Herd and individual animal prevalence along with associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis was assessed on dairy farms located in 22 districts in Haryana and Punjab of India. Examination of 4,580 female animals of 119 dairy farms by Rose Bengal test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that an overall herd prevalence was 65.54% (78/119) and individual animal prevalence was 26.50 % (1,214/4,580). Herd prevalence in Haryana was 62.79% which was not significantly different (P = 0.4208) from Punjab (72.72%). Individual animal prevalence was 34.15% in Punjab which was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than Haryana (22.34%). Prevalence of brucellosis on dairy farms was detected in 20 of the 22 districts, of which 12 districts were in Haryana and 8 in Punjab. Risk factors such as species of animals, age of animals, herd size, awareness of dairymen for brucellosis, entry of a purchased animals on the farm, abortion on farm, use of calving pens, type of breeding, and type of farming were analyzed. The study indicated that the odds ratio (OR) was significant with risk factors of species (OR = 1.63; 95 %CI = 1.40-1.90; P < 0.0001), age (OR = 0.22; 95%CI = 0.17-0.29; P < 0.0001), awareness of brucellosis among dairymen (OR = 21.65; 95%CI = 2.63-178.04; P = 0.0042), entry of purchased animal on the farm (OR = 9.16; 95%CI = 2.38-35.18; P = 0.0012), abortion in animals (OR = 5.57; 95%CI = 1.92-16.10; P = 0.0015) and on cow farm (OR = 3.43; 95 %CI = 1.33-8.82; P = 0.0105). While the OR was insignificant (P > 0.05) with risk factors of herd size, use of calving pen on farms, type of breeding and on buffalo and mixed type of farms.

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SUMMARYThis paper reports the development and evaluation of serological tests for the differentiation of antibodies in animals infected with capripox and parapox viruses. Agar-gel immunodiffusion tests using sera from sheep with naturallyacquired infections and from sheep experimentally inoculated with orf or capripox viruses showed cross reactions. Virus-specific antibody responses to structural proteins of the viruses were analysed by Western-blot analysis. This analysis readily differentiated the infections as either capripox or contagious pustular dermatitis. The antibody responses to the 32 kDa and 26 kDa proteins of capripoxvirus provided a firm basis for differention.

Bovine brucellosis is an economically important disease which seriously affects dairy farming by causing colossal losses. It can be controlled by practicing vaccination of animals with Brucella abortus S19 vaccine (S19 vaccine). In the present study, adult bovines were vaccinated on seven dairy farms with a reduced dose of S19 vaccine to control brucellosis. Serological screening of adult animals (N = 1,082) by Rose Bengal test (RBT) and ELISA prior to vaccination revealed the presence and absence of brucellosis on five and two farms, respectively. The positive animals (N = 171) were segregated and those which tested negative (N = 911) were vaccinated by conjunctival route with a booster after 4 months. The conjunctival vaccination induced weak antibody response in animals, which vanished within a period of 9 to 12 weeks. Abortion in 12 animals at various stages of pregnancy and post-vaccination was recorded, but none was attributed to S19 vaccine. However, virulent B. abortus was incriminated in six heifers, and the cause of abortion could not be established in six animals. The six aborted heifers perhaps acquired infection through in utero transmission or from the environment which remained undetected until abortion. These findings suggested that vaccination of adult animals with a reduced dose of S19 vaccine by conjunctival route did not produce adverse effects like abortion in pregnant animals and persistent vaccinal antibody titers, which are the major disadvantages of subcutaneous vaccination of adult animals.

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