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Updated: Sep 27, 2025
Microscopy-based Assays for High-throughput Screening of Host Factors Involved in Brucella Infection of Hela Cells
Published on: August 5, 2016
Characterization of Brucella spp. and other abortigenic pathogens from aborted tissues of cattle and goats in Rwanda
Jean Bosco Ntivuguruzwa1,2, Francis Babaman Kolo1, Emil Ivan Mwikarago3
1Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Background:
Abortions cause tremendous economic losses in food-producing animals and may lead to food insecurity.
Objectives:
This study aimed to characterize Brucella spp. and other abortigenic pathogens from aborted tissues of cattle.
Methods:
For cattle, aborted tissues (n = 19) were cultured, and Brucella spp. were detected using the genus-specific 16S-23S ribosomal DNA interspacer region (ITS) assay and speciated using Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella ovis, and Brucella suis (AMOS) and Bruce-ladder PCR assays. Brucella negative samples were screened using the eight abortigenic pathogens PCR panel. Samples from an abortion outbreak that occurred within a goat tribe were included in this investigation. Sera of females (n = 8) and males (n = 2) were analyzed using the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA), while vaginal swabs (n = 3) and aborted tissues (n = 1) were cultured and characterized.
Results:
The ITS-PCR detected Brucella DNA in cultures from two aborted tissues of cattle (10.5%, [2/19]), which were identified as B. melitensis (n = 1), and B. abortus (n = 1) using AMOS and Bruce-ladder PCR assays. Campylobacter fetus (n = 7) and Leptospira spp. (n = 4) including co-infections (n = 2) of C. fetus and Leptospira spp. were identified from the Brucella negative samples of cattle. Goats (100.0%, 10/10) were brucellosis seropositive on RBT and i-ELISA. Mixed infections caused by B. melitensis and B. abortus were isolated from the vaginal swabs (n = 3) and aborted tissues (n = 1).
Discussion And Conclusions:
This is the first identification of abortion-associated pathogens in aborted cattle indicating the enormous financial losses and a threat to public health. It is therefore essential to include these identified pathogens in the surveillance scheme of veterinary and human services.
