Detection of antibodies against Brucella abortus in dogs in contact with rural areas. Zoonotic aspects of the infection

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonotic­contagious disease, usually of chronic evolution and worldwide distribution. Dog’s infection is typically caused for B. canis; however, B. abortus, associated with infected cattle has been described in dogs, both experimentally and in field conditions. The transmission of dogs to humans is also possible. This communication describes, for the first time in Argentina, the detection of antibodies against B. abortus in a population of dogs in contact with rural areas. Sixty­seven samples of dog sera were analyzed, of which 26.8 % were positive for B. abortus by means of the agglutination technique with buffered antigen, 7.5 % were confirmed as positive by tests of slow agglutination in tubes and 4, 5 % were positive by polarized fluorescence test. Dogs reacting to B. abortus had contact with seropositive cattle with brucellosis or were urban dogs that lived with dogs that had attended the rural area. Elimination of infected cattle may not necessarily eradicate brucellosis; management actions such as avoiding the contact of dogs from infected cows should prevent its transmission.