Journal of Camel Practice and Research

An abortion case in a dromedary camel caused by a B. melitensis strain belonging to the East-Mediterranean genetic group (GT42 by multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA8) and GT108 by MLVA11) is reported. Earlier, the dromedary was seronegative for Brucellosis for 6 years. The animal got infected between 112 and 204 days of gestation from an unknown source, developed bacteriaemia and the acute infection resulted in the abortion at 249 days of gestation. The pathological findings in the foetus and the placenta were not pathognomonic for Brucellosis. In the foetus, both pleural and abdominal cavities were filled with bloody fluid and pleurisy was observed. In the placenta, oedema, diffuse mineralisation and focal detachment of the trophoblast were detected without inflammatory changes. The Brucella pathogens were excreted to the environment with the aborted foetus and the placenta. The bacteria disappeared from the blood and the uterus of the dam within a short time after abortion and were isolated only from some of the lymph nodes. The Brucella seropositive camel in its acute phase of the disease did not infect other contact animals. In addition, the transmission of the disease to other dromedaries at the time of abortion was also prevented with appropriate biosecurity measures.