A Serological Survey of Brucellosis in Eurasian Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in Campania Region, Italy

Abstract: Swine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that affects both domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) and wild pigs such as wild boar (Sus scrofa). We evaluated the presence of antibodies against Brucella spp. in wild boar hunted in the Campania region, Italy, during the hunting season of 2016–17. Serum samples were collected from 434 wild boars and tested for antibodies against Brucella spp. For detection of antibodies to swine brucellosis, the rose Bengal test (RBT) and a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed. Of 434 serum samples, 22 (5.1%) tested by RBT and 58 (13.5%) tested using the blocking ELISA were positive for brucella. The seroprevalences of Brucella spp. did not differ between the sexes or age classes, while the prevalence of infected animals was positively correlated with the Avellino province. Our data showed that wild boar in the Campania region are exposed to brucella infection, and that the prevalence of the disease has increased in recent years.