Comparative study on responses of cattle and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) to experimental inoculation of Brucella abortus biovar 1 by the intraconjunctival route—a preliminary report

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production 2010-12, Vol.42 (8), p.1685-1694
• Main Authors: Adesiyun, Abiodun A, Fosgate, Geoff T, Persad, Anil, Campbell, Mervyn, Seebaransingh, Ravi, Stewart-Johnson, Alva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; biological resistance; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brucella abortus; Brucella abortus - pathogenicity; Brucella melitensis biovar Abortus; Brucellosis, Bovine - pathology; Bubalus bubalis; Buffaloes; Cattle; Colony Count, Microbial - veterinary; Comparative studies; Conjunctiva - microbiology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Female; Intraconjunctival; Life Sciences; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - microbiology; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Male; Original Research; Serologic Tests - veterinary; Species Specificity; Statistics, Nonparametric; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Virulence; Zoology
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-010-9621-3

The preliminary study was conducted to assess the virulence of a strain of Brucella abortus (1969D) and to compare the susceptibility of water buffalo and cattle calves to infection by the intraconjunctival route. Seven of each cattle and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves aged 3-6 months were inoculated intraconjunctivally with counts ranging from 1.5 × 10⁷ to 1.7 × 10¹⁰ colony forming units of B. abortus. Animals were monitored over an 8-week period for clinical manifestations and serological and hematological evidence of infection. At slaughter, eight lymph nodes from each animal were sampled for bacteriological and histopathological assessments. Lymph nodes from three water buffalo (43%) and five cattle (71%) yielded B. abortus (P = 0.048). Parotid/prescapular lymph nodes were most sensitive in detecting B. abortus. Our data suggest that B. abortus strain 1969D may be used as challenge strain, and water buffalo appeared to have a lower susceptibility to B. abortus infection than cattle.