Bacteriologically confirmed cases of ovine epididymo-orchitis caused by Brucella ovis in Sub-Carpathia

During the eradication of Brucella ovis infection from five large breeding ram flocks of Sub-Carpathia (The Ukraine), the genital organs of 55 rams culled because of seropositivity in the agar-gel precipitation (AGP) test and ELISA were subjected to gross pathological, histopathological and bacteriological examination. The results of these examinations, as well as the properties of B. ovis strains isolated for the first time in the region are reported. Thirty-three out of the 55 pairs of epididymides and testicles (60%) showed gross lesions (chronic epididymitis associated with the formation of spermatocele, sperm granuloma or abscess). From the 55 pairs of epididymides and testicles examined, a total of 26 B. ovis strains were isolated: of them, 24 (92.3%) originated from breeding rams while 2 (7.7%) from ram hoggets kept together with the breeding rams. Seven out of the 26 B. ovis strains (26.9%) were cultured from the epididymides of rams which did not show palpable epididymal and/or testicular lesions. It is emphasized that chronic inflammatory processes were observed in both epididymides even if the clinically palpable epididymo-orchitis occurred unilaterally. Three out of the 26 B. ovis strains were derived from AGP-positive but ELISA-negative, while 5 from ELISA-positive but AGP-negative rams. The remaining B. ovis strains were isolated from the genital organs of rams found seropositive both by the AGP test and by ELISA. The cultural, morphological and most important biochemical properties of the 26 sub-Carpathian B. ovis strains were identical with those of the reference strain designated Weybridge 63/290 (NCTC 10512).