In Iraq, First Documentation of Canine Brucellosis by Application of Three Techniques (Rapid test, Indirect ELISA and 16S rDNA Inter-spacer PCR)

Abstract

Brucella canis is a Gram-negative organism infecting, mainly, the genital organs of both sexes and resulted in several reproductive problems. This bacterium is excreted in urine, milk, fetuses or semen of infected dogs, and transmitted to sensitive dogs through sexual, oral, nasal and conjunctival routes. In general, the routine detection of infection is done by serological tests and the confirmation through isolation of causative agent by the culture. Previously, many global studies documented the excellent efficacy of polymerase chain reaction in detecting the bacterial DNA, perfectly and high accuracy. The present study is the first Iraqi document that dealt with the diagnosis of B. Canis, serologically by Rapid test and Indirect ELISA test, and demonstration the infection, molecularly, in seropositive dogs by “16S rDNA inter-spacer PCR” technique. Serologically, the study revealed that 14 (5.76%) and 31 (12.76%) dogs were positive with Rapid test and Indirect ELISA, respectively, while only 5 (16.13%) dogs were positives molecularly. As well as, the received serologic data exhibited that all positive samples with rapid tests were, also, positives by indirect ELISA. At level of P  0.05, the statistical differences were reported within the applied techniques, positive dogs with most common risk factors (sex and age). In relation to sex, the results appeared that the females had an infection rate more than males; while in association to age, the infection rates were similar in both first groups (<4 and 1-4 years) and increased apparently in the last aged group ( 4 years).