ABSTRACT
La transmisión de Brucella abortus a becerras de vacas positivas y negativas se determinó a la primera semana de vida y al tercer mes de edad. Se trabajó con dos hatos: el hato 1, con 670 vacas en producción, presentaba una seroprevalencia a brucelosis de 21.6% (145/670). En este hato se formaron dos grupos: vacas positivas y vacas negativas, como resultado de las pruebas de tarjeta y de inmunodifusión radial (IDR) realizadas con hapteno nativo. Se tomaron pruebas de sangre de las vacas en dos ocasiones, a la semana de edad y antes de que los animales fueran vacunados contra B. abortus. De las 22 vacas del grupo positivo, 2 (9.1%) becerras resultaron positivas a la primera semana de vida, pero no se encontraron vacas positivas a los tres meses de edad. En el grupo de becerras nacidas de vacas negativas no se encontraron animales positivos a la semana de vida, pero a los tres meses de edad, 4 de las 22 becerras resultaron positivas con la prueba de IDR. La tasa de prevalencia de vacas positivas a B. abortus fue de 13.6% a los tres meses de edad. De las 20 muestras de leche obtenidas de este hato se aisló B. abortus (100%). Mediante PCR se confirmó que estas cepas correspondían a cepas de campo y no a cepas vacunales. El hato 2, con 1800 vacas en producción, estaba inscrito en la campaña nacional contra la brucelosis animal y presentaba una seroprevalencia de 1.94% (35/1800) detectada de enero a diciembre de 2009. Se analizaron 1 170 registros usando los resultados de las pruebas de tarjeta y rivanol aplicada en becerras menores de tres meses de edad, de las que 24 (2.1%) resultaron positivas a B. abortus de enero de 2009 a junio de 2010. Se concluye que es necesario realizar el diagnóstico de brucelosis en becerras nacidas en establos donde se ha presentado la enfermedad, para prevenir que permanezcan animales positivos en el hato, ya que los anticuerpos posvacunales impedirán detectar la enfermedad, pero posteriormente se manifestará mediante abortos durante la primera gestación, perpetuando así la brucelosis en el establo.
Transmission of Brucella abortus to female calves from positive and negative cows was determined in the first week and third month of age. Two herds were used. Herd 1 consisted of 670 milking cows with a brucellosis seroprevalence of 21.6% (145/670). In this herd, groups of positive and negative cows were formed using the card and radial immunodifussion (RID) tests with native hapten. Blood samples were taken from female calves on two occasions: at one week of age and before animals were vaccinated against B. abortus. Of the 22 calves from the positive group, two (9.1%) were positive in the first week of life, but no more positive calves were found at three months of age. In the group of female calves born to negative cows, there were no positive animals at one week of age, but four out of 22 were found positive with the RID test at three months of age. A prevalence rate of 13.6% of positive calves for B. abortus in the third month of age was calculated. Twenty milk samples were obtained from this herd and B. abortus was isolated from all of them (100%). Using PCR, the strains found were confirmed to be field strains and not vaccine strains. Herd 2 consisted of 1800 milking cows, participating in the National Campaign against Animal Brucellosis, that had a seroprevalence of 1.94% (35/1800) detected from January to December 2009. In this herd, 1 170 records were analyzed using the results of the card and rivanol tests obtained from female calves younger than three months of age, of which 24 (2.1%) were found positive for B. abortus from January 2009 to June 2010. It is concluded that the diagnosis of brucellosis is necessary in female calves born in dairies to cows that have the disease, in order to prevent positive animals from remaining in the herd. Vaccine-induced antibodies will avert disease detection, but brucellosis will later manifest itself through abortions during first pregnancies, thus perpetuating the disease in dairies.