Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to diagnose brucellosis in dogs using blood and semen tests
By Keid, Lara B et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2009·Departamento de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of agar gel immunodiffusion test, rapid slide agglutination test, microbiological culture and PCR for the diagnosis of canine brucellosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 167 dogs suspected of having brucellosis, a bacterial infection, underwent various tests to determine if they were infected. The tests included blood cultures and PCR, which are more direct methods, alongside serological tests like the rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT) and agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID). While RSAT showed a decent sensitivity of about 70%, many dogs still tested negative despite being infected, indicating that relying solely on these tests could lead to missed diagnoses. The study emphasized the need for using blood cultures and PCR for more accurate diagnosis of brucellosis in dogs.
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Abstract
The performance of the rapid slide agglutination test, with and without 2-mercaptoethanol (RSAT and 2ME-RSAT) and agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGID) was evaluated for the diagnosis of brucellosis in naturally infected dogs. The microbiological culture, PCR and clinical parameters were used as reference. A total of 167 dogs were clinically examined and tested by blood culture, culture of semen/vaginal swab and PCR in blood and semen/vaginal swab. According to the results observed the 167 dogs were divided into three groups: Brucella canis infected dogs (Group 1), B. canis non-infected dogs (Group 2) and dogs with suspected brucellosis (Group 3). The dogs were then tested by RSAT, 2ME-RSAT and AGID. Groups 1 and 2 were used to calculate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the serological tests and the results observed in Group 3 were also discussed. The diagnostic sensitivity of RSAT, 2ME-RSAT and AGID was respectively 70.58%, 31.76%, and 52.94%. The diagnostic specificity of RSAT, 2ME-RSAT and AGID was respectively 83.34%, 100%, and 100%. In dogs with suspected brucellosis 15% were RSAT positive, none was 2ME-RSAT positive and 5% were AGID positive. Although the serological tests are the most commonly used methods for brucellosis diagnosis, a significant proportion of false-negative results were observed highlighting the importance of the direct methods of diagnosis, like blood culture and PCR to improve the diagnosis of canine brucellosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18656213/