Infectious epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis in Croatian sheep flocks
The distribution of infection by the species Brucella ovis in rams and abortion cases in sheep in Croatia was investigated in the period from 2011 to 2015. The investigation relied on serological testing in rams and sheep after abortion conducted using a complement fixation test and immunosorbent assay conducted with bacteriological testing of the testes in seropositive rams and aborted material. Seropositive reactions were confirmed in 1100 (6%) of rams samples and in 12 (2.3%) of ewe samples. Isolated strains were also confirmed on the molecular level. In 10 (45.5%) animals asymmetry of the scrotum and unilateral enlargement of the tail of the epididymis were confirmed. Pathomorphological examination revealed visible changes such as granulomas, fibrosis, and atrophy of the testes and epididymis in 12 (54.5%) ram testes. In bacteriological investigation of samples from 22 rams and fetuses following abortion in ewes, 13 (59.1%) and 2 (14.3%) isolations were performed, respectively. All 15 isolates were identified as Brucella ovis using a molecular method. The results show that infectious epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis is distributed throughout the study area in Croatia. The disease most often spreads through uncontrolled trade or contacts of sheep between flocks, which significantly hinders eradication measures.
___
- Blasco JM.
Brucella ovis.
In: Nielsen K, Duncan JR, editors.
Animal Brucellosis. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press; 1990.
pp. 351-378.
- Burgess GCW. Ovine contagious epididymitis: a review. Vet
Microbiol 1982; 7: 551-575.doi:10.1016/0378-1135(82)90049-
9doi:10.1016/0378-1135(82)90049-9.
- Ficipal A, Jordana J, Blasco JM, Moriyon I. Diagnosis and
epidemiology of
Brucellaovis
infection in rams. Small Rum Res
1998; 29: 13-19.
- Arsenault J, Girard C, Dubreuil P, Belanger D. Lack of evidence
of
Brucellaovis
infection in rams in Quebec. Can Vet J 2004; 45:
312-314.
- Petrović M, Špičić S, Potkonjak A, Lako B, Kostov M, Cvetnić
Ž. First evidence of
Brucella ovis
infection in ram sin the Pirot
Municipality, Serbia. Vet Ital 2014; 50: 259-268.
- Blasco JM, Buen L, Estrada J, Garcia J, Llena J, Ortilles A.
Alteraciones testiculares v brucelosis en moruecos de la region
Aragonesa. Noticias Neosan 1983; 211: 147 (in Spanish).
- Picard-Hagen N, Berthelot X, Champion JL, Eon L, Lyazrhi F,
Marois M, Peglion M, Schuster A, Trouche C, Garin-Bastuji
B. Contagious epididymitis due to
Brucella ovis
: relationship
between sexual function, serology and bacterial shedding in
semen. BMC Vet Res 2015; 125: 2-7.
- Špičić S, Marjanović S, Zdelar-Tuk M, Cvetnić Z. First evidence
of
Brucella ovis
infection in Republic of Croatia. Dtsch Tierär
Wochen 2009; 116: 209-213.
- Špičić S, Marjanović S, Zdelar-Tuk M, Cvetnić Z. Serological,
bacteriological and molecular diagnosis of brucellosis in
domestic animals in Croatia. Cro Med J 2010; 51: 320-326.
- Krt B. Evaluation of similar serological methods for the
diagnosis of ovine brucellosis – infection with
Brucellaovis
.
MSc, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1992.
- Petrović M, Špičić S, Potkonjak A, Lako B, Kostov M, Cvetnić
Ž. Epizootiological, clinical and pathological characteristics
of sheep flocks infected with
Brucella ovis
in the Republic of
Serbia. Slov Vet Res 2013; 3: 117-124.
- Dobrean V, Opris A, Daraban S. An epidemiological and
surveillance overview of brucellosis in Romania. Vet Microbiol
2002; 90: 157-163.
- Schöpf K, Khaschabi D. Experiences in the eradication of
Brucella ovis
infections in sheep in Tyrol. Tierarztl Prax Ausg
G Grosstiere Nutztiere 1997; 5: 413-416.
- Farina R, Cerri D, Andreani G, Renzoni P, Gaudachini F,
Lombardi G. Prima segnalazione sulla presenza di
Brucella ovis
in Italia. Sel Vet 1995; 36: 285-291 (in Italian).
- Hold F, Zerobin K.
Brucella ovis
infection in rams of the “white
Alp” breed. Schweiz Arch Tierheil 1993; 135: 44-50.
- Kalinovski AI, Repina LP, Innokenteeva TI. Brucellosis in
Siberia and the Far East. Med Parazitol (Moskva) 1995; 4: 42-
45.
