Serological prevalence of Brucellosis in horses in the suburb of Tabriz, Iran

Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease that poses both health and economic risks. It is endemic in many developing countries, such as Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Brucella abortus infection in native horses in the suburbs of Tabriz, Iran, using serological methods. Blood samples were collected from 141 apparently healthy horses, 45 of which were less than five years old, and 96 were more than five years old. Additionally, 35 were female and 106 were male. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Standard Tube Agglutination Test (STAT), 2-Mercaptoetanole (2-ME) test, and indirect ELISA (i-ELISA) were used to detect the presence of Brucella abortus infection in serum samples. The results showed that 4.96%, 3.54%, and 9.2% of the samples were positive for RBPT, STAT, and i-ELISA tests, respectively. The 2-ME test indicated the presence of IgG in the five serum samples. Of the thirteen positive samples in the i-ELISA test, eight cases (61.5%) were more than five years old, and the remaining five cases (38.5%) were under five years old. Out of thirteen positive cases, four cases (30.8%) were females, and nine cases (69.2%) were males. No significant relationship was found between Brucella abortus-infected cases and the age and gender of the horses. The findings suggest the presence of Brucella abortus contamination in native horses in the study area, emphasizing the importance of considering these animals in control and eradication programs for Brucellosis in the region.