Pathogenesis of Brucella suis biovar 1 in the armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.3007.25510.2Keywords:
armadillo, Brucella suis biovar 1, Chaetophractus villosus, Experimental infection, PathogenesisAbstract
Brucella suis biovar 1 has the broadest animal host spectrum. Affects domestic animals and wildlife species. The aim of our study was to investigate the pathogenesis of B. suis biovar 1 infection in the armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) under experimental conditions. One gravid female and three adult males were inoculated with a suspension containing 1×106 CFU/mL (colony-forming units) of B. suis biovar 1 by oral route. In addition, the gravid female and one male received the same suspension by the conjunctival route. A young male and two females not inoculated were kept in contact with the animals inoculated. The animals that tested seropositive were euthanized. All inoculated armadillos showed positive antibody titres 2 weeks post-inoculation. Of the three uninoculated animals, one female was seropositive for Brucella infection. Brucella was isolated from the spleen, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, uterus, testes, and urine. Characteristic histologic lesions were found in the epididymis. These results suggest that armadillos can act as a reservoir for the spread of B. suis infection, and the persistence of Brucella in armadillo tissues constitutes a risk for humans, because of the cultural practice of armadillo meat consumption in rural communities.References
Baldone V.N., Fuchs L.I., Fort M.C., Rojas M.C., Bedotti D.O., Samartino L., Giménez H.D. & Kin M.S. 2007. Presence of antibodies against Brucella in the European hare (Lepus europaeus, Pallas 1778) in the province of La Pampa, Argentina. (Presencia de anticuerpos contra Brucella en la liebre europea (Lepus europaeus, Pallas 1778) en la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina). Rev Med Vet, 88, 242-245.
Cook D.R. & Noble J.W. 1984. Isolation of Brucella suis from cattle. Aust. Vet. J, 61, 263-264.
Corn J.L., Swiderek P.K., Blackburn B.O., Erickson G.A, Thiermann A.B. & Nettles V.F. 1986. Survey of selected diseases in wild swine in Texas. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 189, 1029-1032.
Ewalt D.R., Payeur J.P., Rhyan J.C. & Geer P.L. 1997. Brucella suis biovar 1 in naturally infected cattle: a bacteriological, serological and histological study. J Vet Diagn Invest, 9, 417-420.
Forbes L.B. & Tessaro S.V. 1993. Transmission of brucellosis from reindeer to cattle. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 203, 289-294.
Fort M., Baldone V., Fuchs L., Giménez H., Rojas M., Breccia J.D. & Oyhenart J. 2012. Experimental infection of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with Brucella suis biovar 1 isolated from wild hares (Lepus europaeus). Vet Microbiol, 156, 439-442.
Foster R.A. 2007. Chapter 19: Male reproductive system, In: Mc Gavin MD, Zachary JF. Pathologic basis of veterinary disease. Mosby-Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri, 4 ed. 1476.
Fuchs L., Baldone V., Fort M., Rojas M.C., Samartino L. & Giménez H. 2009. Brucellosis in the pampas gray fox (Pseudalopex gymnocercus) in the province of La Pampa (Argentina). (Brucelosis en el zorro gris pampeano (Pseudalopex gymnocercus) en la provincia de La Pampa (Argentina)). Acta Bioquím Clín Latinoam, 43, 227-231.
Godfroid J., Cloeckaert A., Liautard J.P., Kohler S., Fretin D., Walravens K., Garin-Bastuji B. & Letssn J.J. 2005. From the discovery of the Malta fever’s agent to the discovery of a marine mammal reservoir, brucellosis has continuously been a reemerging zoonosis. Vet Res, 36, 313-326.
Godfroid J., Nielsen K. & Saegerman C. 2010. Diagnosis of Brucellosis in Livestock and Wildlife. Croat Med J, 51, 296-305.
Godfroid J., Scholz H.C., Barbier T., Nicolas C., Wattiau P., Fretin D., Whatmore A.M., Cloeckaert A., Blasco J.M., Moriyon I., Saegerman C., Muma J. B., Al Dahouk S., Neubauer H. & Letesson J.J. 2011. Brucellosis at the animal ecosystem human interface at the beginning of the 21st century. Prev Vet Med, 102, 118-131.
Kin M.S., Fort M., de Echaide S.T. & Casanave E.B. 2014. Brucella suis in armadillos (Chaetophractus villosus) from La Pampa, Argentina. Vet Microbiol, 170, 442-445.
Kin M.S., Giménez H. & Fort M.C. 2018. Technique of fluorescence polarization for the diagnosis of Brucella in Chaetophractus villosus (La técnica de polarización fluorescente para el diagnóstico de Brucella en Chaetophractus villosus). Acta Bioquím Clín Latinoam, 52, 61-64.
Lord V.R. & Lord R.D. 1991. Brucella suis infections in collared peccaries in Venezuela. J Wildl Dis, 27, 477-481.
Lucero N.E., Ayala S.M., Escobar G.I. & Jacob N.R. 2008. Brucella isolated in humans and animals in Latin America from 1968 to 2006. Epidemiol Infect, 136, 496-503.
Meng X.J., Lindsay D.S. & Sriranganathan N. 2009. Wild boars as sources for infectious diseases in livestock and humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 364, 2697-2707.
WOAH, Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals 2021 - Chapter 3.1.4. Brucellosis (infection with Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis) (version adopted in May 2016), 355-398.
Ojeda R.A., Chillo V. & Díaz Isenrath G.B. Eds. 2012 Red Book of Endangered Mammals of Argentina. SAREM, Argentina, Libro rojo de Mamíferos amenazados de la Argentina. SAREM, Argentina, 63.
Quinn P.J., Carter M.E., Markey B.K. & Carter G.R. 2002. Clinical Veterinary Microbiology”, (ed.) Mosby International Limited, 648.
Ramamoorthy S., Woldemeskel M., Liggett A., Snider R., Cobb R. & Rajeev S. 2011. Brucella suis Infection in Dogs, Georgia, USA. Emerg Infect Dis, 17, 2386-2387.
Samartino L.E. 2002. Brucellosis in Argentina. Vet Microbiol, 90, 71-80.
Szyfres B., González Tomé J. & Palacio Mendieta T. 1968. Isolation of Brucella suis from the free European (Lepus europaeus) in Argentina. (Aislamiento de Brucella suis de la libre europea (Lepus europaeus) en la Argentina). Bol of Sanit Panam, 441- 445.
Whatmore A.M., Shankster S.J., Perrett L.L., Murphy T.J., Brew S.D., Thirlwall R.E., Cutler S.J. & Macmillan A.P. 2006. Identification and characterization of variable-number tandem-repeat markers for typing of Brucella spp. J Clin Microbiol, 44, 1982-1993.
