Brucellosis

It is an chronic contagious disease of

Bovine(mainly) characterized by
abortion and infertility.
Econamic loss :Rs240 million/year
(In India)

Brucella spp.
Gram negative
short rod and coccobacillus
Measures :0.3-2 * 0.5microne
intracellular organism

Non motile and non spore

Species

Biotypes

Natural Host

B. abortus

1-6, 9

Cattle,
buffalo,sheep,goat,pig,
horses & man

B. melitensis

1-3

goats, sheep &cattle

B. Suis

1, 2, 3,5

Swine, Rodents

B. Canis

none

dogs

B. ovis

none

sheep

Other terms of Brucellosis

Human Disease
Malta Fever
Undulant Fever
Mediterranean Fever
Gastric Fever

Animal Disease
Bangs Disease
Enzootic Abortion
Epizootic Abortion
Ram Epididymitis
Contagious Abortion

History of Brucellosis
Sir David Bruce
(1855-1931)
British Army
physician and
microbiologist
Discovered
Micrococcus
melitensis

Professor FEG Cox. The Wellcome Trust, Illustrated History of Tropical

Diseases

History of Brucellosis
Bernhard Bang
(1848-1932)
Danish physician
and veterinarian
Discovered
Bacterium abortus
could infect cattle,
horses, sheep,
and goats

Professor FEG Cox. The Wellcome Trust, Illustrated History of Tropical

Diseases

History of Brucellosis
Alice Evans
Discovered similar morphology and
pathology between:
Bangs Bacterium abortus
Bruces Micrococcus melitensis

Brucella nomenclature
Credited to Sir David Bruce

Epidemiology

Populations at Risk
Occupational disease
Dairy farmers
Veterinarians
Abattoir workers
Meat inspectors
Lab workers

Hunters
Travelers
Consumers
Unpasteurized dairy products

Brucella melitensis
Distribution
Mediterranean, Middle East,
Central Asia, Central America

Incidence
Mediterranean, Middle East

100 to 200 U.S. cases annually

Unpasteurized cheeses

Brucella abortus
Distribution
Worldwide
Eradicated in
some countries

Notifiable disease
in many countries
World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE)

Brucella suis
Five biotypes
Worldwide in swine

Eradicated from domestic pigs

U.S., Canada, much of Europe

Brucella ovis & canis

Distribution: most sheep and dogsraising regions of the world

WILD ANIMAL
Deer, camel ,yak, bison are affected
But B.abortus cant affect American
bison & water buffalo

Transmission in Animals
Ingestion of contaminated feed &
water
Inhalation
Coitus & AI
Congenital infection
The source of infection is uterine
discharges, foetus, foetal
membranes & milk
Fomites

Pathogenesis
On ingestion, organism initially
localises in mm, conjunctiva
Spread to regional LN,
Via circulation enters different organ
(uterus, testes, mammary gland,
genital tract)
And causes ulcerative
endometritis,abortion & placentitis
Localises in supramammary LN, via
milk organism are secreted

 When calf suckles contaminated

milk, organism enter the intestine
and spread
Then calf acts as carrier & spread via
dung
Clinical signs seen , when it matures
In bulls: organism localises in testes,
causes orchitis and epidydimitis
Organism is secreted via semen

Clinical Signs:Cattle
Third trimester abortions
RFM
Once expelled will have a
leathery appearance

Endometritis
Birth of dead or weak calves
Respiratory distress and lung infections

Low milk yield

(In African cows: Hydroma of knee joint)

Clinical Signs:
Sheep and Goats
B. melitensis
Late term abortions
Retained placenta
Birth of dead or
weak lambs/kids

Goats- subclinical form

Articular, periarticular hygroma localizations

B. ovis
Abortions, fertility problems in sheep
Orchitis, epididymitis
Abnormal breeding soundness exam

Clinical Signs: Swine

B. suis
Prolonged bacteremia
Abortion, early or late gestation
Fertility problems
Lameness, posterior
paralysis,metritis, abscesses

