Seroepidemiological survey of brucellosis and isolation of Brucella suis from swine herds of Meghalaya, North-East India

Brucellosis is a well-known and wide spread zoonotic disease. It is endemic in several parts of Asia, including India. In this study, seroprevalence of porcine brucellosis was studied among apparently healthy pigs in Meghalaya where pig keeping plays a significant function in socio-economic development. Serum samples (3,597) from pigs were screened using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and indirect ELISA. Isolation of Brucella was attempted in clinical samples. A total of 13 (0.36%) were positive by RBPT and 72(2%) by Indirect ELISA. Brucella suis isolate was recovered from placenta of an aborted pig. Risk factors involved in the transmission of brucellosis amongst swine herd were studied. It was observed that age (OR=0.590; P=0.04) and sex (OR=0.557; P=0.04) were significant intrinsic risk factors for transmission of porcine brucellosis. Although the seroprevalence is low, isolation of B. suis from an aborted pig indicated that disease is actively circulating among swine herds of Meghalaya.