Detection of canine brucellosis by a rapid agglutination test using Rhizobium tropici as antigen

摘要

The Brucella canis infection induces various reproductive disorders in dogs and also in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasability to use antigens from related germs, such as Rhizobium tropici in serological methods for evidencing circulating anti-Brucella antibodies in dogs, because of the zoonotic risk. For that, brucellosis seroprevalence on 135 dogs stemming from pounds or from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Konya region was determined with specific serological tests(Modified Micro Plate Agglutination Test (MPAT), 2-Mercaptoethanol Tube Agglutination Test (2Me-TAT) an indirect ELISA (I-ELISA)) using B. canis NCTC 10854 strain antigens and with a non specific rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT) using R. tropici CIAT 899 strain as antigens. The canine brucellosis prevalence was 21.5% with I-ELISA and was weakly higher with the MPAT (25.2%) and the 2ME-TAT (22.2%), the relative performances of these 2 specific tests compared to I-ELISA remaining elevated (Agreements, sensibility and specificity around 90% or more). Dogs from pounds and females were significantly the most infected. By contrast, the proportions of false positive and false negative sera with RSAT were markedly elevated (22.6% and 69.0% respectively)leading to low relative performances compared to the I-ELISA (agreement: 67.4%, sensibility: 31.0% and specificity: 77.4%). Genetic similarity between B. canis and R. tropici was determined 30.8% by RAPD-PCR. These results demonstrated that canine brucellosis is a relatively common infection in the Central Anatolia and that the RSAT using R. tropici as antigens cannot be use for the serological diagnosis of the disease.