Occurrence of anti-Brucella abortus and anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in buffaloes from Paraiba state, Northeastern Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of animals that tested positive for brucellosis and leptospirosis and the risk factors for these diseases in the State of Paraiba. A total of 136 buffaloes from 14 herds were examined. For brucellosis, we used the buffered acidified plate antigen (BAPA) test as screening method and 2-mercaptoethanol as confirmatory test. For leptospirosis, we conducted a microscopic agglutination test (MAT), with a cut-off point of 1:100. Of the animals examined, two [1.5%; 95% CI = 0.4%-5.2%] were positive for brucellosis, and 38 (27.9%; 95% CI = 21.1%-36.0%) were positive for leptospirosis. The brucellosis-positive animals were from two (14.3%) herds, while nine (64.3%) herds had leptospirosis-seropositive animals. The more frequent Leptospira spp. serotypes were Bratislava, Pomona, and Canicola. We concluded that leptospirosis was widespread in buffaloes in the state of Paraiba and suggested that breeding alongside horses and pigs might be an important factor in the spread of leptospirosis-positive animals. The presence of brucellosis-positive animals indicated the possibility of negative-impacting measures on disease control in bovines, and it is therefore recommended that greater attention be given to these animals for brucellosis control.