{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T04:41:12Z","timestamp":1760157672897,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759449600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Research Directorate of the Central University of Ecuador","award":["91750000.0000.374919"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["91750000.0000.374919"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005627","name":"University of Li\u00e8ge","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005627","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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\u20137.6) 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14101003","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T09:22:47Z","timestamp":1759483367000},"page":"1003","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Isolation and Microbiological and Molecular Identification of Brucella abortus in Cattle and Pigs, Slaughtered in Cattle Sheds Located in Northern Sierra of Ecuador"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Maritza","family":"Celi-Erazo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"},{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n en Biodiversidad, Salud P\u00fablica y Zoonosis (GIBCIZ), Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7077-2370","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Minda-Aluisa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"},{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n en Biodiversidad, Salud P\u00fablica y Zoonosis (GIBCIZ), Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lisbeth","family":"Olmedo-Pinchao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"},{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n en Biodiversidad, Salud P\u00fablica y Zoonosis (GIBCIZ), Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9021-4376","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lenin","family":"Ron-Garrido","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"},{"name":"Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tania","family":"Ortega-Sierra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Juli\u00e1n","family":"L\u00f3pez-Balladares","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marlon","family":"Carlosama-Y\u00e9pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"},{"name":"Coordinaci\u00f3n General de Registro de Insumos Agropecuarios, Agencia de Regulaci\u00f3n y Control Fito y Zoosanitario-AGROCALIDAD, Quito 170518, Ecuador"},{"name":"Direcci\u00f3n de Posgrados, Coordinaci\u00f3n de la Maestr\u00eda en Producci\u00f3n Animal con Menci\u00f3n en Nutrici\u00f3n Animal, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Santiago","family":"Gonzal\u00f3n-Alcarraz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4118-1015","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacobus H.","family":"de Waard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"One Health Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Las Am\u00e9ricas (UDLA), Quito 170125, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9087-7436","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claude","family":"Saegerman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"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"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jorge","family":"Ron-Rom\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo de Investigaci\u00f3n en Salud Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingenier\u00eda Agron\u00f3mica, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y Agr\u00edcolas, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolqu\u00ed 171103, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Washington","family":"Ben\u00edtez-Ortiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Zoonosis CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1500846","article-title":"Comparisons of Brucellosis Between Human and Veterinary Medicine","volume":"8","author":"Hull","year":"2018","journal-title":"Infect. 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