Hemati Majid, Khalili Mohammad, Esmaeili Saber, Mahmoudi Ahmad, Ahangari Cohan Hossein, Mostafavi Ehsan
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.
BMC Vet Res. 2025 Apr 3;21(1):240. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04698-9.
Brucellosis is a prevalent bacterial zoonosis globally, affecting a broad range of hosts. The role of rodents in the survival and transmission of Brucella species to humans remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Brucella infection among wild rodents in western Iran, specifically in KabudarAhang County within Hamadan Province.
Sampling was conducted across various regions of KabudarAhang County in western Iran between April 2014 and September 2017. Serological testing was performed using the standard tube agglutination method while molecular investigation was carried out through real-time PCR analysis. Subsequently, molecularly positive samples underwent species identification via conventional PCR.
Serological testing revealed 7 positive samples (1.76%), including four Meriones persicus, one Mus musculus, one Meriones libycus, and one Spermophilus fulvus. In the molecular survey, three samples (0.68%) tested positive for Brucella; these included one M. musculus and two M. persicus. The molecular species identification test detected B. abortus in M. musculus among those positive for Brucella.
These findings suggest that wild rodents may play an overlooked role in the maintenance of pathogenic Brucella species in natural environments. Furthermore, in situations where standard diagnostic guidelines for brucellosis in wildlife are not well established, employing multiple testing approaches is crucial for accurate detection.
布鲁氏菌病是一种在全球范围内普遍存在的细菌性人畜共患病，可感染多种宿主。啮齿动物在布鲁氏菌属菌种存活及传播给人类过程中所起的作用仍不明确。本研究旨在调查伊朗西部野生啮齿动物中布鲁氏菌感染的患病率，特别是在哈马丹省的卡布达拉汉县。
2014年4月至2017年9月期间，在伊朗西部卡布达拉汉县的不同区域进行了采样。血清学检测采用标准试管凝集法，分子检测通过实时PCR分析进行。随后，对分子检测呈阳性的样本通过常规PCR进行菌种鉴定。
血清学检测发现7份阳性样本（1.76%），包括4只波斯沙鼠、1只小家鼠、1只利比亚沙鼠和1只黄腹旱獭。在分子检测中，3份样本（0.68%）布鲁氏菌检测呈阳性；其中包括1只小家鼠和2只波斯沙鼠。分子菌种鉴定试验在布鲁氏菌阳性的样本中检测出小家鼠感染牛种布鲁氏菌。
这些发现表明，野生啮齿动物可能在自然环境中致病性布鲁氏菌属菌种的维持方面发挥着被忽视的作用。此外，在野生动物布鲁氏菌病标准诊断指南尚未完善的情况下，采用多种检测方法对于准确检测至关重要。
