[en] Collaborative work was financed by the EU to develop and assess new diagnostic tools that can differentiate between bovine brucellosis and bovine infections due to Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 either in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, the classical serological, bacteriological or allergic skin tests. Sixteen heifers were experimentally infected with Brucella abortus biovar 1 (five heifers), Brucella suis biovar 2 (two heifers), Y. enterocolitica O:9 (six heifers) and Y. enterocolitica O:3 (three heifers). Four heifers, naturally infected with Y. enterocolitica O:9 that presented aspecific brucellosis serological reactions were also included in the experiment. A self-limited infection was induced in cattle by B. suis biovar 2. All the brucellosis serological tests used, i.e. the slow agglutination test (SAW), the Rose Bengal test (RB), the complement fixation test (CFT), indirect and competitive ELISA's, lacked specificity when used to analyze sera from Y. enterocolitica O:9 infected animals. A Yersinia outer membrane proteins (YOPs)-ELISA was also used and although the test is able to detect a Yersinia group infection, it provided no evidence of whether or not there is a possible brucellosis infection when dual infections are present. The brucellergen IFN-gamma test showed a lack of specificity also. The only test that was proven to be specific is the brucellergen skin test. All brucellosis serological tests, except the indirect ELISA, were limited in their ability to detect B. abortus persistently infected animals. Based on these experimental studies, a strategy was implemented as part of the year 2001 Belgian Brucellosis Eradication Program to substantiate the eradication of bovine brucellosis. Epidemiological inquiries have identified risk factors associated with aspecific serological reactions, possible transmission and infection of cattle by B. suis biovar 2 from infected wild boars; and both legal and administrative measures taken by the veterinary services. No cases of bovine brucellosis have been confirmed in Belgium since March 2000.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Godfroid, Jacques
Saegerman, Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des maladies infectieuses et parasitaires > Epidémiologie et analyse des risques appl. aux sc. vétér.
Wellemans, Vincent
Walravens, Karl
Letesson, Jean*-Jacques
Tibor, Anne
Mc Millan, Alastair
Spencer, Steve
Sanna, Moez
Bakker, Douwe
Pouillot, Regis
Garin-Bastuji, Bruno
Language :
English
Title :
How to substantiate eradication of bovine brucellosis when aspecific serological reactions occur in the course of brucellosis testing.
Alton, G.G., Jones, L.M., Angus, R.D., Verger, J.M., 1988. Techniques for the brucellosis laboratory. INRA, Paris, France, 190 p.
Andersen F.M., Pedersen K.B. Brucellosis: a case of natural infection of a cow with Brucella suis biotype 2. Dan. Vet. 78(8):1995;408.
Anon, 2000. Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. 4th ed. Office International des Epizooties, Paris.
Bercovier H., Brenner D.J., Ursing J., Steigerwalt A.G., Fanning A.G., Alonso J.M., Carter G.P., Mollaret H.H. Characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica sensu stricto. Curr. Microbiol. 4:1980;201-206.
Caroff M., Bundle D.R., Perry M.B. Structure of the O-chain of the phenol-phase soluble cellular lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9. Eur. J. Biochem. 139:1984;195-200.
Cook D.R., Noble J.W. Isolation of Brucella suis from cattle. Aus. Vet. J. 61(8):1984;263-264.
Corbel M.J. Recent advances in the study of Brucella antigens and their serological cross-reactions. Vet. Bull. 55:1985;927-942.
Corbel M.J. Brucellosis: an overview. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 3:1997;213-221.
Crawford R.P., Huber J.D., Sanders R.B. Brucellosis in heifers weaned from seropositive dams. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 189:1986;547-549.
Dufey J. Le dépistage confronté aux réalités du terrain. Ann. Méd. Vét. 136:1992;281-283.
Ewalt D.R., Payeur J.P., Rhyan J.C., Geer P.L. Brucella suis biovar 1 in naturally infected cattle: a bacteriological, serological and histological study. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 9:1997;417-420.
Fensterbank R. Some aspects of experimental bovine brucellosis. Ann. Rech. Vet. 18:1987;421-428.
Gardner I.A., Heitala S., Boyce W.M. Validity of using serological tests for diagnosis of diseases in wild animals. Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. Epiz. 15:1996;323-335.
Garin-Bastuji B., Hummel N., Gerbier G., Cau C., Pouillot R., Da Costa M., Fontaine J.J. Non-specific serological reactions in the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis: experimental oral infection of cattle with repeated doses of Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. Vet. Microbiol. 66:1999;223-233.
Gemski P., Lazere J.R., Casey T. Plasmid associated with pathogenicity and calcium dependency of Yersinia enterocolitica. Infect. Immunol. 27:1980;682-685.
Gerbier G., Garin-Bastuji B., Pouillot R., Very P., Cau C., Berr V., Dufour B., Moutou F. False positive serological reactions in bovine brucellosis: evidence of the role of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 in a field trial. Vet. Res. 28:1997;375-383.
Godfroid J. Le diagnostic de la brucellose bovine dans le cadre d'un programme d'éradication de la maladie. Ann. Med. Vet. 136:1992;429-434.
Godfroid J., Michel P., Uytterhaegen L., De Smet K., Rasseneur F., Boelaert F., Saegerman C., Patigny X. Brucellose enzootique (Brucella suis biotype 2) chez le sanglier (Sus scrofa) en Belgique. Ann. Med. Vet. 138:1994;263-268.
