Investigation of Brucella Spp. Presence of Amphibians Collected From Some Regions in Türkiye

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes economic losses in many countries worldwide, especially in livestock. Firstly, the African bullfrog and then B. inopinata and B. microti-like strains have been identified in various frog species worldwide. This study aimed to determine the presence of Brucella in amphibian frogs for the first time in Türkiye by bacteriological and molecular methods. Internal organ samples (spleen, liver, lung, kidney, etc.) of 150 frogs from different regions of Türkiye (Edirne/Ipsala (53 pieces), Adıyaman/Kâhta (97 pieces)) were used for the isolation of Brucella spp. As a result of Brucella genus-specific PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and Multiplex PCR methods performed with these extracts, no positivity was detected in the frog samples taken from Edirne province, while in 4 of the frog samples taken from Adıyaman province, bands of approximately 250, 600, 700, 1000, 1500 and 3000 bp were observed in Multiplex PCR. Sphingomonas paucimobilis (S. paucimobilis) was identified by analysing the culture obtained from these samples with VITEK®2:Healtcare. As a result, the presence of Brucella spp. could not be detected both bacteriologically and molecularly in the study samples. However, observing similar multiple bands in multiplex PCR suggested that this bacterium and Brucella species are phylogenetically close. It was determined that S. paucimobilis, which belongs to the same class as Brucella species under the Alphaproteobacteria, may be dangerous for people who work on farms where frogs are raised for human consumption. This is because the bacteria can cause opportunistic infections, particularly in immunocompromised humans. Therefore, it may be imperative to take the appropriate precautions.