- Denes B, Glavitz R. Bacteriologically confirmed cases of ovine
epididymo-orchitis caused by
Brucella ovis
in Sub-Carpathia.
Acta Vet Hung 1994; 42: 25-33.
- Hopkinson WI, Lloyd J, Micke BM.
Brucella ovis
in Merino
rams in western Australia. Aust Vet J 1979; 55: 200-201.
- Sergeant ES. Seroprevalence of
Brucella ovis
infection in
commercial ram flock in the Tamwort area. N Z Vet J 1994; 42:
97-100.
- Ridler AL, Smith SL, West DM. Seroconversion and semen
shedding in rams experimentally infected with
Brucella ovis
.
NZ Vet J 2014; 62: 47-50.
- Niilo L, MacDonald DW, Godkin GF, Stone MW. Ovine
brucellosis in Alberta. Can Vet J 1986; 27: 245-249.
- Bagley CV, Paskett ME, Matthews NJ, Stequist NJ. Prevalence
and causes of ram epididymitis in Utah. J Am Vet Med Assoc
1985; 186: 798-801.
- OIE-World Organisation for Animal Health. Manual of
Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. Paris,
France: OIE; 2014.
- Alton GG, Jones LM, Angus RD, Verger JM. Techniques for the
Brucellosis Laboratory. 1st ed. Paris, France: INRA; 1988.
- Marin CM, Alabart JL, Blasco JM. Effect of antibiotics
contained in two
Brucella
selective media on growth of
B.
abortus
,
B. melitensis
and
B. ovis
. J Clin Microbiol 1996; 34:
426-428.
- Corbel MJ, Gill KPW, Thomas EL. Methods for the
Identification of
Brucella
. New Haw, UK: MAFF; 1983.
- Serpe L, Gallo P, Finandza N, Scaramuzzo A, Fenizia D. Single-
step method for rapid detection of
Brucella
spp. in soft cheese
by gene-specific polymerase chain reaction. J Dairy Res 1999;
66: 313-317.
- Garcia-Yoldi D, Marin CM, De Miguel PM, Munoz PM,
Vizmanos JL, Lopez-Goni I. Multiplex PCR assay for the
identification and differentiation of all
Brucella
species and
the vaccine strains
Brucella abortus
S19 and RB51 and
Brucella
melitensis
Rev1. Clin Chem 2006; 52: 779-781.
- Olsen SC, Palmer MV. Advancement of knowledge of
Brucella
over the past 50 years. Vet Pathol 2016; 51: 1076-1089.
- Machado G, Santos DV, Kohek I, Stein MC, Hein HE, Poeta
AS, Vidor ACM, Corbellini LG. Seroprevalence of
Brucella ovis
in rams and associated flock level risk factors in the state of Rio
Grande do Sul, Brazil. Prev Vet Med 2015; 12: 1183-1187.
- Van Metre DC, Rao S, Kimberling CV, Morley PS. Factors
associated with failure in breeding soundness examination of
Western USA rams. Prev Vet Med 2012; 105: 118-126.
- Bulgin MS, Anderson BC. Association of sexual experience
with isolation of various bacteria in cases of ovine epididymitis
.
J Am Vet Med Assoc 1983; 182: 372
-
374.
- Blasco JM, Marin CM. Brucelosis ovina: Etiologia, diagnostico
bacteriologico. Ovis 1990; 8: 15-22 (in Spanish).
- Carvalho Júnior CA, Moustacas VS, Xavier MN, Costa EA,
Costa LF, Silva TMA, Paixão TA, Borges AM, Gouveia AMG,
Santos RL. Andrological, pathologic, morphometric, and
ultrasonographic findings in rams experimentally infected
with
Brucella ovis
. Small Rum Res 2011; 102: 213-222.
- Mozo R, Galeote AI, Alabart JL, Fantova E, Folch J. Evaluating
the reproductive ability of breeding rams in North-Eastern
Spain using clinical examination of the body and external
genitalia. BMC Vet Res 2015; 11: 289.
- Swift BLF, Craddock H, Hancock A. Ram epididymitis: a clinical
report. Theriogenology 1982; 17: 343-347.doi:10.1016/0093-
691X(82)90094-2doi:10.1016/0093-691X(82)90094-2.
- Ridler AL, West M. Control of
Brucella ovis
infection in sheep.
Vet Clin N Am Food A 2011; 27: 61-66.
- Sancho P, Tejedor C, Sidhu-Munoz RS, Fernandez-Lago L,
Viscaino N. Evaluation in mice of
Brucella ovis
attenuated
mutants for use as live vaccines against
B. ovis
infection. Vet
Res 2014; 45: 61.