Hilbink F., Fenwick S.G., Thompson E.J., Kittelberger R., Penrose M., Ross G.P. Non-specific seroreactions against Brucella abortus in ruminants in New Zealand and the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. N. Z. Vet. J. 43:1995;175-178.
Jacobson, R., 1997. Principles of validation of diagnostic assays for infectious diseases. In: Reichar, R. (Ed), Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. 3rd ed. Office International des Epizooties, Paris.
Kittelberger R., Hilbink F., Hansen M.F., Ross G.P., Joyce M.A., Fenwick S., Heesemann J., Wolf-Watz H., Nielsen K. Serological cross-reactivity between Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. Part II. The use of Yersinia outer proteins for the specific detection of Yersinia enterocolitica infections in ruminants. Vet. Microbiol. 47:1995;271-280.
Kittelberger R., Reichel M.P., Joyce M.A., Staak C. Serological cross-reactivity between Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9. Part III. Specificity of the in vitro antigen-specific gamma interferon test for bovine brucellosis diagnostic in experimentally Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 infected cattle. Vet. Microbiol. 57:1997;361-371.
Kittelberger R., Bundesen P.G., Cloeckaert A., Greiser-Wilke I., Letesson J.-J. Serological cross-reactivity between Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9: Part IV. Evaluation of the M- and C-epitope antibody response for the specific detection of B. abortus infections. Vet. Microbiol. 60:1998;45-57.
Letesson J.-J., Lostrie-Trussart N., Depelchin A. Production d'anticorps monoclonaux spécifiques d'isotypes d'immunoglobulines bovines. Ann. Med. Vet. 129:1985;131-141.
Letesson J.-J., Tibor A., van Eynde G., Wansard V., Weynants V., Denoel P., Saman E. Humoral immune responses of Brucella-infected cattle, sheep, and goats to eight purified recombinant Brucella proteins in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 4:1997;556-564.
Limet J.N., Kerkhofs P., Wijffels R., Dekeyser P. Le diagnostic sérologique de la brucellose bovine par ELISA. Ann. Méd. Vét. 132:1988;565-575.
MacDiarmid S.C. A theoretical basis for the use of a skin test for brucellosis surveillance in extensively-managed cattle herds. Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. Epiz. 6:1987;1029-1035.
Nielsen K. The serological response of cattle immunized with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 or O:16 to Yersinia and Brucella abortus antigens in enzyme immunoassays. Vet. Immunol. Immunopath. 24:1990;373-382.
Plommet M., Fensterbank R., Renoux G., Gestin J., Philippon A. Brucellose Bovine Experimentale. Ann. Rech. Vet. 4:1973;419-435.
Pouillot R., Garin-Bastuji B., Gerbier G., Coche Y., Cau C., Dufour B., Moutou F. The Brucellin skin test as a tool to discriminate false positive serological reactions in bovine brucellosis. Vet. Res. 28:1997;365-374.
Pouillot, R., Lescoat, P., Garin-Bastuji, B., Repiquet, D., Terrier, P., Gerbier, G., Bénet, J.J., Sanaa, M., 1998. Risk factors for False-Positive Serological Reactions for bovine brucellosis in Saône-et-Loire (France), Prev. Vet. Med. 35:165-179.
Saegerman, C., Thiange, P., Limbourg, B., Conotte, G., Petit, N., Thiry, G., Botton, Y., Pelzer, P., Mullier, P., Godfroid, J., Dufey, J., 1997. Etude epidémiologique descriptive et identification de facteurs de risque des réactions sérologiques faussement positives en brucellose bovine dans le sud de la province de Namur. Epidémiol. Santé Anim., 31/32 (No. spécial 8ème ISVEE): 08.04.1-3.
Saegerman C., Vo T.-K.O., De Waele L., Gilson D., Bastin A., Dubray G., Flanagan P., Limet J.N., Letesson J.-J., Godfroid J. Bovine brucellosis diagnosis by skin test: condition of its use and evaluation of its performance. Vet. Rec. 145:1999;214-218.
Verger J.M., Garin-Bastuji B., Grayon M., Mahé A.M. La brucellose bovine à Brucella melitensis en France. Ann. Rech. Vét. 20:1989;93-102.
Wauters, G., 1981. Antigens of Yersinia enterocolitica. In: Bottone, E.J. (Ed.), Yersinia enterocolitica. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 41-54.
Wauters G., Kandolo K., Janssens M. Revised biogrouping scheme of Yersinia enterocolitica. Contrib. Microbiol. Immunol. 9:1987;14-21.
Weynants V., Godfroid J., Limbourg B., Saegerman C., Letesson J.-J. Specific bovine brucellosis diagnosis based on an in vitro antigeno-specific IFN-g production. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33:1995;706-712.
Weynants V., Tibor A., Denoel P., Saegerman C., Godfroid J., Thiange P., Letesson J.-J. Infection of cattle with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9, a cause of false positive serological reactions in bovine brucellosis diagnostic tests. Vet. Microbiol. 48:1996;101-112.
Weynants V., Gilson D., Cloeckaert A., Tibor A., Denoel P.A., Godfroid F., Limet J.N., Letesson J.-J. Characterization of smooth-lipopolysaccharide and O-polysaccharides of Brucella species by competition binding assays with monoclonal antibodies. Infect Immun. 65:1997;1939-1943.
