Serological Study of Equine Brucellosis in the Legal Amazon Region

Equine brucellosis is a zoonosis caused mainly by the bacterium Brucella abortus, which can cause debilitating lesions and manifests itself mainly through fistulas in the region of the withers. Euthanasia is recommended for affected animals. Few studies have been developed in equines, making it difficult to observe the distribution of the disease nationally and worldwide. Thus, the aim of the current study was to determine the seroprevalence of Brucella abortus in horses from the city of Araguaína, Tocantins. In total, 388 horses were used in the study, 236 males and 152 females, of different breeds and from different regions in the municipality of Araguaína, Tocantins. For diagnosis, Buffered Acidified Antigen (BAA) tests were used and for the reactive animals in this test, the 2-mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) was performed. A total of 17 (4.38%) animals were reactive in the BAA and, of these, 14 were non-reactive and 3 were inconclusive in the 2-ME. From the results obtained, it is possible to conclude that the animals tested were negative for infection by B. abortus; care and prevention measures are essential to maintain this state; the association of screening and confirmatory serological tests are of fundamental importance for the diagnosis of equine brucellosis; and, finally, the control and eradication plan for bovine Brucellosis in the city, through vaccination and inspection, has reduced the incidence of the disease, since most animals cohabited with cattle and other animal species, which could reflect on the positivity of the animals studied.