Use of rapid diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of brucellosis in reindeer
On the territory of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation, reindeer herding has a significant national, economic, and ethnic importance. One of the main tasks of the industry is to obtain high-quality and safe reindeer products. A risk factors in reindeer herding is represented by infectious diseases, especially those which are particularly dangerous for animals and humans. The leading place in infectious diseases belongs to brucellosis. Brucellosis in reindeer has its own characteristics associated with the habitat, the biogeocoenosis of the area and natural nidality. The specificity of the reindeer breeding industry does not allow a systemic performance of diagnostic studies with a full livestock coverage. Reindeer blood samples are collected from 5-10% of the population in order to monitor the epizootic situation. The infection process in case of brucellosis occurs chronically or latently and is not always manifested by severe clinical signs. To increase the efficiency of diagnosis and objectivity of the epizootic status of brucellosis in herds, as well as to improve the quality and ensure the safety of products obtained from reindeer in areas which are endemic for brucellosis, studies have been conducted under the conditions of reindeer slaughterhouses in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District using a rapid diagnostic test (rose bengal test). The optimal combination of the technological process of the processing complex and veterinary measures in reindeer herding allows carrying out diagnostic studies of the entire (100%) slaughterhouse population, to identify infected animals in a short time and remove products received from them from the whole production lot, to increase the efficiency of epizootic monitoring and antibrucella measures.