First report of Brucella suis biovar 2 in outdoor reared pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) in Serbia

Abstract

The objective of this work was to present the first case of Brucella suis biovar 2 isolation in outdoor reared pigs in Serbia. B. suis biovar 2 has not previously been detected in Serbia, from either wild boar or outdoor reared pigs. In our case, brucellosis was discovered in the region of Srem, which geographically constitutes a part of northwestern Serbia. Outdoor reared pigs in the Srem region are part of an extensive breeding system in the field and woods. In the course of a random visit to a herd in the above-mentioned area, the animals' owner discovered two aborted fetuses, thereafter presented for laboratory examinations. B. suis biovar 2 was isolated from both fetuses. Isolated strains were identified using both classical and molecular techniques, including genomic sequencing. Based on epizootiological data, we were unable to establish the source of infection.