Bovine brucellosis in the Highveld veterinary region: a preliminary report on the seroprevalence of brucellosis amongst adult beef cows in the region.

A preliminary survey to determine the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis amongst adult beef cows in the Highveld veterinary region was conducted. Based on complement fixation tests, about 48.2% of seropositive beef herds and 4.47% of seropositive individual animals could be expected in the region. Since heifer calves on some farms apparently receive their doses of strain 19 vaccine later than the prescribed age of 4 to 8 months, more vaccination reactions than would normally occur, could be expected. The above figures should therefore be considered an over-estimation.