Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador

Celi-Erazo, Maritza; Minda-Aluisa, Elizabeth; Olmedo-Pinchao, Lisbeth; Ron-Garrido, Lenin; Ortega-Sierra, Tania; López-Balladares, Julián; Carlosama-Yépez, Marlon; Gonzalón-Alcarraz, Santiago; de Waard, Jacobus H.; Saegerman, Claude; Ron-Román, Jorge; Benítez-Ortiz, Washington

doi:10.3390/pathogens14101003

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Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador

by

Maritza Celi-Erazo

^1,2,*,

Elizabeth Minda-Aluisa

^1,2

,

Lisbeth Olmedo-Pinchao

^1,2,

Lenin Ron-Garrido

^1,3

,

Tania Ortega-Sierra

³,

Julián López-Balladares

³,

Marlon Carlosama-Yépez

^3,4,5,

Santiago Gonzalón-Alcarraz

¹,

Jacobus H. de Waard

⁶

,

Claude Saegerman

^7,*

,

Jorge Ron-Román

^8,† and

Washington Benítez-Ortiz

^1,†

¹

Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador

²

Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Salud Pública y Zoonosis (GIBCIZ), Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador

³

Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador

⁴

Coordinación General de Registro de Insumos Agropecuarios, Agencia de Regulación y Control Fito y Zoosanitario-AGROCALIDAD, Quito 170518, Ecuador

⁵

Dirección de Posgrados, Coordinación de la Maestría en Producción Animal con mención en Nutrición Animal, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador

⁶

One Health Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito 170125, Ecuador

⁷

Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR-ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health Center, Department of Infections and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium

⁸

Grupo de Investigación en Salud Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería Agronómica, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y Agrícolas, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí 171103, Ecuador

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Pathogens 2025, 14(10), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101003

Submission received: 25 July 2025 / Revised: 22 September 2025 / Accepted: 23 September 2025 / Published: 3 October 2025

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Abstract

Brucellosis remains an underreported zoonotic disease in Ecuador. Its control program in cattle integrates diagnostic testing, vaccination, and eradication incentives, although participation is largely voluntary. Since 2025, vaccination has become compulsory nationwide. Human surveillance remains largely passive, and strain-level data are very limited. This study applied an integrated approach, combining serology (Rose Bengal and SAT-EDTA), microbiological culture, and molecular diagnostics, to assess the presence and diversity of Brucella spp. in cattle and pigs from six slaughterhouses in the northern Andean highlands. A total of 2054 cattle and 1050 pigs from Carchi, Imbabura, and Pichincha were sampled. Among cattle, 133 (6.5%; 95% CI: 5.5–7.6) were seropositive, and viable B. abortus strains were isolated from 17 (12.8%). Genus identification was confirmed by IS711-PCR, while species- and biovar-level differentiation was achieved with AMOS-PCR; additional assays targeting the ery gene and RB51 marker were used to distinguish field from vaccine strains. Biotyping and molecular analysis revealed a predominance of B. abortus biovar 4 (13/17 isolates) over biovar 1, all confirmed as field strains. In pigs, 10 animals (0.95%) tested seropositive, but no isolates were recovered, highlighting limitations of serology in swine. Most livestock, including the positives, originated locally, reinforcing the representativeness of our findings. The successful isolation and molecular characterization of B. abortus demonstrates the value of combining diagnostic strategies beyond serology. These results underscore the utility of active surveillance when supported by traceability systems; this approach may also contribute to guide interventions to reduce infection risk in livestock and humans.

Keywords: Brucella spp.; cattle; swine; seropositive; isolation; characterization; IS711 PCR; AMOS PCR; Rose Bengal (RB) test and sero-agglutination test (SAT)-EDTA

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MDPI and ACS Style

Celi-Erazo, M.; Minda-Aluisa, E.; Olmedo-Pinchao, L.; Ron-Garrido, L.; Ortega-Sierra, T.; López-Balladares, J.; Carlosama-Yépez, M.; Gonzalón-Alcarraz, S.; de Waard, J.H.; Saegerman, C.; et al. Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador. Pathogens 2025, 14, 1003. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101003

AMA Style

Celi-Erazo M, Minda-Aluisa E, Olmedo-Pinchao L, Ron-Garrido L, Ortega-Sierra T, López-Balladares J, Carlosama-Yépez M, Gonzalón-Alcarraz S, de Waard JH, Saegerman C, et al. Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador. Pathogens. 2025; 14(10):1003. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101003

Chicago/Turabian Style

Celi-Erazo, Maritza, Elizabeth Minda-Aluisa, Lisbeth Olmedo-Pinchao, Lenin Ron-Garrido, Tania Ortega-Sierra, Julián López-Balladares, Marlon Carlosama-Yépez, Santiago Gonzalón-Alcarraz, Jacobus H. de Waard, Claude Saegerman, and et al. 2025. "Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador" Pathogens 14, no. 10: 1003. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101003

APA Style

Celi-Erazo, M., Minda-Aluisa, E., Olmedo-Pinchao, L., Ron-Garrido, L., Ortega-Sierra, T., López-Balladares, J., Carlosama-Yépez, M., Gonzalón-Alcarraz, S., de Waard, J. H., Saegerman, C., Ron-Román, J., & Benítez-Ortiz, W. (2025). Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador. Pathogens, 14(10), 1003. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101003

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Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella Abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador

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