Lília Márcia Paulin

Situação epidemiológica da brucelose bovina no Estado de São Paulo

A study to characterize the epidemiological situation of bovine brucellosis in the State of Sao Paulo was carried out. The state was stratified in seven cattle production regions and 150 herds with reproductive activity were randomly selected within each one. A total of 1,073 herds were sampled. In a second stage, 10 or 15 cows older than 24 month age (in herds with <100 cows and herds ≥100 cows, respectively) were bled at random. A total of 8,761 animals were bled. Sera were tested using a serial testing procedure with the Rose Bengal test as the screening method and the Complement Fixation as the confirmatory method. The estimated prevalence of herds with at least one positive animal was 9.7% [7.8-11.6%], whereas the estimated prevalence of positive cattle was 3.8% [0.7-6.9%] in Sao Paulo State. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied in each farm, allowing the evaluation of the association of selected risk factors with the disease. The characteristics associated with the brucellosis infected herds were farms with more than 87 bovines (OR= 2.25) and introduction of breeding cattle (OR= 1.56).

Inquérito soro-epidemiológico e fatores de risco associados à infecção por Brucella ovis em carneiros deslanados do semi-árido da Paraíba

A sero-epidemiological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of Brucella ovis infection in rams in the state of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil. The risk factors for the infection were also verified. Serum samples from 498 rams, 8 months of age or older, of 283 sheep herds in the Sertao Paraibano and Borborema mesoregions were investigated. All sera were examined by AGID test (screening test) and CFT (confirmatory test). From the total of examined herds, 8.59% (95% CI = 5.83%-12.48%) were seropositive for Brucella ovis. The prevalence of seropositive rams was 5.57% (95% CI = 3.86%-7.97%). The seropositivity was lower in herds where cleanliness was frequently made (p< 0.05).

Pesquisa de anticorpos anti-Brucella abortus e anti-Brucella ovis em ovinos no município de Uberlândia, MG

The first epidemiologic inquiry to Brucella abortus (B. abortus) and Brucella ovis (B. ovis) was carried out in sheep from Uberlândia county, MG. A total of 334 blood serum samples of sheep from both sexes and different ages and breeds were collected in 12 farms. An epidemiologic questionnaire was applied for each farm. Tests for B. abortus and B. ovis antibodies were Buffered Acidified Antigen and Complement Fixation, respectively. None of the sheep was reactive to B. abortus and B. ovis; however, the adoption of sanitary measures is important to avoid the introduction of infections caused by these bacteria.

Caracterização epidemiológica e fatores de risco associados à infecção por Brucella ovis em ovinos deslanados do semiárido paraibano

The aim of this investigation was to determine the seroprevalence of Brucella ovis in sheep flocks and individual sheep in the Sertao mesorregion, Paraiba state, Northeastern Brazil, as well as to identify risk factors. Blood samples were collected from 1,134 sheep from 103 flocks in 17 counties. For the serological diagnosis of B. ovis infection the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) was carried out. A flock was considered positive when there was at least one seropositive animal. Of the 103 flocks used, 21 (20.39%) presented at least one seropositive sheep, and of the 1,134 sheep examined 59 (5.20%) seropositive animals were diagnosed. Cleaning of facilities (odds ratio = 7.13; 95% CI=1.56-32.47; p=0.011) and purchase of animals (odds ratio = 6.06; 95% CI=1.39-26.48; p=0.017) were identified as risk factors. Based on the risk factor analysis, it is recommended the diagnosis of B. ovis infection prior to purchase of sheep and the periodic cleaning of the facilities on the farm.

Soroepidemiologia da leptospirose e brucelose bovina em propriedades rurais de agricultura familiar do agreste paraibano, Nordeste do Brasil

The aim of this investigation was to determine the frequency of positive herds and seropositive animals to bovine leptospirosis and brucellosis in family farm rural properties from the mesoregion of the State of Paraiba, as well as to identify risk factors. Blood samples were collected from 771 animals from 130 herds in five municipalities. For the serological diagnosis of leptospirosis, the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using 24 Leptospira spp. serovars as antigens was carried out, and for brucellosis the Rose-Bengal Test (RBT) was used as screening test and the 2-mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) to confirm. For leptospirosis, the frequency of positive herds and seropositive animals was 18.4 and 3.6%, respectively; for brucellosis, 7.7% of the herds and 1.9% of the animals were positive. The most frequent Leptospira spp. serovar was Hardjo. Bovine purchase was identified as a risk factor to bovine brucellosis (odds ratio = 5.25; p = 0.044). The need for adoption and/or intensification of control and prevention measures was suggested in order to avoid economic losses and the transmission of the agents to humans, as well as the purchase of animals with known sanitary conditions.

