EXPLORATORY SURVEY OF BRUCELLA CANIS INFECTION IN DOGS FROM VILLAVICENCIO-COLOMBIA

Objective. To estbalish the presence of B. canis antibodies in domestic and street dogs in Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia. Materials and methods. 201 dog sera samples were analized by rapid plate agglutination test with mucoid (M-) antigen. Isolation by haemoculture in brucella selective medium (Oxoid®) was attempted in two seropositive animals. Histopathology of the testicle, spleen and liver were carried out on a seropositive animal having bacterial growth with morphological characteristics suggestive of B. canis. Results. General seropositivity was 1.49% and corresponded to three male dogs, two of them presented clinical signs of unilateral epididymitis and orchitis. Culture and histopathology were unable to diagnosis B. canis. Conclusions. Seropositivity was low and suggested that the population being studied had not been in contact with the bacteria. The presence of reactors could have been associated with false positives. The failure to isolate bacteria did not indicate that the disease does not exist, therefore, new studies are needed.