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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #184614
Title: APPLICATION OF HOOF-PRINT TECHNOLOGY AS AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TOOL IN A NATURAL OUTBREAK OF BRUCELLA ABORTUS

Author
item Bricker, Betsy
item EWALT, DARLA - APHIS
item MONTGOMERY, DONALD - UNIV. OF WY
item MILLS, KENNETH - UNIV. OF WY
item O'TOOLE, DONAL - UNIV. OF WY
item EDWARDS, WILLIAM - WY DEPT OF GAME & FISH
item COOK, WALTER - WY ASST. STATE VET
item Jensen, Allen
item LOGAN, JAMES - WY STATE VETERINARIAN
item COMBS, BRET - AVIC, USDA-APHIS, WY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2004
Publication Date: 11/13/2004
Citation: Bricker, B.J., Ewalt, D.R., Montgomery, D.L., Mills, K.W., O'Toole, D., Edwards, W.H., Cook, W.E., Jensen, A.E., Logan, J.R., Combs, B.A. 2004. Application of HOOF-Print technology as an epidemiological tool in a natural outbreak of Brucella abortus [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In November of 2003, four cows from a herd from Sublette County, WY tested seropositive for Brucella. The results were confirmed by the culture of B. abortus biovar 1. Further testing of the 391 head in the herd revealed at least 31 seropositive animals. Tissues from the slaughtered animals were cultured at NVSL and NADC. Brucella was isolated from a variety of tissues collected from 21 animals. To date, 398 individual bacterial colonies (clones) of B. abortus were subcultured from the tissues of these animals. The 398 clones were analyzed by HOOF-Print genotyping using 10 chromosomal loci. Thirty-one genotypes were identified. A dominant fingerprint profile accounted for 54.3% of all cattle derived clones. The genotypes were compared to 26 other clones of B. abortus derived from two elk found in the same area but at different times. The genotype profiles derived from the two elk were as similar to and different from each other as they were to the genotypes isolated from the cattle herd. Although no single genotype was shared among the three sources, there were similarities that suggest potential genetic links among the three groups. The study illustrates several points: 1) the importance of examining multiple individual colonies from multiple animals to assess the full range of genotypes present in each infected population; 2) the value of testing numerous repeat loci; and 3) the need to identify the B. abortus HOOF-Print genotypes present in populations of infected wildlife.