SERODIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF SHEEP BRUCELLOSIS IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE

Brucellosis is still one of the important zoonotic diseases of a serious public heath and economy problem in many countries. Ovine brucellosis is mainly caused by Brucella melitensis, Ossola et al. (1963) were the first to isolate Br. melitensis from three sheep in a flock that were co-existing with a herd of goats in Argentina.
In Egypt, the spread of brucella infection among sheep was recorded as incidence of ovine Brucellosis to be 9.5% using tube agglutination test Zaki(1943). Alton (1963) found that out of 999 examined sheep 3.5% were positive reactors in tube agglutination test, while El-Olemy (1974) detected a higher infection rate of brucellosis among sheep, 4.92% by Rose- Bengal test and 3.79% by tube agglutination test. El-Gibaly et al. (1977) recorded 2% brucella positive reactors to serum agglutination test. Nashed (1977) estimated a lower infection rate of brucellosis among sheep in Assiut Governorate, 0.74% in Rose Bengal test and 0.25% by tube agglutination test. Furthermore, Salem (1981) recorded an incidence of 5.6% and Nada (1982) recorded an incidence of 2.31% brucella positive reactors by different serological tests. Abdel-Wahab (1985) mentioned that the percentage of sheep positive reactors was 0.4%, while Zaghloul and Kamel (1985) failed to detect any positive reactors among sheep in Assiut Governorate. El-Bauomy (1989) examined 925 sheep by using tube agglutination test, mercaptoethanol test, buffered acidiffied plate antigen test, Rose Bengal plate test and Rivanol test and he found that the positive reactors were 18.5%, 16.2%, 19.9%, 19.1%, and 15.03% respectively. Recently Kaldes (1990) recorded that the rate of brucella infection among sheep in El-Minia Governorate was 0.42%. A further study was done by Gadalla (1991) who recorded that the rate of brucella infection among sheep in Assiut Governorate was 0.84%. El-Gohary and Hattab (1992) at Behera Governorate reported that the percentage distribution of sheep positive reactors by Rose Bengal plate test was 10.7% and by tube agglutination test was 7.1%. A recent investigation obtained by Montaser (1995) indicated that the incidence of sheep positive reactors were 4.38%, 2.89%, 2.02%, 2.01% and 2.006% by buffered acidified plate test, tube agglutiation test, Rose Bengal plate test, Mercaptoethanol and Rivanol tests respectively.
The present work attempts to investigate the incidence of brucellosis among sheep in Assiut Governorate to know the endemic area which help in the control of the disease.