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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Between 2016 and 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the central region of Portugal in order to better understand the epidemiology and public health risks resulting from the handling and consumption of game animals infected with Brucella spp. The seroprevalence and risk factors for Brucella spp. seropositivity were evaluated. Antibodies against Brucella spp. were determined using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Results showed that in the 650 serum samples collected from red deer (n = 298) and wild boars (n = 352) in Portugal, 21.7% (n = 141; 95% CI: 18.6–25.1%) tested positive. Wild boar had a significantly higher prevalence (35.5%; 95% CI: 30.5–40.8%) than red deer (5.4%, 95% CI: 3.1–8.6%; p ≤ 0.001). Risk factors for seropositivity were investigated using multivariable logistic regression models. The odds of being seropositive was 8.39 (95% CI: 4.75–14.84; p ≤ 0.001) times higher in wild boar than in red deer. Correlations between sex, age, body condition, and seropositivity could not be observed. The higher seroprevalence in wild boar suggests that this species may primarily contribute to the Brucella spp. ecology in central Portugal.

Details

Title
Hunting for Answers: Assessing Brucella spp. Seroprevalence and Risks in Red Deer and Wild Boar in Central Portugal
Author
Pires, Humberto 1 ; Cardoso, Luís 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ana Patrícia Lopes 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; da Conceição Fontes, Maria 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Santos-Silva, Sérgio 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Matos, Manuela 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pintado, Cristina 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Roque, Natália 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Leonardo Filipe Fonseca 1 ; Morgado, Inês 1 ; Dias, Ana Sofia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Figueira, Luís 6 ; Matos, Ana Cristina 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; João Rodrigo Mesquita 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Coelho, Ana Cláudia 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal; [email protected] (H.P.); [email protected] (C.P.); [email protected] (N.R.); [email protected] (L.F.F.); [email protected] (I.M.); [email protected] (A.S.D.); [email protected] (A.C.M.) 
 Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; [email protected] (A.P.L.); [email protected] (M.d.C.F.); [email protected] (A.C.C.); Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal 
 School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] (S.S.-S.); [email protected] (J.R.M.) 
 Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; [email protected] 
 Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal; [email protected] (H.P.); [email protected] (C.P.); [email protected] (N.R.); [email protected] (L.F.F.); [email protected] (I.M.); [email protected] (A.S.D.); [email protected] (A.C.M.); Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal; [email protected]; Quality of Life in the Rural World (Q-RURAL), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal 
 Research Center for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal; [email protected]; Quality of Life in the Rural World (Q-RURAL), Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal 
 School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] (S.S.-S.); [email protected] (J.R.M.); Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal 
First page
242
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20760817
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3003348712
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.