e anti-Brucella canis em cães rurais e urbanos do Município de Monte Negro, Rondônia, Brasil [Anti-Brucella abortus and anti-Brucella canis antibodies occurrence in rural and urban dogs from Monte Negro county, Rondônia, Brazil]. Cienc Rural 2005;35:1216–1219. Portuguese.
    1. Alton GG, et al. Laboratory Techniques in Brucellosis. 2nd ed. (World Health Organization monograph series 55). Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 1975. - PubMed
    1. Azevedo SS, et al. Inquérito sorológico e fatores de risco para a brucelose por Brucella canis em cães do município de Santana de Parnaíba, Estado de São Paulo [Serological survey and risk factors for brucellosis due to Brucella canis in dogs of the Santana de Parnaíba municipality, State of São Paulo]. Pesq Vet Bras 2003;23:156–160. Portuguese.
    1. Azevedo SS, et al. cs [Comparison of three serological tests applied to diagnosis of the Brucella canis infection in dogs]. Braz J Vet Res Anim Sci 2004;41:106–112. Portuguese.
    1. Badakhsh F, et al. Improved rapid slide agglutination test for presumptive diagnosis of canine brucellosis. J Clin Microbiol 1982;15:286–289. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types