Isolation and biotyping of Brucella melitensis from aborted sheep and goat fetuses

Authors: ESRA BÜYÜKCANGAZ, AYŞİN ŞEN, SERPİL KAHYA

Abstract: The possible role of Brucella spp. in 65 abortion cases, 55 from sheep and 10 from goats, occurring in the birth seasons of 2004 and 2005 in northwestern Turkey was investigated. Colony morphology, agglutination by acriflavin, H2S production, CO2 requirement, dye sensitivity in thionin, basic fuchsin, growth characteristics in streptomycin, lysis with Tbilisi phage, and agglutination with monospecific A- and M antisera were examined for identification and biotyping. The isolates from 21 of 55 sheep and 1 of 10 goat abortion cases were identified as Brucella melitensis. Biotyping revealed that 14, 6, and 1 of 22 Brucella spp. were B. melitensis biotype 3, B. melitensis biotype 1, and B. melitensis biotype 2, respectively. One strain isolated from a sheep abortion case was H2S- producing and was identified as atypical B. melitensis.

Keywords: Brucella melitensis, sheep, goat, abortus, biotyping

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