ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025
Epidemiological baseline of Brucella spp. in South African wildlife.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- A novel duplex TaqMan qPCR assay for rapid differential diagnosis and co-infection screening of Orf virus and Brucella spp. in goats.Veterinary research communications · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Brucellosis is a globally significant zoonotic disease, yet its ecology in wildlife remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the circulation of Brucella spp. in a wide range of wild mammals from multiple protected areas in South Africa. Organ and serum samples from 722 animals representing 23 species were analyzed employing a conservative diagnostic strategy, combining serology (rose bengal test confirmed by indirect ELISA) and four PCR-based assays in series, to maximize specificity and interpretative solidity. Molecular detection revealed Brucella spp. DNA in several atypical host species, including plains zebra, hippopotamus, African elephant, giraffe, warthog, cheetah, and African wild dog, expanding the known host range. In Greater Kruger National Park, African buffalo exhibited high seroprevalence (24/106; 23%, CI: 15-32%) and even higher molecular prevalence (29/57; 51%, CI: 37-64%), supporting their role as a primary wildlife reservoir for B. abortus in the region. One B. abortus isolate cultured from the spleen of a zebra and characterized by multiloci variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) showed genetic relatedness to South African buffalo and South American cattle strains. Co-infections with B. abortus and B. melitensis were identified in 17 animals across seven species. Notably, B. melitensis was detected in species (elephant, hippopotamus, zebra) not typically associated with small ruminants, suggesting complex interspecies transmission dynamics. Our findings underscore the limitations of serological testing and highligts the value of molecular diagnostics in understanding the epidemiology of Brucella spp. in South Africa. The detection of B. abortus and/or B. melitensis DNA in a range of wildlife species, including carnivores and megaherbivores, emphasises the need for integrated One Health surveillance approaches to enhance understanding of the disease's life cycle and transmission dynamics.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.