AUTHOR=Rebollada-Merino Agustín , Pérez-Sancho Marta , Rodríguez-Bertos Antonio , García Nerea , Martínez Irene , Navarro Alejandro , Domínguez Lucas , García-Seco Teresa 

TITLE=Environment and Offspring Surveillance in Porcine Brucellosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.915692

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.915692

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Porcine brucellosis, caused by <italic>Brucella suis</italic> (<italic>B. suis</italic>), is a notifiable disease causing significant economic losses in production systems. Most infected pigs may act as carriers and shed <italic>B. suis</italic> even if asymptomatic. This can contribute to environmental persistence, thus hindering control efforts. Here, the environment and the offspring were investigated during and after a <italic>B. suis</italic> outbreak at a sow breeding farm. The diagnosis of <italic>B. suis</italic> in sows (<italic>n</italic> = 1,140) was performed by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from vaginal swabs, indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA) from sera, and brucellin skin test (BST). <italic>B. suis</italic> diagnosis in post-weaning pigs (<italic>n</italic> = 899) was performed by I-ELISA in sera and BST. The environmental surveillance programme was implemented by placing gauze sponges (<italic>n</italic> = 175) pre-hydrated in a surfactant and inactivating liquid for <italic>Brucella</italic> DNA detection by PCR in different farm areas. Our results showed that the offspring of infected sows reacted to <italic>in vivo</italic> techniques for <italic>B. suis</italic>. Furthermore, the offspring born during the outbreak displayed higher seropositivity (I-ELISA) and reactivity (BST) than those pigs born after. <italic>Brucella</italic> DNA was detected in pregnant sow areas, boxes, boots, and post-weaning pig areas. In addition, <italic>Brucella</italic> DNA environmental detection was higher during the <italic>B. suis</italic> outbreak than the post <italic>B. suis</italic> outbreak. The environmental approach has proven to be a simple, practical, valuable, and safe method to detect and monitor <italic>B. suis</italic>. These results suggest a role of the environment and the offspring that should be considered in porcine brucellosis surveillance and control programmes.</p>