{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,17]],"date-time":"2026-01-17T19:39:32Z","timestamp":1768678772546,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,3]],"date-time":"2018-10-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1538524800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In recent years, Brucella suis has been sporadically reported in Italy in domestic and wild swine. Since standard serological tests can determine false positive results, the development of alternative tests with improved sensitivity and specificity is rather essential. We analyzed 1212 sera collected at slaughterhouse from healthy pigs belonging to 62 farms of North-Central Italy. Sera were tested by Rose Bengal Test, Complement Fixation Test, and subsequently by a Dot Blot (DB) and Western Blot assays (WB). Only one serum resulted positive to all tests, indicating that swine brucellosis has a very limited spread. DB and WB could represent a support to the available serological tests; however, further studies to validate these tests are needed. In the presence of reemerging diseases, a prompt and continuous monitoring design is necessary to acquire epidemiological information for the subsequent application of specific health emergency plans.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci5040086","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,4]],"date-time":"2018-10-04T02:19:49Z","timestamp":1538619589000},"page":"86","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["A Serological Survey on Swine Brucellosis Using Standard Procedures, Dot Blot, and Western Blot in Finisher Pigs in Central-North Italy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5292-0613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabrizio","family":"Bertelloni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mario","family":"Forzan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Turchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Sagona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maurizio","family":"Mazzei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Felicioli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Filippo","family":"Fratini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Domenico","family":"Cerri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Zimmerman, J.J., Karriker, L.A., Ramirez, A., and Schwartz, G.W. (2012). Brucellosis. Stevenson, Diseases of Swine, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. [10th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prevetmed.2011.04.007","article-title":"Brucellosis at the animal\/ecosystem\/human interface at the beginning of the 21st century","volume":"102","author":"Godfroid","year":"2011","journal-title":"Prev. Vet. Med."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2015.08.013","article-title":"Characterisation of Brucella suis isolates from Southeast Europe by multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis","volume":"180","author":"Duvnjak","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1057","DOI":"10.20506\/rst.28.3.1947","article-title":"Brucella suis infection in domestic pigs and wild boar in Croatia","volume":"28","author":"Albert","year":"2009","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Tech."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"565","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rvsc.2011.09.004","article-title":"Development and evaluation of a selective medium for Brucella suis","volume":"93","author":"Ferreira","year":"2012","journal-title":"Res. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"757","DOI":"10.2478\/pjvs-2013-0109","article-title":"Characteristics of Brucella strains isolated from animals in Poland","volume":"16","author":"Szulowski","year":"2013","journal-title":"Pol. J. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2013.10.024","article-title":"Performance of skin tests with allergens from B. melitensis B115 and rough B. abortus mutants for diagnosing swine brucellosis","volume":"168","author":"Blasco","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"492","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2014.05.031","article-title":"Genetic relatedness of Brucella suis biovar 2 isolates from hares, wild boars and domestic pigs","volume":"172","author":"Kreizinger","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"397","article-title":"Isolation of Brucella suis biovar 2 from a wild boar in the Abruzzo Region of Italy","volume":"48","author":"Zilli","year":"2012","journal-title":"Vet. Ital."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1178","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-45.4.1178","article-title":"Epidemiologic survey for Brucella suis biovar 2 in a wild boar (Sus scrofa) population in northwest Italy","volume":"45","author":"Bergagna","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"151","article-title":"First report of Brucella suis biovar 2 in a semi free-range pig farm, Italy","volume":"51","author":"Barlozzari","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vet. Ital."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2170","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268814003513","article-title":"Brucella suis infection in domestic pigs in Sardinia (Italy)","volume":"143","author":"Pilo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"378","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2012.06.007","article-title":"An evaluation of the capability of existing and novel serodiagnostic methods for porcine brucellosis to reduce false positive serological reactions","volume":"160","author":"McGiven","year":"2012","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"World Organization for Animal Health (2017). Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. suis Office International Des Epizooties, OIE."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1017\/S095026880500511X","article-title":"Differentiation between serological responses to Brucella suis and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 after natural or experimental infection in pigs","volume":"134","author":"Jungersen","year":"2006","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) (2016). The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2015. EFSA J., 14, 231.","DOI":"10.2903\/j.efsa.2016.4634"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/0378-1135(94)90085-X","article-title":"Immunoblot studies in the differential diagnosis of porcine brucellosis: An immunodominant 62 kDa protein is related to the mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock protein (HSP-65)","volume":"39","author":"Spencer","year":"1994","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"155","article-title":"Development of a western blotting assay to discriminate Brucella spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 infections in sheep","volume":"27","author":"Corrente","year":"2004","journal-title":"New Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"202","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbrc.2014.11.059","article-title":"Proteomics-based identification of immunodominant proteins of Brucellae using sera from infected hosts points towards enhanced pathogen survival during the infection","volume":"456","author":"Wareth","year":"2015","journal-title":"Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3439","DOI":"10.1021\/pr2000754","article-title":"Differential expression of odorant-binding proteins in the mandibular glands of the honey bee according to caste and age","volume":"10","author":"Iovinella","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Proteome Res."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ab.2009.09.041","article-title":"Acquisition of chemiluminescent signals from immunoblots with a digital single-lens reflex camera","volume":"397","author":"Khoury","year":"2010","journal-title":"Anal. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"36","article-title":"Image Processing with Image","volume":"11","author":"Abramoff","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Biophoton. Int."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijantimicag.2010.06.013","article-title":"The changing Brucella ecology: Novel reservoirs, new threats","volume":"36","author":"Pappas","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2053","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1912.130506","article-title":"Unexpected Brucella suis biovar 2 infection in a dairy cow, Belgium","volume":"19","author":"Fretin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"672","article-title":"Brucella suis biovar 2 isolations from cattle in Poland","volume":"20","author":"Szulowski","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ann. Agric. Environ. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"ISTAT (2012, July 13). 6\u00b0 Censimento Generale dell\u2019Agricoltura. Available online: https:\/\/www.istat.it\/it\/archivio\/66591."},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"1","article-title":"Banca Dati Ungulati: Status, distribuzione, consistenza, gestione e prelievo venatorio delle popolazioni di Ungulati in Italia. Rapporto 2001\u20132005","volume":"117","author":"Carnevali","year":"2009","journal-title":"Biol. Cons. Fauna"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1016\/0378-1135(95)00122-0","article-title":"Serological crossreactivity between Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 I immunoblot analysis of the antibody response to Brucella protein antigens in bovine brucellosis","volume":"47","author":"Kittelberger","year":"1995","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."}],"container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/5\/4\/86\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T15:23:56Z","timestamp":1760196236000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/5\/4\/86"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,3]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,12]]}},"alternative-id":["vetsci5040086"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/vetsci5040086","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-7381"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2306-7381","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,10,3]]}}}