Veterinary Medicine and Science (Jul 2022)

Characterization of Brucella spp. and other abortigenic pathogens from aborted tissues of cattle and goats in Rwanda

  • Jean Bosco Ntivuguruzwa,
  • Francis Babaman Kolo,
  • Emil Ivan Mwikarago,
  • Henriette van Heerden

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.805
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 4
pp. 1655 – 1663

Abstract

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Abstract Background Abortions cause tremendous economic losses in food‐producing animals and may lead to food insecurity. Objectives This study aimed to characterize Brucella spp. and other abortigenic pathogens from aborted tissues of cattle. Methods For cattle, aborted tissues (n = 19) were cultured, and Brucella spp. were detected using the genus‐specific 16S‐23S ribosomal DNA interspacer region (ITS) assay and speciated using Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella ovis, and Brucella suis (AMOS) and Bruce‐ladder PCR assays. Brucella negative samples were screened using the eight abortigenic pathogens PCR panel. Samples from an abortion outbreak that occurred within a goat tribe were included in this investigation. Sera of females (n = 8) and males (n = 2) were analyzed using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (i‐ELISA), while vaginal swabs (n = 3) and aborted tissues (n = 1) were cultured and characterized. Results The ITS‐PCR detected Brucella DNA in cultures from two aborted tissues of cattle (10.5%, [2/19]), which were identified as B. melitensis (n = 1), and B. abortus (n = 1) using AMOS and Bruce‐ladder PCR assays. Campylobacter fetus (n = 7) and Leptospira spp. (n = 4) including co‐infections (n = 2) of C. fetus and Leptospira spp. were identified from the Brucella negative samples of cattle. Goats (100.0%, 10/10) were brucellosis seropositive on RBT and i‐ELISA. Mixed infections caused by B. melitensis and B. abortus were isolated from the vaginal swabs (n = 3) and aborted tissues (n = 1). Discussion and conclusions This is the first identification of abortion‐associated pathogens in aborted cattle indicating the enormous financial losses and a threat to public health. It is therefore essential to include these identified pathogens in the surveillance scheme of veterinary and human services.

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