Revista de agentes antimicrobianos

Brucellosis in the West of Algeria

Abstract

Karima OY, Mohamed B and Hama B

Brucellosis, the most common bacterial zoonosis in both human and animals, has a widespread geographic distribution. To prevent this disease in cattle (in the western region of Algeria) and to preserve the quality of the milk and other derivatives, we screened for detecting the presence of serum antibodies (against Brucella) by different immunochemical tests. The wilayets (state) concerned were from Mascara, Relizane, Tiaret and Tissemsilt. The study involved the involvement of techniques such as the buffered antigen test (EAT), indirect enzyme immunoassay (i-ELISA) and the complement fixation (CF). 744 cattle were involved for this investigation. In the wilaya of Mascara, 418 cows were investigated of which only 2 cases were found to be positive by using the EAT and 99 test cases were tested using ELISA. At Tiaret, the total number of dairy cows investigated were 156 out of which, only 1 case was held by EAT positive but the use of immunoassay test showed 14 positive results. A similar observation was made for around 170 cows which were tested in Relizane province where, 8 cases were positively tested using ELISA and the other tests were found to be negative. Out of 5 cows on Tissemsilt controlled, only 1 positive case was detected by ELISA.

The results derived using these three tests identified performance of the immunoassay where many cases of brucellosis found negative in the test by the use of the buffered antigen test and the fixing of supplement. The ELISA was diagnosed with better sensitivity, as among the 744 sera tested, only 3 sera were found positive by the use of tests of the EAT and FC but in case of ELISA, 112 cases were detected positive. The animals which reacted positively towards the ELISA had not done any screening using EAT. At a prevalence of 15.05%, this disease (zoonosis) exists in western Algeria which was revealed by screening of the cattle using ELISA test by which the sensitivity and performance were recognized.