Seroprevalence of Brucella ovis-epididymitis, smooth-Brucella, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, and Maedi-Visna in sheep slaughtered in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of antibodies against Brucella ovis-epididymitis, smooth-Brucella,leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis and Maedi-visna in sheep slaughtered in Minas Gerais, Brazil and to study their simultaneousoccurrence, including caseous lymphadenitis, at sheep and flock levels. The study was conducted at a sheep slaughterhousewith Federal Inspection Service. Sera from 594 animals from 21 flocks were collected, in 2007. The agar gel immunodiffusion(AGID) was employed to detect anti-B. ovis and anti-Maedi Visna antibodies, whereas Rose Bengal (RB) and the2-mercaptoethanol test (2ME) were used to test anti-smooth Brucella antibodies. For the detection of anti-Leptospiraantibodies, sera were examined by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), while for the detection of IgG antibodies toToxoplasma gondii ELISA was used. Prevalence of antibodies against smooth Brucella, B. ovis-epididimitis, Leptospiraspp., toxoplasmosis and Maedi-Visna found in sheep from Minas Gerais was 0.00%, 24.04%, 25.96%, 10.46% and3.08%, respectively; whereas the seroprevalence in flocks was 0.00%, 80.95%, 90.48%, 71.43% and 23.81%, respectively.Moreover, when data on antibodies anti-Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, previously obtained, were included, about60% of the flocks showed animals that were exposed to four or more of the studied agents. However, only 25.47% ofthe sheep exhibited simultaneously antibodies against more than one pathogen. Thus, data from the present study onsheep slaughtered in Minas Gerais, Brazil, showed no antibodies to smooth-Brucella and a low frequency of antibodiesanti-Maedi Visna lentivirus, and a high and widespread seroprevalence of B. ovis, Leptospira spp., and T. gondii amonganimals and flocks.