Clinical Signs: Horses

Inflammation of the
supraspinous bursa
Exudative process
Bursal sac fills with clear
viscous liquid
Can eventually rupture

Clinical Signs: Dogs

B. canis
Abortions
Last trimester
Prolonged
vaginal discharge

Bacteremia
Failure to conceive, stillbirths,
prostatitis, epididymitis

Also susceptible to
B. melitensis, B. abortus, and B. suis

Clinical Signs: Wildlife

Deer, camel,yak
Abortion
No retained placenta,
infertility
death

Predators act as vectors

vultures, bears

Diagnosis in Animals
Isolation of organism

Blood, semen, other tissues

Direct smear examination

Milk ring test ,
Rose bengal agglutination test- IgM
STAT
ELISA
COOMBs test
Inoculation test: Guinea pig
clinical specimen
Placenta, fetus

Milk ring test

Treatment and Prognosis

Treatment options
Combination antibiotic therapy

Prevention and Control

Education about risk of transmission

Farmers, abattoir workers, butchers,
consumers, hunters

Eradication : test & cull

Proper disposal carcass, placenta
Proper management ,hygienic practice
Vaccination
Elimination of infected bull

Prevention and Control

B. suis, B. ovis, and B. canis
Venereal transmission
Separate females at birthing to reduce
transmission on the farm or in kennel

Transmission in Humans
Ingestion
Raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products
Rarely through undercooked meat

Mucous membrane contact with

infected tissues
Animal abortion products
Vaginal discharge, aborted fetuses,
placentas

Disease in Humans
Incubation period
Variable; 5 days to three months

Multisystemic
Any organ or organ system
Cyclical fever

Flu-like illness
May wax and wane
Chronic illness possible

Complications of Brucellosis
Most common
Arthritis, spondylitis, epididymo-orchitis,
chronic fatigue

Neurological
5% of cases

Other
Ocular, cardiovascular, additional organs
and tissues

Brucella
as a Biological Weapon
B. melitensis
Inhale 1,000 cells
Case-fatality rate of 0.5%
50% hospitalized for 7 days

Results
82,500 cases requiring extended therapy
413 deaths

Brucella in INDIA

The current status of bovine brucellosis in

India is not clear. However, the incidence of
the disease is increasing in all the states of
the country.
All state are documented

 Brucellosis is widely prevalent throughout India

causing economic losses to the tune of Rs. 250
million.
In India, Brucellosis was first recognized in 1942.
The disease occurs in cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat,
pigs, camel, yak, dogs, wild animals and humans.
B. Abortus biotype-1 in cattle and buffaloes.
B. Melitensis biotype-1 in sheep, goat and
humans.
Other causative agents of Brucellosis are
Brucella ovis
Brucella suis
Brucella canis

 National control programme on

brucellosis (NCPB) has been
launched.
It is a time bound 5 year intensive
location control programme.
The aim is to reduce the impact of
brucellosis on human health and to
reduce the economic losses.

 In NCPB periodical surveillance

using Milk Ring Test for pooled milk
and ELISA for random or herd
screening will be done.
In NCPB Biannual village level
screening of pooled milk samples
and B. abortus vaccination for female
calves of 4 to 8 months age is to be
done.

 CONTROL PROGRAMME
In brucellosis free countries, test and
slaughter of positive animals has proved
as effective method.
In India, test and segregation in
conjunction with vaccination is the only
method which is practical in India.
However, segregation of seropositive cows
until their death will therefore be
necessary but very costly.
B. abortus strain 19 induces reasonable
protection against B. abortus only.

 PD-ADMAS conducted long term

serological studies which indicates
5% of cattle & 3% of buffaloes are
infected
Seroprevelence study of bovine using
indirect ELISA shows 45.8%
seropositive in Karnataka

Aborted dead fetus

Orchitis

Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011

Hygroma of Knee Joints

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