Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Kerman, Iran.
Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
Vet Res Commun. 2024 Jun;48(3):1511-1519. doi: 10.1007/s11259-024-10332-0. Epub 2024 Feb 17.
Equine brucellosis significantly impacts the health and functionality of horses, leading to complications such as bursitis infection, septic tenosynovitis, septic arthritis, and non-specific lameness resulting from joint infections. In the present study, we used the Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT), serum agglutination test (SAT), and the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) assays to find equine brucellosis. From June 2018 to September 2022, 876 blood samples were randomly taken from apparently healthy racing horses in certain parts of Iran, such as Kerman, Isfahan, Tehran, Qom, and Kurdistan. DNA extraction was carried out directly on all 63 serum samples identified as seropositive through RBPT. An additional 30 seronegative serum samples were also randomly chosen for study. Bacterial culture was also done on milk, blood, and vaginal swabs taken from seropositive horses.The bacteria that were found in the samples were then put through Bruce-ladder PCR. Our results indicated that 63 (7.1%), 21 (2.3%), and 2 (0.2%) of horses were seropositive using RBPT, SAT, and 2-ME, respectively. Also, none of the 30 DNA-extracted serum samples from seronegative horses tested positive for Brucella DNA, while 44.5% (28/63) of the DNA samples from seropositive horses yielded positive results for Brucella DNA. Out of the seropositive samples, 26 had DNA from Brucella abortus and 2 had DNA from Brucella melitensis. Also, B. melitensis biovar 1 was found in two milk samples from mares in the provinces of Kerman and Isfahan. It was identified using classical biotyping, and molecular assays. It was seen that some of healthy racing horses in some parts of Iran had antibodies against Brucella. The bacteriology and PCR methodologies provide a more comprehensive and reliable means of identifying Brucella spp. infections in horse, especially when the RBPT test came back positive. This underscores the imperative for employing molecular, bacterial, and serological methods in the diagnosis and monitoring of this zoonotic infection. Additionally, this finding suggests that Brucella is being transmitted to equine hosts as a result of its presence in ruminants. The mechanism of transmission may involve interactions between infected ruminants and susceptible equines. This discovery is significant as it underscores the potential cross-species transmission of Brucella and highlights the importance of understanding and managing the spread of the pathogen in both ruminant and equine populations.
马布鲁氏菌病严重影响马的健康和功能，导致各种并发症，如滑囊炎感染、败血性腱鞘炎、败血性关节炎以及关节感染引起的非特异性跛行。在本研究中，我们使用虎红平板凝集试验（RBPT）、血清凝集试验（SAT）和 2-巯基乙醇（2-ME）检测方法来检测马布鲁氏菌病。 2018 年 6 月至 2022 年 9 月，从伊朗的克尔曼、伊斯法罕、德黑兰、库姆和库尔德斯坦等特定地区随机抽取了 876 份看似健康的赛马血液样本。直接对通过 RBPT 检测为血清阳性的 63 份血清样本进行 DNA 提取。还随机选择了 30 份血清阴性的血清样本进行研究。对血清阳性马的牛奶、血液和阴道拭子进行细菌培养。然后将在样本中发现的细菌进行 Bruce-ladder PCR。结果表明，使用 RBPT、SAT 和 2-ME 分别检测到 63（7.1%）、21（2.3%）和 2（0.2%）匹马呈血清阳性。此外，30 份从血清阴性马中提取的 DNA 血清样本均未检测到 Brucella DNA 阳性，而 63 份血清阳性马的 DNA 样本中有 44.5%（28/63）呈 Brucella DNA 阳性。在血清阳性样本中，26 份来自流产布鲁氏菌，2 份来自梅里尼氏布鲁氏菌。此外，在克尔曼和伊斯法罕省的母马的两份牛奶样本中发现了 1 型布鲁氏菌 melitensis。它通过经典生物分型和分子检测来鉴定。结果表明，伊朗部分地区的一些健康赛马存在针对布鲁氏菌的抗体。细菌学和 PCR 方法为马布鲁氏菌病感染的鉴定提供了更全面和可靠的手段，尤其是当 RBPT 检测呈阳性时。这强调了在这种人畜共患病的诊断和监测中使用分子、细菌和血清学方法的必要性。此外，这一发现表明，由于牛科动物中存在布鲁氏菌，布鲁氏菌正在传播给马科动物宿主。传播机制可能涉及受感染的牛科动物与易感马之间的相互作用。这一发现具有重要意义，因为它强调了布鲁氏菌在不同物种之间传播的潜力，并突出了了解和管理牛科和马科动物种群中病原体传播的重要性。