Validação interlaboratorial do teste de polarização fluorescente para o diagnóstico sorológico da brucelose bovina

Esta investigacao teve por objetivo validar o teste de polarizacao fluorescente (TPF) para o diagnostico sorologico da brucelose bovina, determinando a sensibilidade (SE) e a especificidade relativas (SP) e verificando a reprodutibilidade do teste em quatro laboratorios no Brasil. Foram selecionadas 1.389 amostras de soro sanguineo, as quais foram inicialmente submetidas aos testes do antigeno acidificado tamponado (AAT) e mercaptoetanol (2-ME). As mesmas amostras foram submetidas a reacao de fixacao de complemento (RFC) e ao TPF. Para a avaliacao do TPF, foi adotada a combinacao dos resultados do AAT, da RFC e do 2-ME, utilizados como populacao de referencia (padrao-ouro). Para a determinacao do ponto de corte do TPF que proporciona a melhor combinacao de sensibilidade e especificidade, foi usada a analise TG-ROC. A concordância entre os resultados dos quatro laboratorios foi determinada com base no indicador kappa e no coeficiente de correlacao de Pearson. Os pontos de corte do TPF situaram-se entre 85,2 e 93,6 mP, conforme o laboratorio. A sensibilidade variou de 91,7 a 97,3%, e a especificidade situou-se na faixa de 82,6 a 98,3%. Na comparacao entre os resultados do TPF dos quatro laboratorios, o indicador kappa ficou entre 0,69 e 0,95, o que indica, na maioria das situacoes, reprodutibilidade excelente, e o coeficiente de correlacao variou entre 0,76 e 0,99. Os resultados indicaram que o TPF apresentou bom desempenho, na maioria das situacoes, com sensibilidade e especificidade elevadas. Em comparacao com os testes convencionais, o TPF apresenta as vantagens de ser de execucao mais rapida e mais facil e nao estar sujeito a ocorrencia de prozona, como a RFC e o 2-ME, nem de atividade anticomplementar, como a RFC.

Fluorescence polarization assay, competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-C) and indirect ELISA for the diagnosis of brucellosis in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

The objective of the present study was to compare the performance of three serological tests for diagnosis of Brucella abortus infections in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Serum samples collected from 696 adult females were submitted to the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-C), (I-ELISA), fluorescence polarization test (FPA), 2-mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) and complement fixation test (CFT). The gold standard was the combination of CFT and 2-ME, considering as positive the reactors in both CFT and 2-ME, and as negative those non-reactors. ROC analyses were done for C-ELISA, I-ELISA and FPA and the Kappa agreement index were also calculated. The best combinations of relative sensitivity (SEr) and relative specificity (SPr) and Kappa were given by C-ELISA (96.9%, 99.1%, and 0.932, respectively) and FPA (92.2%, 97.6 and 0.836, respectively). The C-ELISA and FPA were the most promising confirmatory tests for the serological diagnosis of brucellosis in buffaloes, and for these tests, cut-off values for buffaloes may be the same as those used for bovines.

Ocorrência de anticorpos anti-Brucella ovis em ovinos com histórico de distúrbios reprodutivos no estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Based upon a history of reproductive disorders, a serological survey and attempts to isolate Brucella ovis were performed in 28 farms in the State of Sao Paulo, in a total of 294 sheep. The sera sampled on the occasion of the visit to the farms were subject to complement fixation. During clinical examination, samples of several suspicious biological materials were collected for further bacterial culture in Brucella agar medium, in a total of 16 aborted foetuses, one uterus, one placenta, 13 uterine discharge, six vaginal swabs, 17 semen samples and three preputial swabs. The proportion of sheep with a history of reproductive disorders and serum reactive for B. ovis was of 1.7% (5/294), including one ram and four ewes, with titres ranging from 800 IU to 1600 IU. Four of the 28 sheep herds surveyed had serum reactive animals (14,3%). All cultures of biological samples were negative, including semen and swabs from the reproductive organs of a Texel ram, positive in two complement fixation tests, six months apart. In the sheep herds surveyed in the State of Sao Paulo, it was not possible to relate the reproductive disorders to the positive serology for B. ovis, however, foci were detected, representing a risk factor for bacterial dissemination in the herds.

Avaliação de testes sorológicos de triagem para diagnóstico da brucelose bubalina

The study compared the performance of three screening serological tests: buffered plate antigen (BPA), RoseBengal produced with 1119-3 Brucella abortus strain (RB1119-3), and Rose-Bengal produced with 99 Brucella abortus strain (RB99). Sera from 696 adult female animals were submitted to BPA, RB1119-3, RB99, 2mercaptoethanol test (ME), and complement fixation test (FC). The gold standard was the combination of CF and ME. The Kappa values for BPA, RB99, and RB1119-3 were 0.82, 0.74, and 0.70, respectively. The relative sensitivity and specificity for the same tests were 0.98 and 0.96, 0.92 and 0.94, and 0.95 and 0.92, respectively. These results indicate that BPA is a better screening test than RB for buffalo, regardless of the B. abortus strain in RB.