Brucellosis in free-living African buffalo (Syncerus caffer): a serological survey

The rose bengal and complement fixation tests were successfully applied to buffalo (Syncerus caffer) sera. An overall occurrence of 23% positive reactors was obtained, but Brucella infection does not appear to act as an effective culling agent in buffalo. Any eradication programme must take free-living buffalo into account as a possible source of re-infection for cattle.