Brucellosis in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir Pakistan: a livestock threat for neighboring zones

The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in household animals of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir due to its geographic importance. A total of 360 blood samples of cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats were initially screened through Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) and then positive samples were subjected to Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for confirmation and quantification of antibody titers. Molecular confirmation of serologically positive samples was performed by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RBPT and ELISA showed a total of 8.6% and 6.87% positive samples respectively. The species wise seropositivity by RBPT was greater in cattle followed by buffaloes, goats and sheep. Similarly ELISA showed more seropositivity in cattle than buffaloes, while sheep and goats were negative for brucellosis by ELISA. RT-PCR revealed 100% samples positive for Brucella abortus by species specific PCR. This study revealed the presence of Brucella abortus in Mirpur for the first time. Since brucellosis is listed in transboundary diseases, its presence in this geographically important region could be a potential threat for neighboring countries..