Volume: 57 Issue: 3
Year: 2026, Page: 430-436, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2026.57.3.430-436
Received: June 6, 2026 Accepted: Sept. 3, 2026 Published: Sept. 30, 2026
Caprine abortion is an important cause of economic loss and may be associated with several zoonotic bacterial pathogens. The present study investigated the occurrence of selected zoonotic bacterial abortifacients among goats in Kerala, India. Aborted materials from 25 goats were subjected to molecular screening for Brucella abortus, B. melitensis, Leptospira spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Chlamydia abortus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, sera from 90 goats with a history of abortion were screened for antibodies against Brucella spp. using an indirect Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), and against Leptospira spp. using Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Brucella abortus DNA was detected in 3 of 25 (12.0%) aborted materials, whereas none of the EDTA blood samples tested positive. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified the isolate as Brucella abortus and demonstrated close genetic relatedness to previously reported Indian isolates. Serological screening revealed positivity rates of 1.11% and 2.22% for brucellosis by indirect ELISA and RBPT, respectively, while all samples were negative for leptospirosis by MAT. No molecular evidence of Brucella melitensis, Leptospira spp., L. monocytogenes, or C. abortus was detected. The findings indicate the involvement of Brucella abortus in caprine abortion in Kerala and highlight the importance of including brucellosis in abortion investigations and surveillance programmes.
Keywords: Brucella, Chlamydia abortus, Leptospira, Listeria, ELISA, RBPT, MAT
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© 2026 Preena et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Neha, R., Krupa, R. J., Justin, D. K., Amritha, A., Binu, K. M., Ambily, R., Tittu, A., Shyma, V. H., Vinodkumar, K., Tresamol, P. V. & Preena, P.(2026). Investigation of zoonotic bacterial abortifacients associated with caprine abortion in Kerala, India. Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 57(3),430-436