Soroepidemiology of brucellosis in working horses from rural areas of Uberlândia - MG

Abstract

The brucellosis is an infectious-contagious disease caused by bacterias of the Brucella gender, of general distribution, infects many species of domestic animals and even mankind. Among animal species in which the disease was already diagnosed are included bovine, goats, swine, dogs, ovine, equine, buffalo, and desert rats. Few works in the literature approach the disease in the equine species, bringing difficulties in the evaluation of the disease’s distribution in a national and worldwide level. The present work was focused on evaluating the predominance of the disease in equines that worked as traction animals in the rural areas of the city of Uberlândia - MG and clarify the epidemiologic mechanisms evolved in the regional transmission chain. Serologic tests and a socio-epidemiologic questionary. In order to do that, serologic tests were used and a social-epidemiologic set of questions was answered by each owner after the blood sample collection. One hundred and eighty seven blood samples were evaluated by test of rose Bengal antigen (AAT), 100% of them being negative to the test. The handling conditions, mounting system, storing, alimentation and isolation of the species of sanitary interest in the transmission of Brucellosis to the traction equines, had a decisive contribution as limiting factors to the dissemination of this disease to these animals. In conclusion, the equine brucellosis, doesn’t have much epidemiologic importance for working equines in the rural sites of Uberlândia – MG, which is an area rid of the given disease.