Molecular characterization of Brucella melitensis field isolates by Bruce- Ladder multiplex PCR

Abstract

Brucellosis still remains an infectious, highly contagious and re-emerging endemic zoonosis especially in the Mediterranean and Middle-East regions of the world involving many countries including India where it constitutes occupational hazard (Shakerian et al., 2013 and Khamesipour et al., 2014). It also poses a serious threat to livestock economy by causing abortion, loss of offspring, infertility and reduction in milk yield. The prevalence of brucellosis in animal reservoirs is an evidence of its prevalence in human population and control of animal brucellosis is the key to its control in humans. Early diagnosis is essential to minimise the spread of the disease besides public health importance. In the present study molecular characterization of five Brucella melitensis isolates was carried out through Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR and compared with Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis vaccine and challenge strains. The amplification profile confirmed the isolates as Brucella melitensis and there was a significant difference among these field isolates with that of reference vaccine strains and the amplicons of all the field isolates were similar to amplicons of reference challenge strain, Brucella melitensis 16M