{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T12:47:04Z","timestamp":1787057224326,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,12]],"date-time":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1636675200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Health Ministry","award":["RC IZS SI 08\/15"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RC IZS SI 08\/15"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Aim of this study is to report a laboratory investigation performed following the isolation of Brucella ovis, causing ovine epididymitis, in a traditional sheep farm in Sicily (South Italy). This disease represents a newly emerging risk for Italian livestock and is listed among diseases of EU priority (EU Reg 2016\/429). Blood samples from 56 rams and 143 ewes were analyzed by both Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Complement Fixation Test (CFT). Genital swabs from all rams and 15 lactating ewes were collected to perform real-time PCR. Eighteen serologically positive rams were slaughtered and postmortem-inspected. Samples of testicle, epididymis, lymph nodes, and urine were also collected in order to perform microbiological, molecular, and histopathological analysis. Twelve slaughtered rams showed anatomo-pathological lesions. Real-time PCR for B. ovis BOV_A0504 gene was positive for 13 testicles and epididymis and 11 urine while B. ovis was isolated from epididymis and testicles of 7 slaughtered rams. This is the first exhaustive laboratory report of a microbiological, molecular, and serological pattern of the disease in sheep in Italy. Despite the impact on health and animal welfare, the epidemiology of B. ovis infection is still unknown, particularly in our country where the disease is considered endemic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10111472","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,12]],"date-time":"2021-11-12T08:10:22Z","timestamp":1636704622000},"page":"1472","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Diagnostic Findings in a Confirmed Outbreak of Brucella ovis Infection in a Traditional Sheep Farm in Sicily (South-Italy)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1766-5327","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paola","family":"Galluzzo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6685-7109","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sergio","family":"Migliore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvana","family":"Cascio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale di Trapani, 91100 Trapani, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Santino","family":"Barreca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marilena","family":"Alfano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonina","family":"Tagliarini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Candela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Piraino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Galuppo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucia","family":"Condorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3880-6942","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hany A.","family":"Hussein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6614-9989","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Tittarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell\u2019Abruzzo e del Molise \u201cG. Caporale\u201d, 64100 Teramo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppina","family":"Chiarenza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia \u201cA. Mirri\u201d, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1076","DOI":"10.1177\/0300985814540545","article-title":"Advancement of knowledge of Brucella over the past 50 years","volume":"51","author":"Olsen","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vet. 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