Adaptation and evaluation of polymerase chain reaction for Brucella ovis detection in semen, urine and organs of rams experimentally infected

Abstract

The study objective was to adapt and evaluate PCR for detection of Brucella ovis and compare the results with those obtained by microbiological culture of semen, urine and organs of experimentally infected sheep. Of the 31 experimentally infected animals, semen samples PCR showed higher sensitivity (21.6%) than culture (8.0%). In urine samples, the sensitivity of the techniques was similar (10.1% to 12.7% for cultivation and PCR). PCR detected the presence of the agent in 21.5% of samples tested, while the organs of culture found in only 3.3% of samples. PCR detected a higher number of positive samples than microbiological culture.