ABSTRACT:
Among the diseases that affect the reproductive system of domestic animals, brucellosis in the sheep species is important because it generates significant economic losses to sheep rearing. Thus, it is a threat to the growth and productivity of sheep herds. In the face of this problem, the objective of the present research was to identify the prevalence of ovine brucellosis in herds in municipalities of the Teresina, Piauí, Brazil microregion by using the agar gel immunodiffusion assay (AGID) and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) serological tests. Fourteen municipalities were included in the research. Blood samples were collected from 521 pubescent animals by puncturing the jugular vein. After collection, the samples were submitted to the serological techniques, AGID and indirect ELISA, to detect anti B. ovis antibody. Of the 521 samples submitted to the AGIDtest, 23 (4.41%) were sera reagent and 498 (95.58%) negative. The indirect ELISA tests, 24 (4.61%) suspect samples and 497 (95.39%) negative samples were obtained, and there were no reagent animals in this test, only suspect. The seroprevalence of ovine brucellosis in the Teresina, Piauí microregion was 4.41%. Thus, it is possible to identify sheep with reagent serology to infection by B. ovis, that is present in municipalities in the state of Piauí, Brazil. Furthermore, AGIDwas shown to be more sensitive in detecting animals that had had contact with the etiological agent of the disease.
KEYWORDS:
AGID; ELISA indirect; small ruminant