Mohammad-Reza Narouei - Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
Dariush Saadati - Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.
Mohsen Najimi - Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.
Hamed Gangali - Sistan and Baluchestan Provincial Veterinary Service, Iranian Veterinary Organization, Zahedan, Iran.
Fatemeh Shah Karami - Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, university of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

Brucellosis is an anthropozoonotic disease. In addition to abortion and economic losses for livestock farmers, brucellosis is also important in terms of public health. In this study, the epidemiology and prevalence of Brucella infection in sheep and goats in the Sistan region were investigated by PCR method. A total of ۱۵۰ animals, including ۹۲ sheep and ۵۸ goats, were selected from different regions of Sistan, including five counties. Blood was taken from the animals through the jugular vein. The variables of counties, age, sex, and species of livestock, and for female animals, history of abortion, and pregnancy status were recorded by a questionnaire. After the separation of serum from blood, the sera were stored at -۲۰°C for further experiments. Then all sera were tested by PCR for detection of Brucella genus and then positive samples were tested for detection of Brucella melitensis. Out of ۱۵۰ samples, infection with Brucella genus bacteria were detected in ۱۷ (۱۱%) samples. Also, all samples were positive for Brucella belonging to the melitensis species. In the present study, the prevalence of brucellosis in animals that had a history of abortion (۵۷%) was significantly higher than that in animals which did not have such a history (۸%) (P=۰.۰۰۳). It was also found that the prevalence of brucellosis in animals less than one year of age, in animals aged ۱ to ۲ years, and in animals over ۲ years of age was ۰%, ۲۰% and ۲۳%, respectively, which shows that the prevalence of brucellosis increases with age.

Brucella melitensis, Epidemiology, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sistan