B. ovis

Brucella ovis

Ovine brucellosis is caused by a bacterium called Brucella ovis (B. ovis). All breeds of sheep are susceptible to brucellosis, which may cause considerable economic loss due to increased culling of rams, reduced lamb marking percentages and extended lambing seasons. The disease produces inflammation of the epididymis in rams and of the placenta in pregnant ewes. Ovine brucellosis has been recorded in sheep from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, South Africa and Europe.

The infection of pregnant ewes leads to abortion and neonatal lamb deaths due to microscopic and macroscopic changes occurring in the placenta and fetus. Infection does not persist in nonpregnant ewes, but may persist for several months in pregnant ewes. This characteristic has an impact in the control of the disease.

In many countries, the routine use of vaccines against brucellosis is no longer allowed. Brucellosis eradication programs are now based exclusively on the serological screening of sheep and cattle herds to detect and remove infected animals.

Testing Solutions
CHEKIT* Brucella ovis Antibody Test Kit
Availability/Distribution: Outside the U.S.
The CHEKIT* Brucella ovis ELISA provides a rapid, simple, sensitive and specific method for detecting antibodies against Brucella ovis in serum and plasma of sheep.

The CHEKIT Brucella ovis Test Kit includes chemical reagents (wash, substrate, stop solutions) that can also be used with CHEKIT kits that test for other abortive diseases (B. abortus, neosporosis, toxoplasmosis, Chlamydia).
CHEKIT* Brucella ovis Antibody ELISA:
2 plates (strips), serum and plasma samples of sheep, short protocol (60 minutes at 37°C), ready-to-use reagents

* xChek, CHEKIT, FlockChek and HerdChek are trademarks or registered trademarks of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Pourquier is a trademark of Institut Pourquier, a wholly owned subsidiary of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.