BACTERIOLOGICALLY CONFIRMED CASES OF OVINE EPIDIDIMOORCHITIS CAUSED BY BRUCELLA-OVIS IN SUB-CARPATHIA

During the eradication of Brucella ovis infection from five large bree ding ram flocks of Sub-Carpathia (The Ukraine), the genital organs of 55 rams culled because of seropositivity in the agar-gel precipitation (AGP) test and ELISA were subjected to gross pathological, histopatho logical and bacteriological examination. The results of these examinat ions, as well as the properties of B. ovis strains isolated for the fi rst time in the region are reported. Thirty-three out of the 55 pairs of epididymides and testicles (60%) showed gross lesions (chronic epid idymitis associated with the formation of spermatocele, sperm granulom a or abscess). From the 55 pairs of epididymides and testicles examine d, a total of 26 B. ovis strains were isolated: of them, 24 (92.3%) or iginated from breeding rams while 2 (7.7%) from ram hoggets kept toget her with the breeding rams. Seven out of the 26 B. ovis strains (26.9% ) were cultured from the epididymides of rams which did not show palpa ble epididymal and/or testicular lesions. It is emphasized that chroni c inflammatory processes were observed in both epididymides even if th e clinically palpable epididymo-orchitis occurred unilaterally. Three out of the 26 B. ovis strains were derived from AGP-positive but ELISA -negative, while 5 from ELISA-positive but AGP-negative rams. The rema ining B. ovis strains were isolated from the genital organs of rams fo und seropositive both by the AGP test and by ELISA. The cultural, morp hological and most important biochemical properties of the 26 Sub-Carp athian B. ovis strains were identical with those of the reference stra in designated Weybridge 63/290 (NCTC 10512). Differences existed betwe en the 26 strains in urease activity as well as in sensitivity to thio nine and basic fuchsin. The 10 Sub-Carpathian B. ovis strains proved s ensitive to ampicillin, streptomycin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol , erythromycin, gentamicin, Sumetrolim, oxacillin and levomycetin but were resistant to bacitracin and vancomycin.