Isolation and identification of Brucella melitensis from aborted ruminants

Abstract

Brucellosis is a contagious zoonotic disease caused by gram negative bacteria. Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis are the most perilous species affecting cattle, pig, sheep and goats respectively. Brucella causes epididymitis in male whereas abortion, placentitis and infertility in female animals. The objectives of the present study was to isolate and characterize Brucella organisms from a total of five hundred and twenty five samples comprising milk (245), blood (145), aborted foetuses (15) and vaginal swabs (120) of ruminants population which were recently aborted. Isolation of Brucella melitensis was done on Brucella selective media subsequently isolates was characterized by conventional biotyping methods, while molecular typing was done by AMOS polymerase chain reaction (AMOS-PCR). Three isolates of Brucella melitensis were confirmed both by biochemical and molecular methods.