Abstract:
The water buffalo is an important domestic animal worldwide and the local Buffalypso variety
was developed in Trinidad to have improved beef qualities. Brucellosis was diagnosed in
Trinidad and Tobago during 1998 in both cattle and domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
populations. Brucellosis in the latter species is caused by infection with Brucella abortus, similar
to bovine brucellosis. Control of brucellosis is of paramount importance to preservation of the
genetic diversity of these animals in Trinidad, and this has been complicated by differences in
the epidemiology of water buffalo and bovine brucellosis. Some diagnostic tests do not have
comparable accuracy between the two species, and the RB51 vaccine does not adequately protect
against infection in water buffalo. The water buffalo in Trinidad may also be more resistant to
infection than cattle. Development of effective vaccination protocols is key to control disease in
Buffalypso in Trinidad, and prohibitions on import of virulent B. abortus strains for vaccine
efficacy studies has impeded progress in this area. These Trinidadian strains are of variable
virulence; some might be effective for challenge in vaccine efficacy studies, while other, of
lower virulence, may be vaccine candidates for use in water buffalo.
