Abstract
Brucellosis has been an endemic disease of cattle and humans in Costa Rica since the beginning of XX century. However, brucellosis in sheep, goats, pigs, water buffaloes, horses and cetaceans, has not been reported in the country. We have performed a brucellosis survey in these host mammal species, from 1999–2016. In addition, we have documented the number of human brucellosis reported cases, from 2003–2016. The brucellosis seroprevalence in goat and sheep herds was 0.98% and 0.7% respectively, with no Brucella isolation. Antibodies against Brucella were not detected in feral or domestic pigs. Likewise, brucellosis seroprevalence in horse and water buffalo farms was estimated in 6.5% and 21.7%, respectively, with no Brucella isolation. Six cetacean species showed positive reactions against Brucella antigens, and B. ceti was isolated in 70% (n = 29) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). A steady increase in the diagnosis of human brucellosis cases was observed. Taking into account the prevalence of brucellosis in the various host mammals of Costa Rica, different measures are recommended.
Highlights
Costa Rica (CR) is a Central American country with a surface area of 51100 Km2 and a human population close to five million
None of the Rose Bengal test (RBT) positive animals were positive in iELISA, competitive ELISA (cELISA) or fluorescent polarization assay (FPA)
From a total of 424 goats, covering close to 10% of the Costa Rican population, only five animals demonstrated positive reactions in RBT. None of these RBT positive samples resulted positive in iELISA, cELISA or FPA
Summary
Costa Rica (CR) is a Central American country with a surface area of 51100 Km2 and a human population close to five million. Most of the inhabitants are located in the Central Valley, flanked by the volcanic chain and the mountain range. The country is divided in six administrative areas: Chorotega, Central Pacific, Brunca, Central, Northern Huetar and Caribbean Huetar. CR has two ocean fronts: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In addition, there is the Cocos Island located in the Pacific Ocean [1].
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