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Symposium: Brucellosis

Application of Research to Bovine Brucellosis Control and Eradication Programs

National Animal Disease Laboratory, USDA, Ames, Iowa

ABSTRACT

Recent research on brucellosis has resulted in new developments in the broad areas of immunity, diagnosis, and Brucella characterization. Application of these developments is necessary to continue the progress of the control program toward the goal of eventual eradication of bovine brucellosis.

Heifer calves vaccinated at three, four, or six months of age with Strain 19 developed an immunity against brucellosis equal to that in heifers vaccinated at eight months or older. Calves vaccinated at two months also developed a serviceable immunity. Application of vaccination at younger ages will practically eliminate persistent vaccinal titers that have caused some inaccuracies in interpretation of standard diagnostic tests.

Specificity of several diagnostic tests has been increased considerably, thus increasing our ability to identify the infected animals. Most of these have been used to supplement the seroagglutination tests in problem herds. The card test is being evaluated further by applying it routinely in states that have not attained a modified certified status.

Addition of Brucella phage and oxidative metabolic tests to the biochemic and serologic tests will enhance our capabilities of characterizing Brucella responsible for new outbreaks of brucellosis and our ability to contain such outbreaks.