SEROLOGICAL STUDY OF LEPTOSPIROSIS AND BRUCELLOSIS IN STRAY DOGS IN SOFIA

Abstract

The problem with stray dogs in Sofia district stands unresolved for many years. This study clarifies the seroprevalence of two zoonotic diseases in the population of stray dogs in Sofia - leptospirosis and
brucellosis.
Random blood samples from stray dogs from shelters in Sofia had been surveyed. By Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for leptospirosis were tested 57 blood sera. The following serovars were used:
Canicola, Hardjo, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona and Tarassovi. 130 blood samples from stray dogs were examined for Brucella canis by Complement fixation test (CFT). Consequently, 60 blood sera that showed positive or doubtful results were tested by ELISA.
Seropositive for leptospirosis are 57.9% of stray dogs. The highest percentage of positive tested sera are against serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae – 52.3% and Canicola – 43.1%. Strong negative is the fact that 40.35% from seropositive samples show high agglutination titers (≥ 1:800). From serological testing of samples for brucellosis by CFT 43.64% (48) of them are positive and 10.9% (12) are doubtful. From the repeated study by ELISA only 5.45% (6) are positive and 2.72% (3) are doubtful. We have found that CFT is absolutely inappropriate for testing dogs for antibodies to Brucella canis, as blood sera of these animals have an extremely high anticomplementary activity.