SEROPREVALENCE OF BRUCELLA ABORTUS IN QALYUBIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

*Ahmed Mohamed Fathi, Dalia Talaat Hassan and Madiha Salah Ibrahim

ABSTRACT

Brucellosis is considered one of the most common worldwide infections with heavy economic losses in animals due to abortion, reduction of milk, mastitis, retained placenta and reduced fertility. It is considered a serious human health hazard where infection can be mainly through drinking of unpasteurized milk and milk product, raw meat and contact with infected animals. The present study aimed to detect Brucella abortus infection among cattle and in contact persons in Qalyubia governorate, Egypt. Fifty milk samples were collected from suspected dairy cattle and 72 serum samples were collected from persons in contact with those cattle for serological analysis. Brucella abortus was detected by isolation and biochemical identification in 38 % of the milk samples, by MRT in 44% of the milk samples, while by RBT in 66.1% in human sera. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis showed that all samples were resistant to all antimicrobials except gentamycin, tetracycline, streptomycin and chloramphenicol. In addition, Agar gel immunodiffusion test showed positive reaction.

Keywords: Brucella abortus, Rose Bengal test, Milk Ring test, Agar gel immunodiffusion.