Inquérito soroepidemiológico para leptospirose e brucelose bovina em propriedades rurais de agricultura familiar do Agreste Paraibano, Nordeste do Brasil.

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to determine the frequency of positive herds and seropositive animals to bovine leptospirosis and brucellosis in family farm rural properties from the Agreste mesoregion of the Paraíba State, as well as to identify risk factors. Blood samples were collected from 771 animals from 130 herds in five municipalities. For the serological diagnosis of leptospirosis the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using 24 Leptospira spp. serovars as antigens was carried out, and for brucellosis the Rose-Bengal Test (RBT) was used as screening test and the 2- mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) as confirmatory test. For leptospirosis, the frequency of positive herds and seropositive animals were 18.4% and 3.6%, respectively; for brucellosis 7.7% of the herds and 1.9% of the animals were positive. The most frequent Leptospira spp. serovar was Hardjo. Bovine purchase was identified as risk factor to bovine brucellosis (odds ratio = 5.25; p = 0.044). It was suggested the need for adoption and/or intensification of control and prevention measures aiming to avoid economic losses and transmission of the agents to humans, as well as the purchase of animals with known sanitary condition.