Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Polyphasic Characterization of Brucella spp. in Livestock Slaughtered from Abattoirs in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Koketso Desiree Mazwi
* ORCID logo ,
Francis B Kolo
ORCID logo ,
Ishmael Festus Jaja
ORCID logo ,
Charles Byaruhanga
ORCID logo ,
Ayesha Hassim
,
Henriette Van Heerden
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 21 November 2023 / Approved: 22 November 2023 / Online: 23 November 2023 (17:32:54 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Mazwi, K.D.; Kolo, F.B.; Jaja, I.F.; Byaruhanga, C.; Hassim, A.; van Heerden, H. Polyphasic Characterization of Brucella spp. in Livestock Slaughtered from Abattoirs in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Microorganisms 2024, 12, 223. Mazwi, K.D.; Kolo, F.B.; Jaja, I.F.; Byaruhanga, C.; Hassim, A.; van Heerden, H. Polyphasic Characterization of Brucella spp. in Livestock Slaughtered from Abattoirs in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Microorganisms 2024, 12, 223.

Abstract

In livestock, brucellosis is mainly an asymptomatic disease except for abortion, therefore two serological tests are used for diagnosis as no single test is suitable. Abattoir samples enable a combination of culture, molecular and serological tests to detect brucellosis. This study assessed Brucella specific PCR (ITS-PCR) to detect brucellosis and to conduct molecular characterization of Brucella spp. isolated from PCR-positive livestock (n=565) slaughtered at abattoirs and the appropriate sample tissue(s). ITS-PCR detected Brucella DNA in 33.6% cattle, 14.5% sheep and 4.7% pig tissues. Impure Brucella cultures from PCR-positive tissues were 43.6% (44/94) cattle, 51.7% (15/29) sheep, and 50% (2/4) pigs with predominantly B. abortus identification with AMOS-PCR and low isolation of mixed B. abortus and B. melitensis in all species. In cattle 33% of isolates were from lymph nodes while in sheep 38.0% were from liver and kidney and only from tonsils in pigs (2/4). Brucella infections identified with AMOS-PCR were present in seropositive and mainly seronegative (75.6-100%) livestock with the potential to cause brucellosis during pregnancy or breeding. This study demonstrated the value of the polyphasic approach, especially with chronic infections and the potential risk of these asymptomatic animals.

Keywords

Brucellosis; Livestock; Tissue samples; culture positive; AMOS-PCR; Brucella abortus; Brucella melitensis; South Africa

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Other

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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