A cross section study was performed using a total of 18262 animals represented by 8800 cattle, 2279 buffaloes, 6805 sheep and 378 goats belonging to different districts in Kafer ELShiekh governorate during 2001 for studying the epidemiological and microbiological situation of brucellosis among different animal species. History of these animals declared there was a close contact of cattle or buffaloes with sheep or goats. Clinical investigation of the animals under study showed clinical evidence of brucellosis in certain localities resulting in an increased incidence of reactors.
Initial screening using BAPAT and RBPT revealed the superiority of BAPAT. Sheep and goats represented the highest reactors rather than cattle and buffaloes. The confirmatory tests showed that CFT is considered the best confirmatory one for diagnosis of brucellosis. However advocating of using battery of serological tests for proper and accurate diagnosis of brucellosis particularly in those having low antibody titer. The incidence of brucellosis among different species and in various localities was studied and discussed in view of the available literature. Bacteriological examination of milk samples and tissues specimens taken from reactors animals proved isolation of Brucella melitensis biovar 3. This necessitates the separation of bovine, ovine and caprine especially during breeding process with special care for sanitation and sound management. This reflected and declared the role of sheep & goats in transmission of brucellosis to cattle or buffaloes or evens to other sheep or goats flocks.
The current study revealed the importance of control of brucellosis among small ruminant in Egypt and should be go hand by hand with that regarding large ruminants through a wide national control programs which based on periodical testing and slaughtering reactors with owners compensation, strict quarantine measures and avoid or reduce the movement of mobile flocks, testing of imported animals and infected herds, market control, reporting of any aborted animals, identification of animals with permanent numbers and vaccination.
|
