Detection of Brucella Antibodies in Dogs From Rural Regions of Hamedan, Iran

Dogs play a significant role in the maintenance of various pathogens in the environment and their possible transmission to humans. In the case of Brucella spp., infected dogs can shed organisms into the environment via urine and vaginal discharges, and aborted materials or feces. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Brucella sp. infection in dogs in the rural regions of Hamedan, western Iran.

Between June and November 2018, Blood samples were obtained from cephalic or saphenous veins of 180 stray dogs from 6 rural regions of Hamedan during June and November 2018. The sera samples were evaluated for the presence of antibodies against Brucella spp. using Rose Bengal plate test (RBT) and Wright’s serum agglutination test (Wright SAT).

Seroprevalence rate of Brucella infection was 3.3% by RBT. (6/180; 95% CI: 0.7%–5.9%). All of the serum positive dogs had titers of 1:80 by Wright SAT. The seropositivity was 3.1% in males, 3.4% in females, 3.2% in <1-year-old, 1.8% in 1–2-year-old, and 4.9% in >2-year-old dogs. No statistically significant correlation was found between the infection rate and gender of dogs (P=0.907) or age groups (P=0.772).

The presence of infected dogs in rural regions is an important risk factor for the transmission of Brucella to humans and livestock. It is suggested that villagers, shepherds, and their families especially children should be provided with the information about risks of getting infection when handling an infected dog.